Desiree West, born Patricia Lee on August 25, 1954, in Richmond, California, is an African-American with an exotic appearance often described as a mix of black and Asian heritage. Little is known about her formal education or early jobs, but she grew up during the civil rights era in a predominantly African-American community. She entered the adult film industry in 1973, breaking barriers as one of the first black performers in a field dominated by white stars, starting with small roles that quickly led to more prominent features. Throughout her career, she used numerous stage names including Desiree West, Patricia Lee, Pat Lee, Fat Lee, Patty Lester, Rayha Teresee, Susie Sung Lee, Dee Dee Willing, Desire West, Pat Desado, Sylvia, Azure Té, and Bonnie Coombs. West's adult film career spanned from 1973 to 1980 officially, with occasional comebacks into the 1990s, during which she appeared in over 170 videos, webscenes, and films during the Golden Age of Porn. She worked with studios such as Essex Video/Electric Hollywood, Western Visuals, Video-X-Pix, and Caballero Home Video. Her most well-known movies include SexWorld (1978) as Jill in intense group sex and oral scenes; Female Athletes (1980) featuring lesbian martial arts-themed encounters; Cave Women (1979) with primal vaginal and anal penetration; Expectations (1977) showcasing her in passionate threesomes; and Vista Valley PTA (1981) as a hooker in hardcore blowjob and creampie sequences.