From first-generation students to legacy donors, how the Ng family is giving back to Brown

Lea Anne and Joseph are passionate about helping students pursue education—because they know first-hand how it opens doors. Both of their families immigrated to the United States in search of a better life. Lea Anne’s grandfather was a master carpenter from Shikoku, Japan who made koa furniture that still graces the Hongwanji lectern in Honolulu today. Her grandmother came over on a boat when she was nine years old—she was alone among strangers, and the Japan Foreign Ministry had written a letter asking other passengers to provide assistance as needed. Both of their families struggled to make ends meet, but always determined to provide more opportunity for the next generation, especially when it came to education. 

Lea Anne and Joseph were among the first in their families to graduate from college, and were then able to build successful careers in tech and finance. 

“We believe that our colleges gave us the opportunity to get us to where we are today,” said Lea Anne. “It's important for us to give back because of that.”

“We are just grateful for what has been extended to us in our lifetime, and we want to pass that gift on,” added Joseph. “We want other students to have the same opportunity we had.”

Leaving a legacy that honors an educator

As they reviewed their estate plans, knowing that their grown children were independently thriving, the Ngs realized they had a chance to leave a legacy within education. They decided to leave half of their estate to their alma maters—City College of New York and Stanford University for Joseph, and Brown for Lea Anne. 

Planned gifts can be designated in many different ways. At Brown, Lea Anne and Joseph decided to name a professorship in honor of a faculty member who is particularly important to both of them: Evelyn Hu-DeHart.  

Hu-DeHart is a professor of history and American studies at Brown, and is the former director of the University’s Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America. With an academic and research career spanning half a century, Hu-DeHart has authored multiple publications focused on immigrant, diaspora, and indigenous communities. Joseph describes her as “an uplifting speaker with encyclopedic knowledge.” 

Hu-DeHart first met the Ngs through Brown’s alumni network—she came to Honolulu to speak with the Brown Club of Hawaii, and the Ngs hosted her in their home. In addition to admiring her work, they went on to build a friendship with her.  

Nearly a decade ago, she made an impact on Joseph. Back in the 1970s, he had pursued his Ph.D. in history at Stanford. But he had not completed his dissertation, the final step that would earn him his advanced degree. When they both joined the Chinese Railroad Workers Project at Stanford, Hu-DeHart encouraged Joseph to go back and complete it, and helped him through the process by serving as one of his dissertation readers. In 2018, Joseph earned his doctorate degree, thanks in large part to Hu-DeHart’s support.

“We want to remember her and what she has done for us,” said Lea Anne. “She had a big impact on helping Joseph achieve his dream.”

Hu-DeHart says she is grateful and honored by the Ngs’ generosity. She values her friendship with them, which she said began over shared bonds for Brown and Stanford (where Hu-DeHart studied for her undergraduate degree) as well as their mutual interest in the history of Asian immigrants in the Americas. 

“The professorship they have so generously endowed for the history department at Brown is a celebration of our friendship and collaboration,” Hu-DeHart shared. “It’s a tribute to their forward-thinking embrace of global and multicultural academic work at Brown that is emblematic of my 20-plus years as a professor.” 

In addition to their bequest, which sets up their estate gift to Brown, the Ngs also decided to start contributing toward this professorship now. Lea Anne explains, “We just decided it’s time to start giving back right now.” 

Once active, the professorship will be named the Lea Anne Hikokawa Ng ’82 and Joseph Ng Professorship in honor of Professor Evelyn Hu-DeHart. Named professorships, in addition to being a prestigious appointment for faculty members, provide an ongoing source of financial support for research and teaching in the specified field of study. 

Their gift will ensure that future students are able to continue to learn from and be inspired by world-class faculty, just like they were. 

For Lea Anne and Joseph, honoring Professor Hu-DeHart through their legacy gift is the ultimate way to pass on the power of opportunity.