Echopedia

Dr. Tom Lee (李木通)

12 min read

Dr. Tom Lee (李木通)

Identity Snapshot

  • English: Dr. Tom Lee
  • Also seen: Li Mutong — pinyin. TAH #101 and #703 both title him Dr. Tom Lee 李木通. Same person as Dr. Tom Lee (李木通博士). Pages not merged.
  • Chinese: 李木通
  • Core roles: Entrepreneur, publisher, community leader
  • Geography: Taiwanese American (Los Angeles / South Central)
  • Era: 1960s–2020s

Overview

Dr. Tom Lee (李木通; also Li Mutong) is a Taiwanese American entrepreneur, publisher, and community leader. From a two-thousand-dollar hotel investment to founding the Americus Taiwan Daily, he has built a career spanning real estate, hospitality, and media — all in service of the Taiwanese American community and Taiwan’s informal diplomacy.

Early Life & Education

  1. Graduated from National Cheng Kung University’s chemical engineering department; moved to the United States in 1966 to pursue a PhD at UCLA, completing his degree in 1970.
  2. His family paid a $3,000 bond for his studies; he credits this financial support as his greatest advantage, allowing him to avoid the debt burden that plagued many fellow students.
  3. Wife Wang Jinjing arrived in 1968; their first child was born in 1969, and their second in 1976.

Entry into Business

  1. In 1967, while still a UCLA student, formally joined the Taiwan independence movement, becoming a member of the Taiwan Association (TAA) in Los Angeles, which included figures like Zhang Canxiong, Cai Tongrong, and Liu Wenxiong.
  2. During UCLA years, his primary activity in the independence movement was sending letters to contacts in Taiwan from phone directory listings, causing recipients to panic and often hand the letters over to police.
  3. After graduation in 1971, chose to remain in the US rather than return to Taiwan as his father wished, beginning a career in business.

Career / Legacy

Real Estate & Hospitality Empire

  1. In 1972, opened a children’s clothing store but saw limited success; discovered the swap meet model and began weekend operations alongside weekday retail.
  2. Transitioned from retail to manufacturing in 1974, renting a factory and producing children’s clothing; the business grew rapidly, requiring larger facilities within a year.
  3. In 1976, purchased his first motel — the Patio Motel in Gardena for $200,000; this marked the beginning of his hospitality empire.
  4. In 1975, acquired the California Hotel (203 rooms, $500,000) — a distressed property with 40% occupancy; renovated it to 90% occupancy, establishing his reputation.
  5. In 1976, purchased the Tahitian Village (190 rooms, Downey) — his first large upscale hotel, featuring a restaurant, bar, nightclub, meeting rooms, and pool; the project nearly bankrupted him but ultimately established the foundation for his hotel business.
  6. Between 1980 and 1998, expanded to 7 motels including Ramada Inn, Sheraton Inn, Howard Johnson, Rodeway Inn, Riverview Inn, and the Ramada Plaza Hotel in Lincoln, Nebraska (230 rooms, 16 floors).
  7. At the height of his career, operated 7 motels simultaneously; his business philosophy emphasized employee care, system management, and community service.
  8. In 1986, the real estate crash caused significant losses; he recovered by 1996 when markets stabilized, then shifted focus to building his own residence (completed 2000).

Community Leadership

  1. Served as president of the Los Angeles Taiwan Hotel Association (1980) and the Taiwan Business Association (2000).
  2. Joined the Los Angeles Taiwan Center board in 2000, becoming its chairman in 2000–2001 after founder Wu Lipei stepped down.
  3. In 2001, founded the Americus Taiwan Daily (台灣日報) to provide news to the Taiwanese American community, though it faced a copyright lawsuit with Next Media that was settled after several years.
  4. During his Taiwan Center chairmanship, navigated internal power struggles between Wu Lipei and Yang Shuxing, ultimately stabilizing the organization.
  5. Led the Taiwan Center’s 9/11 fundraising efforts, visiting the Rosemead Fire Department and inviting firefighters to the annual meeting; the yearbook cover featured the firefighters.
  6. Organized protests against Japanese Foreign Minister Tanaka’s remarks denying Taiwan’s status, delivering a protest letter to the Japanese Consulate.
  7. Led disaster relief efforts for Taiwan floods, mobilizing Taiwanese American donations.

