THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

               PRESIDENT CLINTON NAMES YVONNE LEE TO THE 
                    U.S. COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS

President Clinton announced today his intent to appoint Yvonne Lee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.

Yvonne Lee of California currently heads Yvonne Lee-Asian Community Affairs, a public relations company. She has served as National Executive Director to the Chinese American Citizens Alliance, an Asian-American civil rights organization, and she was Director of the Pine View Housing Corporation in San Francisco. She has been an advocate for elderly and Asian-American concerns for almost twenty years. She also has been involved in creating a housing project for seniors in San Francisco, lobbying in support of the Civil Rights Act of 1990, and campaigning for fair treatment of smuggled Chinese boat people. Ms. Lee has testified before the House Judiciary Committee on Civil and Constitutional Rights for the passage of the Voting Rights Language Act of 1992. She is also one of the founding members of the National Network Against Anti-Asian Violence, a respected coalition of Asian Pacific American community organizations dedicated to educating the public about hate violence. Ms. Lee was awarded an Emmy for producing Northern California's Best Documentary about Chinese Immigration History. Ms. Lee received a B.S. degree in health education from the University of California at Davis.

The United States Commission on Civil Rights was established by Congress under the Civil Rights Act of 1957. Its primary responsibilities are investigating allegations of discriminatory denial of the right to vote; collecting information about violations of equal protection and civil rights based on race, age, disability, religion, sex, or national origin; evaluating federal laws regarding discrimination; conducting hearings and briefings on civil rights; and submitting reports, findings, and recommendations to the President and Congress.

-30-30-30-