Hi Vu Anh, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Thanks for having me on to share my story! I was born in Vietnam and grew up there before moving to the US when I was nine years old. My culture grounds me, and I love that there is such a big and vibrant Vietnamese community around here. A few years ago, I became aware of the widespread misinformation and language injustice making civic engagement inaccessible for my community. I felt helpless in the face of such systemic issues. At that point, I had two choices: I could continue to feel powerless or I could decide that I had the power to advocate for my community. I chose the latter. I began a Fellowship with the Asian American Advocacy Fund (AAAF) and the Progressive Vietnamese American Organization (PIVOT), and I jumped in to learn as much as I could. Today, I work to empower my AAPI community by creating channels for others to learn about and get involved in advocacy.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road! While I majored in Political Science and East Asian Studies, I didn’t know much about advocacy and community organizing. Finding ways to get involved in this space can feel daunting at first. Another struggle is that traditional Vietnamese culture ingrained in me from childhood an aversion to challenging authority and the “status quo,” political and otherwise. This mindset can make advocacy work feel counterintuitive, and it wasn’t easy to unlearn. However, since I like to see the silver linings in everything, I can at least appreciate how this part of my roots helps me to understand others with similar backgrounds. The cultural and historical contexts behind how people were politically socialized are often overlooked. Understanding them is a key first step in bringing immigrant communities together to build power in systems designed to divide and suppress our voices.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
We are currently focusing on base-building efforts. The massive support we receive during critical elections and on social media (shoutout to our awesome communications team!) is greatly appreciated. However, we also need a base of committed supporters who will continuously participate in our work on the ground throughout the year, not just during election time. This is because our organization aims to become more and more informed by our community and led by our members. AAAF’s Membership Program is crucial because it provides opportunities for our members to build community, develop leadership skills, gain political knowledge, and directly engage in shaping our policy priorities.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
We invite you to join our Membership Program, which brings Asian Americans together through pan-Asian social and cultural activities centered around joy and authentic relationship-building. Members get access to year-round events and are active participants in curating AAAF’s political advocacy and cultural programming. You can find more information and join our Membership Program through our website. If you are a local AAPI business or creative, we’d love to connect about possible collaborations. You can also get updated about our work and upcoming events by subscribing to our newsletter and following us on social media.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://asianamericanadvocacyfund.org/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/asianaaf
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asianaaf/
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/asianaaf
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJryn9IrclJZTvpzr1RiMvg/
