Brandon Lee

Birth Name: Brandon Bruce Lee

Date of Birth: February 1, 1965

Place of Birth: Oakland, Alameda, California, United States

Date of Death: March 31, 1993

Place of Death: Wilmington, North Carolina, U.S.

Ethnicity:
*Chinese, some degree of European (father)
*English, Irish, Norwegian, Swedish, Dutch (mother)

Brandon Lee was an American actor and martial artist.

Brandon was the son of teacher Linda Lee Cadwell (born Emery) and martial artist, actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, director, and filmmaker Bruce Lee. His father was of Chinese, and some degree of European, descent. His mother has English, Irish, Norwegian, Swedish, and Dutch ancestry. Some of his mother’s lines go back to New England of the 1600s. His sister is actress, martial artist, and businessperson Shannon Lee.

Brandon’s paternal grandfather was Lee Hoi-chuen. Hoi-chuen was born in Jun’an, Guangdong, China, and was a Hong Kong Cantonese opera singer and film actor.

Brandon’s paternal grandmother was Grace Ho. Grace is usually described as mixed-race, Chinese and European. She has often been stated as having been of part German ancestry, and the adopted daughter of businessperson Ho Kom-tong, who was of Dutch Jewish and Chinese descent, and Cheung King-sin, a Chinese woman. Kom-tong was the brother of famous businessperson Robert Hotung. It has also been stated that Ho Kom-tong was in fact Grace’s biological father.

Brandon’s maternal grandfather was Everett William/Whitcomb Emery (the son of Orace Vernon Emery and Cora Mae Bentley). Everett was born in Washington. Orace was the son of Orace Whitcomb Emery and Catharine/Kate Callagan, who was Irish. Cora was the daughter of Wilbur Gorton Bentley and Mary Anne Bailey.

Brandon’s maternal grandmother was Vivian Pryme Hester (the daughter of Everett Milton Hester and Clara J. Nelson). Vivian was born in Washington. Everett was the son of Charles Cranfield Hester and Esther Vandervort. Clara was the daughter of Ole P. Nelson, who was Norwegian, and of Ingaborg Nelson, who was Swedish.

Sources: Genealogy of Brandon Lee – https://www.geni.com

Genealogy of Brandon Lee (focusing on his father’s side) – http://www.findagrave.com

Genealogy of Brandon’s maternal grandfather, Everett William/Whitcomb Emery – http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com

Brandon’s maternal grandfather, Everett William/Whitcomb Emery, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Brandon’s maternal grandmother, Vivian Pryme Hester, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org