Gordon Lau
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|
Gordon Lau | |
|---|---|
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| San Francisco Board of Supervisors | |
| In office 1977–1980 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 22, 1941 |
| Died | April 20, 1998 (aged 56) |
Gordon J. Lau (Chinese: 劉貴明; Jyutping: lau4 gwai3 ming4, August 22, 1941 – April 20, 1998) was the first Chinese American elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in San Francisco, California. He was elected to the city board of supervisors under Mayor George Moscone in 1977.
Early life
[edit]Lau was born in Honolulu, Hawaii and moved with his parents to San Francisco when he was 11 years old. He attended elementary school at St. Mary's, graduated from St. Ignatius High School and went on to attend University of San Francisco, earning bachelor's and law degrees.[1]
Career
[edit]Much like his colleague Harvey Milk, who had been an important activist for the LGBT community of San Francisco, Lau was an activist for the city's Asian American community. Lau was initially appointed in 1977 by Moscone to the Board of Supervisors, but won the subsequent election and served until he was defeated in the 1979 election.[1]
Legacy
[edit]Gordon J. Lau Elementary School in Chinatown is named in his honor. Before it was renamed to honor Lau, it was originally known as the Oriental Public School until 1924, and Commodore Stockton Elementary School between 1924 and 1998.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Eljera, Bert (April 23, 1998). "In Memoriam: Gordon Lau, 1941 - 1998". AsianWeek. Archived from the original on December 6, 1998. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
- ^ Ling, Huping; Austin, Allan, eds. (2015). "Commodore Stockton School". Asian American History and Culture: An Encyclopedia. Routledge. ISBN 978-1317476443. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
External links
[edit]
- Heredia, Christopher (April 20, 1998). "S.F.'s 1st Elected Asian American Supervisor Dies / Gordon Lau called trailblazer". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
- "Gordon Lau; S.F.'s 1st Elected Asian American Supervisor". Los Angeles Times. April 22, 1998. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
- Fernandez, Lisa (January 25, 2017). "San Francisco School Board Removes 'Oriental' Rule, Rescinds Anti-Asian Language". NBC Bay Area. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
- Fuchs, Chris (January 25, 2017). "San Francisco School Board Removes Rule Requiring Some Students to Attend 'Oriental School'". NBC News. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
- "Who was Gordon J. Lau?". Gordon J. Lau Elementary. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
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