Mr. Wea Hwa Lee was born in China's Yunnan Province in 1948. After the communist takeover of Mainland China, Mr. Lee's family first moved to Burma and then to Taiwan (Republic of China) where Mr. Lee graduated from the National Chengchi University in 1969 with a degree in diplomacy. In 1971, Mr. Lee first came to the United States to attend school in San Francisco. He then moved to Beaumont, Texas where he attended Lamar University and received a master's degree in political science. After working in the restaurant business, Mr. Lee decided to start a Chinese language newspaper in Houston while applying for permanent resident status in the United States. After working briefly on the Southwest Chinese Journal, a community oriented newspaper serving the Chinese American community in Houston, Mr. Lee started his own newspaper, the Southern Chinese Daily News, in 1979.
Soon after, Mr. Lee started to expand his business into printing, banking, internet news media, and finally digital television, becoming the founding chairman and CEO of the Southern News Media group: the mother organization of ITV International Television, Southern Chinese Daily Electronic Journal, Southern Technology Information Network, Houston Chinese Yellow Pages, USA Printing, the Southern News Publishing Co, and the not-for-profit International Trade Center of Houston. The Southwestern National Bank and Nevada National Bank are also affiliated organizations. Apart from the original Southern Chinese Daily News, Mr. Lee's Southern News Group also owns the Atlanta Chinese News, Boston Chinese News, Chicago Chinese Times, Dallas Chinese Times, Seattle Chinese News, Washington Chinese News, USAsia Today, and Austin Chinese News. Mr. Lee is also very active in the community, serving as the President of the International Press Club of Houston, the Chairman of the International Management District, as well as a board member of the Houston Urban League and the Harris County Hospital District. Mr. Lee also sponsors an annual International Festival in Houston. In 1989, Mr. Lee attended business management classes for executives at the Harvard School of Business.
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