This month, San Marino Orthodontics celebrates a remarkable milestone: 70 years of membership in the Alhambra Chamber of Commerce, a testament to the lasting impact of its founder, Dr. Annie Chin Siu D.D.S.
After graduating from UC San Francisco as the only woman in her dental class, Dr. Siu moved to Alhambra to open her orthodontic practice and join the Alhambra Chamber at just 26. She laid the foundation for a multi-generational family practice that continues today under her daughter, Dr. Tina Siu. Throughout the years, the elder Dr. Siu studied both at and outside her practice to become not just a trusted healthcare provider, but also a civic leader and champion of the local business community.
In 1988, Dr. Siu made history again as the first female president of the Alhambra Chamber of Commerce. During her tenure, she devoted herself to her work, specifically helping the Chamber connect with locally published Chinese-language newspapers, bringing increased attention to the growing Chinese-American community. Her Chamber work, along with decades of service with organizations such as the Alhambra Public Library Association, Soroptimist International, the Chinese American Museum, and the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California, left a longstanding positive impact on her city.
Her daughter, Dr. Tina Siu, describes her mother as “a strong personality, but empathetic with all the people she works with.” In Dr. Annie Siu’s book, Roads Into and Out of Chinatown, she writes the following in reference to her term serving as the Alhambra Chamber president: “I put my energy into every face of the program… One of the past presidents confided to me ‘Just let the manager… run everything.’ ‘I’ll see,’ I replied, even though I strongly disagreed.”
Throughout her full career, Dr. Siu refused to back down when met with challenges. Because of her vision and thanks to her resilience, over 35 years after her presidency, Alhambra still has lasting programs and events that she established like the Rose Queen & Court Luncheon.
Her decades of service have been recognized both locally and nationally, including being honored as the 29th Congressional District’s Woman of the Year in 2003 and separate awards from numerous professional organizations. Ultimately, past her awards, it is her dedication, leadership, and generosity of spirit that the Alhambra Chamber celebrates most.
Seventy years after joining the Chamber as a young orthodontist, Dr. Annie Siu’s legacy continues to inspire. Today, her practice, family, and community all carry forward the values she championed: service, leadership, and a commitment to the city she helped shape. When asked what her mother would want to pass down to future generations of women leaders, Dr. Tina Siu said, “I would hope that people are not afraid to step up and help the community of Alhambra and improve the business quality no matter what your ethnic background or gender is. If you have big ideas, work together with everybody and you can do some great things.”
