{{Use Canadian English|date=November 2017}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2018}} [[File:BerthaHosang1918.tif|thumb|Bertha Hosang, from a 1918 publication]] '''Bertha Hosang Mah''' (November 18, 1896 – 1959) was a [[Canadians|Canadian]] student, the first [[Chinese Canadians|Chinese woman]] to graduate from a Canadian university.
==Early life== Hosang was born in [[Lillooet]], [[British Columbia]],<ref name="Who">[https://books.google.com/books?id=NfA2AAAAMAAJ&dq=Lillooet+Hosang&pg=PA42 ''Who's who of the Chinese Students in America''] (Lederer, Street & Zeus Company, 1921): 42.</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/36554738/bertha_hosang_1916/|title=Clever Daughter of Local Chinese Merchant|date=May 20, 1916|work=The Vancouver Sun|access-date=September 30, 2019|page=3|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> the daughter of Lena Hosang.<ref name=":0" /> Her older sister recalled, "We were the only Chinese family and there weren't any separate classes in the school, so we talked English all the time."<ref>Timothy J. Stanley, [https://books.google.com/books?id=mH-3BR845GwC&q=Hosang&pg=PA154 ''Contesting White Supremacy: School Segregation, Anti-Racism, and the Making of Chinese Canadians''] (UBC Press 2011): 153-154. {{ISBN|9780774819336}}</ref>
==Education== Hosang attended [[McGill University]], first at the [[Vancouver]] satellite location (now the [[University of British Columbia]]), and later at the Montreal campus; when she graduated in 1917, she was described as "the first Chinese woman graduated from a Canadian university".<ref>Francis J. Dickie, [https://books.google.com/books?id=XVP_x4dXO4QC&dq=Bertha+Hosang+Sunset&pg=RA4-PA45 "Interesting Westerners"] ''Sunset: The Pacific Monthly'' (October 1918): 45-46.</ref> At McGill, she won an award for best speech, from the Women's Literary Society (Delta Sigma).<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=nSwUAAAAIAAJ&dq=Hosang+Vancouver&pg=PA78 "Personal Notes"] ''Chinese Students' Monthly'' (November 1917): 77-78.</ref> She also won first prize in a national essay competition, with her article "Physical Education for Chinese Women", which was later published in ''Chinese Students' Monthly''.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=nSwUAAAAIAAJ&dq=Hosang+Vancouver&pg=PA364 "Girls' Essay Competition"] ''Chinese Students' Monthly'' (1918): 364.</ref>
Hosang was elected to the University Women's Club of Vancouver in 1918, and gave a presentation to the group that year, on "Chinese Literature".<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/15444949/bertha_hosang_1918/ "Miss B. Hosang Addresses Club"] ''Vancouver Daily World'' (April 29, 1918): 7. via [[Newspapers.com]]{{open access}}</ref> Hosang worked as a secretary at the Chinese consulate in Vancouver in 1918 and 1919.<ref name="Who" /> Her older sister Myrtle Hosang Lee studied economics at the University of California in [[Berkeley, California|Berkeley]].<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/chinesedigest21chin/chinesedigest21chin_djvu.txt "Former U. C. Reader Weds"] ''Chinese Digest'' (January 31, 1936): 6.</ref>
==Personal life== In May 1921, in [[Berkeley, California]],<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/36546237/bertha_hosang_mah_1921/|title=Marriage Announced|date=May 28, 1921|work=The Province|access-date=September 30, 2019|page=30|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Hosang married Dr. Ng Wing Mah,<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=TK6gAAAAMAAJ&dq=Bertha+Hosang+Mah&pg=PA417 "Personal Notes"] ''Chinese Students' Monthly'' (March 1922): 417.</ref> a Chinese-born political scientist who taught at the University of California. They had three children, Winberta, Bertwing, and Lynn.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/15445167/mrs_n_wing_mah_1950/ "Winberta Mah Announces Betrothal to Kechin Wang"] ''Oakland Tribune'' (September 11, 1950): 17. via [[Newspapers.com]]{{open access}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/36555930/bertha_hosang_mah_1950/|title=Berkeley Girl Engaged to Wed Kechin Wang|date=September 17, 1950|work=The San Francisco Examiner|access-date=September 30, 2019|page=52|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Bertha Hosang Mah died in 1959, aged 62 years.<ref>R. A. Scalapino, E. C. Bellquist, P. Seabury, [http://texts.cdlib.org/view?docId=hb1199n68c;NAAN=13030&doc.view=frames&chunk.id=div00064&toc.depth=1&toc.id=&brand=calisphere "Ng Wing Mah, Political Science: Berkeley"] ''University of California: In Memoriam 1977'' (University of California Press 1977).</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Mah, Bertha Hosang}} [[Category:1896 births]] [[Category:1959 deaths]] [[Category:McGill University alumni]] [[Category:People from Lillooet]] [[Category:Canadian emigrants to the United States]]