Li-Ying Shen, who graduated as a part of the Class of 1929, was an active member of Wellesley’s campus and a dedicated promotor of the Chinese culture. On January 18, 1929, Li-Ying was an open speaker of “Chinese Night,” an event to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year. In her speech, she highlighted the status of women in China at the time, in particular mentioning the prominent role that women played in social units and households. She introduced the family structures in China and spotlighted women’s roles in managing the internal logistics of the household while men worked and controlled external responsibilities. As a part of the event, Li-Yang introduced the Fa Chun to her American audience and entertained them with a humorous skit performed by her friends—Maimie Sze (1931), Alice Ying, and Bing Chung Ling (1931)—and herself to demonstrate the typical interactions in a Chinese family during new years.
