Social Reformer. The daughter of a New Zealand-born Scottish farmer who settled in the San Joaquin Valley in California, in 1895, she was invited by Maggie Culbertson to be a sewing teacher at her home for Asian women and children in San Francisco. Shortly after Donaldina arrived, Miss Culbertson became ill and died. This left Donaldina as the new director of the mission at the age of twenty-five. She retained this position for forty-seven years, until her retirement in 1942. The mission’s main goal was to rescue the influx of Asian girls and women brought to California as slaves. They were usually kidnapped or sold, often by their families in China, and forced to work as domestics and prostitutes in the United States. Donaldina is credited with saving over 3,000 women and children during her time at the mission. To those she rescued, she was known as White Angel and “Lo Mo,”which means Beloved Mother. The mission home is now called The Cameron House, and is located in San Francisco’s Chinatown. It has evolved into a center that helps low income immigrants and families.
Social Reformer. The daughter of a New Zealand-born Scottish farmer who settled in the San Joaquin Valley in California, in 1895, she was invited by Maggie Culbertson to be a sewing teacher at her home for Asian women and children in San Francisco. Shortly after Donaldina arrived, Miss Culbertson became ill and died. This left Donaldina as the new director of the mission at the age of twenty-five. She retained this position for forty-seven years, until her retirement in 1942. The mission’s main goal was to rescue the influx of Asian girls and women brought to California as slaves. They were usually kidnapped or sold, often by their families in China, and forced to work as domestics and prostitutes in the United States. Donaldina is credited with saving over 3,000 women and children during her time at the mission. To those she rescued, she was known as White Angel and “Lo Mo,”which means Beloved Mother. The mission home is now called The Cameron House, and is located in San Francisco’s Chinatown. It has evolved into a center that helps low income immigrants and families.
Bio by: Shiver
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