San Francisco Honors Judge Harry Low, Northern California's First Asian American Jurist, at City Hall Memorial

Members of San Francisco's Asian American community, political figures from across several decades and lawyers from around the region gathered at City Hall on Wednesday afternoon to pay tribute to the late Judge Harry Low, the first Asian American to serve on the bench in Northern California.

Low died on Dec. 9, 2021, at the age of 90. Born in Oakdale, California, he came to the Bay Area while in college and went on to graduate from the UC Berkeley School of Law. After a decade in the state Attorney General's Office, he was appointed to San Francisco's Municipal Court in 1967 by Gov. Pat Brown, a move that broke a barrier for Asian Americans in the city's judicial system.

Dale Minami, a prominent Asian American civil rights attorney, spoke of the "remarkable force" of Low's presence and said it gave local Asian American lawyers a feeling that they belonged. "The greatest gift (from Low) for us all is the confidence that we belong," Minami said, adding that minority attorneys belong in the city's legal community. He described Low as a pioneer who will be remembered for mentoring younger lawyers and for backing the Asian American Bar Association.

Low was also a member of the Calamari Club, a highly exclusive lunch club in San Francisco. Former Congressman and state legislator John Burton, a close friend and colleague of Low's from their time at the Attorney General's Office, said Low became the club's "kingfish," which he called "a big deal." Burton said Low's membership helped open doors and break down stereotypes. "When we were growing up, the only way a citizen of Chinese ancestry would get into Calamari Club would be washing dishes in the kitchen," he said.

Despite his rise to prominence, Low stayed connected to the Chinese immigrant community. He was an active member of the Fa Yuen Chong Sen Benevolent Association in Chinatown and served as its legal advisor beginning in the 1970s.

Lawrence Kong, the association's president, said Low helped steer the group through many difficult situations and challenges, noting that most such associations were traditionally run by monolingual immigrants. Low supported many of its events, including the Chinese New Year festival, the Qing Ming festival, anniversary celebrations and annual scholarship presentations. "His dedication to the family association was inspirational to fellow members," Kong said.

Mayor London Breed attended the memorial, as did former San Francisco mayors, supervisors, judges and other leaders, who offered tributes and thanked the Low family.

Allan Low, the judge's youngest son, told The Standard he was surprised by the level of support the family has received and by the stories of his father's positive influence on others. "It's an emotional moment about how many lives he's touched, how many doors he's opened, how many people he helped," he said.