Cynthia Li was born in November of 1992 and died in August of the same year. At the time of her death, she had been a Nationality and Gender Specialist working at Hurst College in Houston, Texas. It is clear from her obituary that Cynthia Li was very much a very curious woman who enjoyed reading and discussing sex and gender related topics. Her lack of gender presentation did not prevent her from being very successful in her chosen profession, as her educational background was beyond the American Indian experience.
In her obituary, Cynthia Li states that she had been studying to become an ethologist before her death. The question on the ethnicity and gender issue was raised as to whether or not her death would alter her nationality from Chinese to American. The article then discusses her studies of anthropology and her professional development as a physiologist with training in pharmacology, pathology, diagnostic neurophysiology, nutrition, and human reproduction. One of the interesting aspects of her professional development is that it includes a reading of Charles Darwin’s “The Origin of Species.” While reading this book, it is evident that Li views her as a geneticist even though her educational goal was to be a pharmacologist specializing in nutritional science.
In looking at her professional record, Li was an accomplished athlete with a degree in zoology and a minor in physics. Her knowledge of anatomy was apparent throughout her professional life and her ability to perform and dissect animals clearly served as a basis for the inquiries into her death and ethnic status. Based on what we know about the characteristics of the Caucasian female, it is clear that Li was a very gifted athlete and the research that she carried out in her career came to very accurate conclusions regarding the structure and function of the human body. Her research into sexual characteristics of the Caucasian female will reveal the answer to the question of whether or not a person with this ethnic heritage can still marry and produce children. Her achievements are all the more impressive when you consider that she was also a talented singer, dancer, and actress.