About Ms. Pearl Lin

"My first experience began in 1972 with the opening of China to the West. I was part of the first Asian American Youth Delegation allowed into China and so began my life-long commitment to bringing travelers to all different parts of China."

1972 - Pearl Lin was a member of the first Chinese-American delegation to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) during her junior year at Barnard College. The delegation was received by the foreign minister of China, Qiao Kuang Hua. Upon returning to the United States, she was heavily influenced by her trip to China and became politically active in serving Chinese-Americans and new Chinese immigrants in Chinatown, New York. Pearl sits the fourth from the left in the front row.

Pearl Lin was a pioneer for attaining visas to the PRC for her trip in 1972. Because there were no diplomatic relations between the United States and China at the time, she went to Ottawa, Canada to obtain the group visas.

1973 - Not only a political activist for the Chinese, Pearl Lin was also passionate in protesting against the Vietnam War during the April 15 Moratorium. Pearl is on the left with her friends.

Building Bridges from China to America: Establishing her Presence in Chinatown

1975 – Pearl Lin was one of 10,000 people who protested against police brutality against the Chinese in Chinatown, demonstrating her passion to promote human rights for Chinese-Americans. Pearl waves from the bottom, right corner.

1975 – Pearl Lin hired lawyer Harold Meyerson for the Fujian Benevolent Association to exonerate Li Xing Hua from false accusations. The case was a big win for Chinese human rights. Pearl sits on the very far left.

1980 – Pearl Lin acted as Master of Ceremonies (MC) for the Chinatown reelection campaign of President Jimmy Carter. His visit was the first time a United States president ever came to Chinatown. New York Mayor Ed Koch was also present. This event ultimately helped promote the influence of Chinese-Americans in politics.

1980 – Once again as MC, Pearl helped welcome Ambassador Chai Zemin to the United States, the first PRC’s ambassador to the US.

1981 – Pearl Lin returns to Beijing, this time to represent Honorary President of the Fujian Benevolent Association and original founder of Hualian Travel Corporation, Eng Hack Chen. Here they greet Liao Chengzhi, Minister of Office of Overseas Chinese Affairs. Her connections allowed her to establish her presence in Chinatown as a leader and travel consultant. Chen stands second from the right, next to Pearl and Liao.

1984 - Pearl was present in welcoming Premiere Zhao ZiYang in Washington DC during his first trip to the US. Premiere Zhao was a leader in pro-democracy, who heavily influenced the well-known June 4, 1989 incident at Tiananmen Square. After the incident, the US government passed a law to allow those who can prove they’ve been in America prior to June 4, 1990 to attain a permanent resident card. This opened doors for Pearl to help the Chinese in Chinatown attain Green Cards.

1984 – Having demonstrated her leadership capabilities in the Chinatown community numerous times, Pearl acted as Master of Ceremony once again and as English Secretary for the Fujian Benevolent Association to welcome Wu Xue Qian, Foreign Minister of China, and his friend, Ambassador Ling Qing during their first trips to the United States. Pearl stands third from the right in the back row, with Wu sitting directly in front of her and Ling to his right.

1990 – In this 48th Anniversary celebration, the leaders of the Fujian Benevolent Association of the Chinatown community sit together for a picture. Among the heavy leaders include Eng Hack Chen, Alan Man Sin Lau, and Zheng Yi Qiu, the Honorary Presidents of the Association.

Family Life and Recent Projects

Since 1975, Pearl Lin has worked with Smiley Law, LLC, which specializes in civil cases. She acted as translator and legal consultant. Throughout the 80s and 90s, Pearl and Smiley Law won numerous cases, such as malpractices and injuries.

2006 – On her most recent trip to Beijing with her daughter, Pearl reunites with old friends from the Chinese Consulate, who helped her attain visas and passports for clienteles. Throughout the 80s and 90s, helped over 1000 students and visitors come to the USA, including Dr. Zhong Su Chen, her most successful student. Dr. Chen came over in 1980 when he was 17 and became the successful Managing Director of Time Innovation Ventures, the Chairman of Beijing Global Technology Development Corp, and a board of director for the NASDAQ listed company China Transinfo Technology Corp. He stands in the middle behind Pearl.

2007 – Pearl celebrates her daughter’s high school graduation from Miss Porter’s School in Farmington, Connecticut with her son who graduated from Kent School in 2006. Since 1988, when her son was born, Pearl focused on family life and her two children, who both currently attend Bowdoin College in Maine, a top liberal arts college.

2009 – Pearl received certification in Project Management, Business Analysis, and Fast Track Growth Venture Program in order to further develop her skills in an ever-changing business world. Her other current projects include substitute teaching in New Canaan Public Schools.