South Korean Family Thrives in San Mateo County

Marian Lee

When Marian Lee was six years old, her family left South Korea to begin a new life in America. They made a home in Daly City, a melting pot with a track record of welcoming newcomers. “Our public school teachers went the extra mile to accommodate immigrant children who they knew were struggling with English and fitting in,” Lee says. 

Lee’s father, who had a botany degree from South Korea, got hired at John’s Nursery. With hard work, he earned the white American owner’s respect, who set Mr. Lee up with a pension fund and, later, helped him open his own garden shop. Within a few years, Sun’s Garden, had become a flourishing garden service business. 

Lee’s mother attended ESL classes and, through the program, found employment at Fireman Fund’s Insurance Company. She worked in administrative roles for more than thirty years. The company supported their first home purchase and retirement with a pension. “San Mateo County had the structure in place to allow a family like ours – one with no money or family ties – to get a foothold, grow and do well,” Lee says. 

Now 53, Lee lives in San Carlos. She has spent most of her career in public service as a transportation planner. Her biggest accomplishment was managing a $2B commuter rail electrification conversion project from planning to construction. She’s raising her teen daughter who plans to go to college and become a dancer. “It’s a wonder that we have broken the immigrant cycle of forcing our kids to become a doctor or lawyer.” Lee says.

Lee appreciates San Mateo County for the opportunities afforded to her family. She also believes more can be done, especially when it comes to increasing ethnic representation in government.

When people who have walked in our shoes join the ranks of leadership, they can better recognize our capabilities, which are sometimes hidden behind language barriers and cultural differences.

Marian Lee

Even so Lee is heartened to know that “it’s getting better as folks like myself increasingly play a role in policy making.”