The Chicago City Council without dissent confirmed Nicole Lee as the next alderman of the 11th Ward on Monday, following Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s selection of the United Airlines director for the vacant seat.
The conclusion of the vetting process arrived more than a month after the conviction of ex-Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson, which required him under state law to resign from the 11th Ward immediately.
Following a 45-0 final vote Monday to approve Lee’s appointment, Lightfoot quipped, “This is a nail biter” before the new alderman was sworn in.
Lee then kicked off her first formal address to her colleagues by declaring, “While more and more people with kids my age are leaving the city, I’m firmly committed to my beloved Chinatown, Bridgeport and the greatest city in this country and arguably the world: the city of Chicago.”
Here are a few things to know about Lee, from her early years in Chinatown to her past two decades working corporate jobs.
Lee’s appointment is historic for the Asian American community — and the 11th Ward
Lee is first Asian American woman and the first Chinese American to serve as a Chicago alderman. There is currently no Asian representation in Chicago City Council; Ameya Pawar, who represented the majority-white North Side 47th Ward for two terms, had been the city’s only Asian American alderman.
The 11th ward, which was traditionally an Irish American enclave and home to the Daley family’s political dynasty — Daley Thompson is a nephew of former Mayor Richard M. Daley — also stands to see historic milestones in Lee’s appointment. She will be the first woman to represent that ward as well as its first Asian American alderman. This comes as Bridgeport has recently seen those of Asian descent surpass whites to make up the largest share of residents, according to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning.
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Figures from the 2020 U.S. census show Asian Americans as the fastest-growing racial group in Chicago — a pivotal breakthrough for leaders in that community who have clamored for the city’s first majority-Asian ward to include Bridgeport and Chinatown during the current decennial remap process. Though that outcome is all but guaranteed by the proposed map options, Lee has so far declined to answer questions about whether she supports a majority-Asian ward, saying when introduced Thursday that she needs “a little bit of grace” to learn the ropes.
On Monday, at the rules committee meeting preceding the floor vote, Ald. David Moore attempted to gauge Lee’s position on the ward remapping process, but she said she wanted more time before taking a stance. When Ald. Emma Mitts asked whether Lee will represent “the Asians or all of the 11th ward,” Lee said: “I’m here to represent the interests of every single person in the 11th Ward regardless of whether or not they eat rice at night for dinner.”
Lee said last week that she’ll prioritize three concerns if sworn in: city services, public safety and education. On Monday, she responded to a similar question from Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, who represents Chinatown for now but may lose the neighborhood in redistricting, by repeating: “Safety, safety, safety.”
A background in business and philanthropy, Lee once filed for bankruptcy
Lee’s latest job entails managing United’s relationships with charities and spearheading fundraising campaigns, and she’s done similar social engagement work at Premier Bank and BP America. She described the roles as leading “corporate social responsibility” and spoke of being on the front lines of volunteer efforts following hurricanes, earthquakes, refugee crises as well as mass shootings.
Before that, she majored in public policy at Indiana University and earned a master’s degree in the same field at the University of Chicago. Still, Lee said she never dreamed of going into politics, much less becoming an alderman, until now.
“We need more people that are willing to step up and take roles like these,” Lee said Thursday. “We can’t as an Asian American community want political power and be unwilling to produce and inspire young people.”
Lee petitioned for bankruptcy in 2016, but a federal trustee objected to her filing in March 2017. The trustee argued that Lee would be able to pay off her debts without the filing, as first reported by WBEZ.
Asked about the episode at a news conference, Lee said she “got advice from counsel that probably wasn’t going to be beneficial to me and, unfortunately, that’s the way it went.”
“My case was dismissed, not discharged. I settled my debts. They’re completely paid,” Lee said.
Asked if residents should be concerned about the bankruptcy filing, Lee said she hopes they give her an opportunity to do the job and judge her by her actions.
“I don’t think the 11th Ward residents should be concerned about that, and if they are, good for them, they should be, and I should be held accountable for everything I do in representing the ward,” Lee said. “I hope the residents of the 11th Ward give me an opportunity to show them in my actions.”
Lee, as well as generations of her family, have deep roots in Chinatown
Lee, 47, said her upbringing in the 11th Ward’s section of Chinatown, where she still lives, “made me who I am.” A single mom, Lee now raises her two sons as the fourth generation to reside in her family home.
The influences of growing up in a Chinese American enclave are reflected in Lee’s resume, too. Lee, who is fluent in Cantonese, has led the Chinese Mutual Aid Association, the Local School Council at Haines Elementary School in Chinatown and the Chicago chapter of the Organization of Chinese Americans.
Her father is Gene Lee, a top mayoral aide when Richard M. Daley was in office. Gene Lee was convicted in 2014 of stealing from charities. The crime did not involve his duties as Daley’s deputy chief of staff.
Nicole Lee’s father was also known as the “Mayor of Chinatown” for his philanthropic activities, and during his sentencing dozens of neighborhood supporters erupted into cheers when he avoided a prison sentence.
Lee reiterated on Thursday that her father was a “role model” who taught her the value of community service.
“I saw my father serve the public for 30 years, driving the streets, taking the long way home, checking the lights, making sure stuff was picked up, taking calls at all hours of the night,” Lee said. “That’s what he did. He was not an elected official, but he was somebody in the ward, in our community, that people can look to.”
A product of Chicago Public Schools, Lee led a Local School Council in Chinatown
In introducing her pick, Lightfoot said Lee’s experience at Chicago Public Schools — first Mark Sheridan Math and Science Academy, then Whitney Young Magnet High School — was a pivotal moment in her awakening a passion for “diversity and inclusion.” That remained a priority in her years as chair of Haines’ Local School Council, where she served until 2021. The elementary school’s principal, Catherine Amy Moy Davis, said Thursday that Lee “fought” for equity.
“Whitney Young opened the world to me, and it was an incredible experience. But it also didn’t come without a good dose of reality,” Lee said. “When I was there, I truly learned the value of inclusion. It was there that for the first time I was often the only Asian American in the room.”
ayin@chicagotribune.com
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