Herlinda Wong Chew, Her Family, Her Story

Law, Love, and the Border: 

The Untold Story of Herlinda Wong Chew

Herlinda Wong Chew was a legendary Chinese Mexican woman whose life unfolded along the U.S.–Mexico border in the early 20th century. Together with her husband, Antonio Y Chew (Yee Wing Chew）, she built a home between Juárez and El Paso—a crossroads of cultures, hardship, and hope.

Herlinda was a mother, a successful business owner, a community leader, and a self-taught immigration law advisor. During the height of anti-Chinese violence and exclusion across North America, Herlinda provided legal guidance, safe passage, and emotional refuge to Chinese American and Chinese Mexican families caught between nations. In the 1930s, she helped repatriate Mexican women and children stranded in China, reuniting them with their families. In Texas, her home became a sanctuary for immigrants, her shop a neighborhood hub and Chinese school, and her knowledge a lifeline for those facing detention and discrimination.

Though she never held a formal legal title, Herlinda left a profound legacy: her children and grandchildren became prominent lawyers and judges across Texas. Her story is one of fierce resilience, visionary leadership, and generational impact. 

Today, Herlinda is remembered as a pioneer whose name continues to inspire young Asian American legal professionals and resonates across borderland communities.