# Bertha Hosang Mah

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Bertha Hosang, from a 1918 publication

**Bertha Hosang Mah** (November 18, 1896 – 1959) was a [Canadian](/source/Canadians) student, the first [Chinese woman](/source/Chinese_Canadians) to graduate from a Canadian university.

## Early life

Hosang was born in [Lillooet](/source/Lillooet), [British Columbia](/source/British_Columbia),[1][2] the daughter of Lena Hosang.[3] 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."[4]

## Education

Hosang attended [McGill University](/source/McGill_University), first at the [Vancouver](/source/Vancouver) satellite location (now the [University of British Columbia](/source/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".[5] At McGill, she won an award for best speech, from the Women's Literary Society (Delta Sigma).[6] 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*.[7]

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".[8] Hosang worked as a secretary at the Chinese consulate in Vancouver in 1918 and 1919.[1] Her older sister Myrtle Hosang Lee studied economics at the University of California in [Berkeley](/source/Berkeley%2C_California).[9]

## Personal life

In May 1921, in [Berkeley, California](/source/Berkeley%2C_California),[3] Hosang married Dr. Ng Wing Mah,[10] a Chinese-born political scientist who taught at the University of California. They had three children, Winberta, Bertwing, and Lynn.[11][12] Bertha Hosang Mah died in 1959, aged 62 years.[13]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Who_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Who_1-1) [*Who's who of the Chinese Students in America*](https://books.google.com/books?id=NfA2AAAAMAAJ&dq=Lillooet+Hosang&pg=PA42) (Lederer, Street & Zeus Company, 1921): 42.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Clever Daughter of Local Chinese Merchant"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/36554738/bertha_hosang_1916/). *The Vancouver Sun*. May 20, 1916. p. 3. Retrieved September 30, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_3-1) ["Marriage Announced"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/36546237/bertha_hosang_mah_1921/). *The Province*. May 28, 1921. p. 30. Retrieved September 30, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Timothy J. Stanley, [*Contesting White Supremacy: School Segregation, Anti-Racism, and the Making of Chinese Canadians*](https://books.google.com/books?id=mH-3BR845GwC&q=Hosang&pg=PA154) (UBC Press 2011): 153-154. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780774819336](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780774819336)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Francis J. Dickie, ["Interesting Westerners"](https://books.google.com/books?id=XVP_x4dXO4QC&dq=Bertha+Hosang+Sunset&pg=RA4-PA45) *Sunset: The Pacific Monthly* (October 1918): 45-46.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Personal Notes"](https://books.google.com/books?id=nSwUAAAAIAAJ&dq=Hosang+Vancouver&pg=PA78) *Chinese Students' Monthly* (November 1917): 77-78.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Girls' Essay Competition"](https://books.google.com/books?id=nSwUAAAAIAAJ&dq=Hosang+Vancouver&pg=PA364) *Chinese Students' Monthly* (1918): 364.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Miss B. Hosang Addresses Club"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/15444949/bertha_hosang_1918/) *Vancouver Daily World* (April 29, 1918): 7. via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Former U. C. Reader Weds"](https://archive.org/stream/chinesedigest21chin/chinesedigest21chin_djvu.txt) *Chinese Digest* (January 31, 1936): 6.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["Personal Notes"](https://books.google.com/books?id=TK6gAAAAMAAJ&dq=Bertha+Hosang+Mah&pg=PA417) *Chinese Students' Monthly* (March 1922): 417.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["Winberta Mah Announces Betrothal to Kechin Wang"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/15445167/mrs_n_wing_mah_1950/) *Oakland Tribune* (September 11, 1950): 17. via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** ["Berkeley Girl Engaged to Wed Kechin Wang"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/36555930/bertha_hosang_mah_1950/). *The San Francisco Examiner*. September 17, 1950. p. 52. Retrieved September 30, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** R. A. Scalapino, E. C. Bellquist, P. Seabury, ["Ng Wing Mah, Political Science: Berkeley"](http://texts.cdlib.org/view?docId=hb1199n68c;NAAN=13030&doc.view=frames&chunk.id=div00064&toc.depth=1&toc.id=&brand=calisphere) *University of California: In Memoriam 1977* (University of California Press 1977).

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Bertha Hosang Mah](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertha_Hosang_Mah) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertha_Hosang_Mah?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.