BIO
Glenda Joe is a Chinese-Irish-Texan business owner, activist, and festival director. She was born in Houston in 1952, to a Texan mother and Chinese father. Glenda's father immigrated from Guangzhou in 1930, and opened a grocery store with his brothers. Glenda grew up working in the family store. Originally an anthropology major, Glenda was asked to direct the first Houston Asian-American Festival in 1980 at age 27, and eventually made it her career, along with work in local politics and cross-cultural advertising. Today, she continues to run the Houston Asian American Festival under its new name Lunar New Year Houston. In addition to this interview, she has donated an extensive collection of photos and documents related to her work and Houston's Asian American community.