Lynn Gail Ryan Batte was born on January 15, 1959 in Houston, TX. She is the niece of the late Beck Hong Gee (1922-2020), who was a World War II veteran during which he was stationed in the UK, and Houston Chronicle illustrator for over three decades. Beck moved to the US through Angel Island when he was 9, but was denied a public education because he was Chinese. Lynn's parents were sponsored by Beck and Joyce Gee to immigrate to the United States, and Lynn was the first-born on the American soil in the entire family. The family of five—Beck and Joyce Gee, Lynn and her parents, stayed together as a family for many years, which is why Beck was like another father to her. In this interview, she shared loving memories of her non-blood-related uncle, Beck Gee, who passed away a year before this interview, who she cares for and respects whole-heartedly. Lynn is 1/4 Chinese from her mother's side. In more detail, she is 47% Irish, 20% Southern Chinese, 15% English, 11% Scottish, 4% Northern Chinese, and 3% Welsh, according to her Ancestry DNA story report. Lynn is married to David Lee Batte, her high school sweetheart. The couple has one son, Craig, and one daughter, Shannon.
View interview transcript PDF — Full interview materials on Rice Digital Scholarship