Political Engagement

  1. Actively supported US congressional candidates including Judy Chu and Ted Liu, raising funds for their campaigns.
  2. Led multiple delegation trips to Taiwan for election campaigns, including a 2012 visit to support Tsai Ing-wen’s presidential campaign in Tainan, where he delivered a three-minute speech.
  3. In 1981, met high-ranking Kuomintang figure Gao Mingxiang (then a mere investigation bureau clerk) during a trip to Taiwan; Gao attempted to persuade him of the KMT’s benevolence, but Li remained unconvinced.
  4. After the 1981 Chen Wen-cheng case, his father forbade him from returning to Taiwan for several years; he only returned for his grandmother’s funeral and was later denied entry until Lee Teng-hui’s amnesty.

Reflections on Ukraine & Taiwan

  1. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Li emphasized that Taiwan must rely on its own strength and willingness to resist, rather than expecting automatic US military intervention.
  2. He argued that Taiwan’s geographic advantages — the Taiwan Strait as a natural barrier and its high-tech industry — make its defense more feasible than Ukraine’s.
  3. Advocated for mandatory military service extension in Taiwan, citing Israel as a model for full societal mobilization.

From the record

  • 複核（TJJ-A09251000-9, 2026-09-26）：slice 文章 2fc3294ed01f2d2a（Michelle Steel 朴銀珠募款餐會報導, 2025-08-08 快照；同文 8c5d1203 2022-08-13 快照）正文再驗證——與會名單歸屬為真，無錯鏈、無虛鏈；2022-07-02 條目（含該文 wikilink）已在庫 — SKIP，已飽和。

  • 覆核（TJJ-A09250400-5, 2026-09-25）：本 slice 文章 89e6683c93156205（台美人台加人 p356, 2024-05-20 快照）正文再驗證——UCLA 座談與談人「李木通、劉天良、黃根深@03092016」條目確認見於正文 ——subject 連結為真，無錯鏈、無虛鏈；對應日期事實（含該文 wikilink）已在庫 — SKIP，已飽和。 TJJ 89e6683c

  • 覆核（TJJ-A09240600-2, 2026-09-25）：slice 文章 8c5d1203（Michelle Steel 募款餐會報導）正文再驗證——李木通以台灣會館前董事長身分列名與會記述再確認見於正文，連結為真；對應日期事實已在庫 — SKIP，無新材料。

  • 複核（TJJ-A09231000-4, 2026-09-25）：本 slice 文章 89e6683c93156205 正文再驗證——「台美人物誌-半世紀前UCLA的那些日子-與談人︰李木通…」條目確認見於正文，subject 連結為真，無錯鏈、無虛鏈；對應日期事實（含該文 wikilink）已在庫 — SKIP，已飽和。TJJ 89e6683c

  • 複核（TJJ-A09230700-6, 2026-09-24）：本 slice 文章 2fc3294ed01f2d2a（Michelle Steel 朴銀珠募款餐會報導）正文再驗證——李木通以台灣會館前董事長身分列名與會確認見於正文，subject 連結為真，無錯鏈、無虛鏈；2022-07-02 條目已在庫並掛鏈本檔 — SKIP，無新材料。

  • 複核（TJJ-A09171200-2, 2026-09-24）：本 slice 文章 89e6683c93156205（台美人台加人 p356, 2024-05-20 快照）正文再驗證——UCLA座談與談人李木通條目確認見於正文，連結為真；2016-03-09 條目已在庫 — SKIP，無新材料。 (TJJ 台美人台加人存檔頁)

  • 複核（TJJ-A09221500-4, 2026-09-23）：本 slice 文章 89e6683c93156205（台美人台加人 page 356）正文再驗證——UCLA 座談與談人李木通條目確認見於正文，subject 連結為真；2016-03-09 條目已在庫，無新材料。

  • 2016-03-09 — 與|劉天良、黃根深同為「台美人物誌—半世紀前 UCLA 的那些日子」座談與談人（美洲台灣日報記錄），見台灣公義報「台美人台加人」分類存檔（2024-05-20 快照）—— TJJ 台美人台加人存檔頁。

  • 2022-07-02 — 以台灣會館前董事長身分列名出席柑縣為國會眾議員 Michelle Steel（朴銀珠）第45區連任舉辦的台美人募款餐會（TJJ, 2022-07-02；另見 2025-08-08 快照）。

  • 1984-12-01 — 應 SCTAI 南加台獨協會會長沈英忠之邀，於中國城附近假日旅館參加十二位同鄉座談會，促成 TACL（台美人協會）籌備委員會成立（周實、楊子清、曾克中、李木通、楊惠喬、吳西面、楊嘉猷、洪義明、吳錫源、張文志、林洪權、許和瑞）——見 [[works/taiwaneseamericanhistory-org/ourjourneys272|Our Journeys #272（楊遠薰回憶錄）]]。

