BIO
The Honorable Theresa Chang was born in Taiwan in 1958, as the youngest of three children. She studied Chemical Engineering at National Taiwan University in Taipei. She moved to Kingsville, Texas in 1979 upon completion of her college degree to pursue higher education in the realm of Petroleum Engineering. When the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act passed in the 1980s, Chang noticed how the study of law could expand her knowledge of the industry and make her more versatile. Thus, she began her degree at South Texas College of Law, taking night classes so that she could continue her daytime engineering job. She later served as the Judge of Harris County Civil Court, and in 2017, was rated the top judge of Harris County Civil Courts. Over the course of her expansive career, Chang has served on the Board of Directors for the State Bar of Texas, Asian American Bar Association, and South Texas College of Law, among other key associations. She has also received numerous awards, such as the 2020 Women of Distinction by ABC Channel 13, the George Bush Award from the Asian Pacific American Heritage Assocation in 2016, and the Impact Award from the Asian American Bar Association in 2012. This interview was conducted as part of an independent project about ways in which Chinese American immigrant parents express love toward their children. Thus, it is not a standard full-length oral history interview, but rather, focuses on Chang’s perspectives and experiences from raising her children, as well as her memories growing up with her own parents. Chang articulates how she has been able to have healthy conversations with her children on how she can best support them, and expresses her philosophy, especially as her kids grow into their 20s and 30s, on how to be a good parent.