[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 126 (Monday, August 3, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E768]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING MARY CHAN SEID

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ZOE LOFGREN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, August 3, 2026

  Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life and legacy of Mary 
Chan Seid, who devoted her life to advancing justice and equality in 
the Bay Area and beyond.
  Mary was born in Walnut Grove, California, on September 3, 1936, to 
What Lum Chan and Anna Louie. She graduated from San Francisco State 
University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Work.
  Together with her husband of 67 years, Allan Seid, Mary helped found 
Asian Americans for Community Involvement (AACI), a non-profit group 
which has worked for decades to serve the health and well-being of 
marginalized Asian American communities. She served AACI in multiple 
leadership roles, and in 1981, Mary and Allan formed a statewide group, 
Asian Pacific American Advocates of California. This organization 
expanded nationwide in 1986 to become Asian Pacific American Advocates, 
USA--National Alliance with representatives in 34 states. Mrs. Seid 
also played a key role in removing racial and gender bias from 
California public school textbooks and taught Asian American studies at 
local universities.
  In addition, Mary led efforts in 1990 to establish a safe house for 
women and children fleeing abuse and was a founding member of the Santa 
Clara County Domestic Violence Commission in 1993.
  Mrs. Seid's advocacy earned numerous honors, including Santa Clara 
County Woman of the Year, the Lifetime Achievement Award from Avenidas, 
and the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce's Tall Tree Award for Outstanding 
Citizen Volunteer.
  Mary and Allan had three children, Arline, Marcine, and Marc, and 
nine grandchildren.
  I have known Mary and Allan since 1980, and I will greatly miss her 
joy, her humor, and her compassion. Mary's love for her neighbors will 
always be remembered, and her impact will live on in the communities 
she dedicated her life to serving.

                          ____________________