  • 2015-01 — 楊遠薰撰文記述與王瑾瑾的南加奮鬥史 —— [[works/taiwaneseamericanhistory-org/mystories269|My Stories #269]]。

  • 2015-11 — 台美人歷史資料庫人物專訪「Dr. Tom Lee 李木通」—— [[works/taiwaneseamericanhistory-org/whos-tom-lee|Who’s Tom Lee? #703]]；另見 [[works/taiwaneseamericanhistory-org/101-dr-tom-lee|#101 Dr. Tom Lee 李木通博士（2018）]]。

  • 2016-11-30 — 以美洲台灣日報社長身分主持「台美人物誌」黃茂清律師專訪 —— [[works/taiwaneseamericanhistory-org/videos48|Videos #48]]。

  • 2020-05 — 口述回憶「從陳文成命案談起」—— [[works/taiwaneseamericanhistory-org/my-stories-730|My Stories #730]]（與上文 Political Engagement 第4點相互印證：陳文成案後其父禁止返台）。

  • 1966 — 進 U.C.L.A. 後與陳嶄新、黃根深、王秋森、陳松貞及楊遠薰組成每週輪流演講報告的台灣留學生讀書會，為後來「生活座談會」之前身；同年 UCLA 台灣同學會因劉天良主辦迎新會而自然成形 —— 見 [[works/taiwaneseamericanhistory-org/ourjourneys212|Our Journeys #212（楊遠薰回憶錄）]]、[[works/taiwaneseamericanhistory-org/ourjourneys240|Our Journeys #240]]。

  • 1969 — 與夫人王瑾瑾出席 Rancho Park Golf Club 約兩百人之台灣同鄉會活動；王瑾瑾應黃根深之邀撰寫活動感想刊於同鄉會 newsletter —— [[works/taiwaneseamericanhistory-org/ourjourneys212|Our Journeys #212]]。

  • 1978-01 — 與陳惠亭、陳居、郭勝也、林正德、顏樹洋、余哲明、楊省道、黃森元及楊遠薰於西區共同成立西區生活座談會；太平洋時報發生危機期間，與黃森元、陳惠亭先後出任發行人、社長 —— [[works/taiwaneseamericanhistory-org/ourjourneys212|Our Journeys #212]]。

  • 2016-08 — 撰文「半世紀前 UCLA 的那些日子」（黃樹人策劃企劃；與談人李木通、劉天良、黃根深，即 2016-03-09 座談，對應上方 TJJ 存檔條目）—— [[works/taiwaneseamericanhistory-org/ourjourneys240|Our Journeys #240]]。

  • 2018-04-01 — 洛杉磯信賴之友會募款餐會，與陳文石同為召集人並致詞 —— TJJ 台美人台加人存檔頁（2024-05-20 快照）。

  • 2024-09-05 — 以美洲台灣日報社長身分策劃「台美人物誌」王克雄博士影音／文字專訪系列（大洛杉磯台灣會館、美洲台灣日報、美國鷹社共同贊助，黃樹人文字整理）—— TJJ a4f51e89。

  • 2025-08-11 — 以美洲台灣日報社長身分專訪台獨先鋒人權鬥士王泰（攝錄黃樹人、文字整理 Edda Huang），刊於「化作千風—懷念台美人的人權鬥士」系列 —— TJJ 31b7081a。

  • 2025-06-26 — 美洲台灣日報於天普市舉行高層人事交接：徐新宏接任董事長、賴英慧接任社長，李木通由社長轉任董事、陳文石續任董事；報導記其 2003 年奔走促成南加僑界十多位聞人集資、2004 年 5 月與台灣日報社合作創刊，二十多年來為該報靈魂人物，集專訪、寫作、經營於一身，囑咐新團隊逆境中求突破、堅定守護台灣主體價值（報導 2025-06-27，記者霸谷/洛杉磯）—— sourced（verbatim 存檔 knowledge/web-archives/taiwandaily-net-85423-85423.md）：8，post 85423）。

  • HOLD（日期）：本頁記 1970 完成博士、1971 畢業；Our Journeys #240 自述「1966~1972 在 UCLA」—— 兩說並存，不自動合併。

Source Notes and Confidence

  • Content priority A: 2023 TAHS Publication (profile, “奠基‧傳承” section, ~2720 lines)
  • Hub: |2023 TAHS Publication
  • Archive: Section dump at knowledge/research/tahs-2023-section-dumps/ye-siya-zhang-xinhui-xu-zongbang-li-mutong-chen-wenxue-wang-kexiong-...txt (lines 1860–2157)
  • Layout-limited extraction; not a full translation

Sources

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