In Honor of Dr. Miriam Lee: Trailblazer Who Paved the Path for Acupuncture in America
Dr. Miriam Lee’s courage and determination set the course for the future of acupuncture first in California, later a national movement.
From Midwife to Acupuncturist
Born in 1926 in Shandong Province, China, Miriam Lee (née Lee Chuan Djin) began her journey being trained as a nurse and midwife. After living through multiple wars and political upheaval, in 1949, she migrated to Singapore, where she balanced work with studying acupuncture. In 1966, she graduated from the Chinese Acupuncture Medicine General College and began practicing professionally.
After seventeen years in Singapore, Dr. Lee immigrated to the U.S. in 1969, settling in Palo Alto, California. Despite her medical background, she found work on an assembly line at Hewlett-Packard, as acupuncture was not yet legally recognized. That didn’t stop her. Quietly and resiliently, she began treating patients—many of whom found relief when other treatments had failed.
Arrested and Paving the Way Forward
Dr. Miriam Lee was arrested on April 16, 1974, for practicing medicine without a license—just one day after Governor Ronald Reagan vetoed a bill that sought to legalize acupuncture in California.
Her trial drew widespread attention as numerous patients testified in her defense, praising the therapeutic outcomes of her treatments. These public testimonies played a crucial role in shifting both legal and cultural perspectives on acupuncture. Soon after, the state authorized acupuncture as an “experimental procedure” for research, allowing Dr. Lee to continue her work through a project at San Francisco University. Full legalization of acupuncture in California followed in 1976 which is largely understood to have been made possible by the visibility and advocacy sparked by Dr. Miriam Lee’s case.
A Legacy of Healing and Hope
Dr. Lee continued to treat patients, teach students, and advocate for acupuncture until her passing in 2009. Her book, Insights of a Senior Acupuncturist, remains a cornerstone for many practicing today. She didn’t just help legalize acupuncture—she inspired and taught a new generation of healers.
In a time when integrative medicine is gaining wider acceptance, remembering pioneers like Miriam Lee reminds us that change often begins with courage. Her legacy lives on in every licensed acupuncturist practicing today in the United States—and in every patient who benefits from their care.