Inez

Inez Beatrice

In February 1918 Inez Beatrice Phang travelled on the 'Zacapa' from Kingston to New York, apparently on her way to Dean Academy,Franklin, Massachusetts.

Inez in the USA in 1922

Daily Gleaner, June 20, 1922

MISS INEZ PHANG.

In the Illustrated section of the "New York Times" in its issue of Sunday 4th inst appears a photo of Miss Inez Phang, with the following letter press: “Chinese girl is Prize Student of of Politics. Miss Inez Phang born in Jamaica, who won the Annual Prize offered to the Student of New York University showing the greatest proficiency in the study of Political Science and Public Affairs, and who plans a public career for herself in China following her graduation this year

Lake County Times, Indiana,

June 6, 1922

Miss Inez Phang who just graduated with honors from New York University, has planned an extensive business and political career for herself in China among her own people. She has the entire support of both her parents in her desire. Miss Phang is a demure little Chinese girl who was born on the island of Jamaica.

Lima News, Ohio, May 29, 1922

POLITICAL LEADER — Inez Phang, Chinese miss, has received the New York University prize awarded to the student most proficient in politics and public affairs. She plans to be a political leader in China.

1922 interview with Inez

extract from 1922 interview:

And so her conservative father learned when it came to the matter of educating

and mapping the future for this daughter Inez Phang is one of seven sisters - the

middle one. Ever since she was a little girl she has been "the boy" of the family.

It was all very well while she was little this playing at being the boy but the

father did not like it so well when his self-appointed "son-daughter" decided to

take up the studies a boy would have chosen.

“My older sisters are musical," said Inez Phang, “and I am fond of music also. But

when it came to studying something for a life work I wanted to take up business

and politics. Then daddy didn't know whether he liked that or not.

Chinese fathers and English fathers are pretty much alike about the education of

their daughters. Music, the arts, literature - the studies they consider purely

cultural – those are the things their daughters should learn. They are generous

and will agree to any amount of training along those subjects. But business and

law and medicine – well, those are things for boys to take.

“Of course, I had my way, but it has taken daddy a long time to get accustomed

to the idea. And even now he doesn't like it any too well.. But” she added with a

smile, “he likes to talk with me about business and world politics.”

Daily Gleaner, January 6, 1947

But for nearly 2 decades after this I have so far found no references to Inez Phang.

Did she go back to China? If she did, did she, like her sisters, leave that troubled country in the 1930s? Or did she do something quite different?

From 1940 until her sister May's death she was living in Cuba, even after the Revolution. She was married to Abel Fernandez and she and her husband travelled through, into and out of Jamaica fairly frequently in the 1940s and '50s, and her sisters Gladys and Lucille seem to have visited her in Cuba.

Her son, Jose Abel/Abel jnr, attended Munro College in the early 1940s.