Meet Unstoppable Community Advocate Rozita Lee
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Rozita Lee was the special guest of honor at the grand opening of real estate firm, Sotheby's Las Vegas which is located on the street bearing her name: Rozita Lee Avenue
But when most manongs and manangs are deservedly spending their days at leisure or playing with grandchildren and great grandchildren, 89-year-old Manang Rozita keeps an active itinerary that would daunt women half her age.
One recent item on her to-do list was her trip to Maui on September 5, less than a month after the wildfires engulfed Lahaina and destroyed approximately 80 percent of the historic town, killing 115 people, with 110 more missing. Lee hopped on a plane from Las Vegas and spent about a week in Maui with other volunteers sorting and distributing donated items to displaced residents and workers.
Rozita Lee with students of the Filipino Club of Lahainaluna High School who were given monetary certificates donated by a Filipino doctors group from San Diego. Many of the students lived in the area of Lahaina where the wildfires burned their houses.
For Lee, who was born in Lahaina and moved to Las Vegas in 1943 and hadn’t been back since 1985, the September trip was devastating.
“When I first heard about the fire, it was really gut wrenching,” recalls Lee. “Part of me just died when I saw what had happened. We were driving by the area, and all I saw were slabs of concrete, everything had burned, even the cars. I felt so bad, it was so terrifying!”
The formerly idyllic island town was leveled, according to Lee, even the house where she grew up and the school where she spent her formative years. The devastation brought back memories of a time and places that she fears won’t return for years to come, if ever.
“I attended Kamehameha school, and there was a banyan tree in the middle of town,” recalls Lee. “After school we would swing on the vines, playing Tarzan. I thought about our teachers who watched over us. I learned hula and piano there. Everything that I loved as a child burned down. The school, the cannery. Those were my formative years there. Who I am today was influenced by everything from Lahaina!”
The trip last September was organized by JoAnn Fields from San Diego. Southwest Airlines provided plane fares. Their group of 11 volunteers -- Lee was the only one from Las Vegas -- happily crammed into a three-bedroom short term rental. They were there on a mission.
“It’s going to take years to get Lahaina back,” sighs Lee.
JoAnn Fields, Coordinator of San Diego Loves Maui Collective, who organized the trip, says, "Rozita has been my mentor and friend since the inception of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) in 1997. I appreciate our relationship and am still learning leadership skills as we advocate for the manongs and manangs that survived the Maui wildfire."
Rozita Lee with JoAnn Fields, (right) organizer of the volunteer trip to Lahaina in September. Lee joined dozens of volunteers at the Sheraton Hub, one of a few hubs where survivors of the Lahaina wildfires can go to get supplies at no cost. Baby supplies are in high demand, according to Lee.
Since that first trip back in September, Lee has gone back several more times to continue volunteering and advocating for the displaced residents in Lahaina.
“Rozita Lee embodies an unwavering commitment to social justice and equity that is nothing short of inspiring,” says Gloria T. Caoile, a Las Vegas community leader.
“Her tireless dedication to championing Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander issues has paved the way for countless others and made our community stronger. Rozita is a true pioneer, and we all stand on her shoulders with gratitude for her mentorship of young people, her boundless energy, and her selfless advocacy.
“She deserves all the accolades and more for her relentless work in the community. Rozita is not only an energetic force but also a lovely person, kind-hearted, and unfailingly knowledgeable. She is always thinking about the public good and is a steadfast advocate for the empowerment of our community."
Rozita Villanueva Lee was born in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii. Her immigrant parents, Leoncia Asuncion and Eugenio Estrada Villanueva, were brought to Hawaii by the Hawaii Sugar Plantation Association in the early 1930s from San Manuel, Pangasinan, along with hundreds others. Lee is the seventh daughter.
She received her education at the University of Hawaii and University of Nevada, Las Vegas where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies. She went on to work on her Master's in the same field and taught Speech and Television Production.
She was first married to the late Moeses Luis Yuzon and had three children: Byron and Craig Yuzon and Roxanna Yuzon Ayakawa. They are related to the president of Commonwealth of the Philippines, Manuel Luis Quezon.
Lee later married her longtime friend, Dr. Clifford Lee, who was a beloved doctor in Las Vegas. He passed away 17 years ago. Lee is a proud grandmother of 11 and great grandmother of 22.
“For Lee, who was born in Lahaina and moved to Las Vegas in 1943 and hadn’t been back since 1985, the September trip was devastating.”
She served as president of the prestigious Women's Democratic Club of Clark County, the Ilocano American Association of Nevada, and was regional chair and national vice chair of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations --NaFFAA.
Lee served on President Barack Obama's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders for four years. Prior to that she was with Nevada Governor Bob Miller as his Special Assistant--the first Filipina and first Asian Pacific person to be in the Governor's office in the history of the State.
When she was in Hawaii, the governor named her to the Commission on the Status of Women, the first Filipina in that Commission. She also helped establish the United Filipino Council of Hawaii and was chair of the Miss Hawaii Filipina Pageant for ten years.
Lee was a radio personality on KISA RADIO and had a television program Hawaii Now, on PBS station KHET. In 1972 she flew to the Philippines to interview people about Martial Law.Through family friend Mrs. Paz Catolico, she met and interviewed President Ferdinand Marcos who insisted on hosting Lee at the Manila Hotel as she continued her interviews throughout the country.
In Las Vegas, Lee spearheaded educational workshops and rallies, held Town Hall meetings, and summits for the AAPI communities.
She helped organize advocating for comprehensive immigration reform, facilitated free screening of Hepatitis B with Dr Noel Fajardo, walked the halls of Congress, seeking support for the World War II Filipino Veterans Equity Bill and Congressional Gold Medal of Honor. Along with Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Tony Taguba, she continues to advocate for Filipino veterans, this time to repeal the Rescission Act of 1946.
She was the only person invited to accompany the late U.S. Senator Harry Reid to meet with then-President of the Philippines Gloria Arroyo and her cabinet when he received an award for supporting the WWII Filipino veterans’ cause.
Lee is an ordained Pastor at Seek Jesus First Ministries and an adviser for many organizations, She has an honorary doctoral degree in the Humanities from the United Graduate College and Seminary International. She is also the national liaison for Civility For All in the Global iChange Nations organization under the founder His Royal Highness King Clyde Rivers. She is the Las Vegas chair of the foundation. Dr. Rozita Lee will soon be seen regularly on TV on The Voice of Civility show.
Corin Ramos is a freelance journalist and vlogger based in Las Vegas. She vlogs about her journey growing up as a Filipino American, a single working mother and navigating her best life after 50 on her YouTube channel: youtube.com/@FilipinaUnfiltered
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