Experience

California Pan-Ethnic Health Network

• United States
• Public Policy Offices
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Associate Policy Director

  • Jun 2022 - Present

  Currently leading CPEHN's public health policy and program work.

• Community Advocacy Manager

  • Jun 2019 - Jun 2022

  I started at CPEHN as the main staff managing and convening CPEHN’s legacy coalition Having Our Say (havingoursaycoalition.org), which aims to unite and mobilize racially and ethnically diverse CA communities around health equity and state advocacy. From mid-2019 to early 2021, I organized regular weekly meetings, two annual convenings, advocacy trainings, and rounds of legislative visits either in-person or virtually, and provided critical network weaving and capacity building for CBO partners. I developed meaningful and authentic community partnerships for CPEHN and learned critical lessons in working with historically marginalized and disenfranchised communities and effectively “organizing the organizers,” having multidirectional dialogues, respecting community needs and realities, and distilling complex technical issues to bridge power and information gaps. Under my leadership, the HOS coalition has grown tremendously in its level of discussion and engagement with its 30+ partners. My role at CPEHN has evolved since the COVID-19 pandemic and the national uprising for Black lives in 2020 and stepped in to lead more of CPEHN’s policy and program planning processes for public health. Our power building goals are to recommit the public health systems to anti-racism, with increased capacity and sustainability. While leading more policy analyses, research and advocacy work, my approach is still deeply rooted in my experience as a coalition organizer and community health educator. I hope to continue to elevate the importance of honoring community self knowledge and determination when it comes to problem solving for racial-social inequities, and to recognize and sustain non-profit CBOs and their culturally and linguistically congruent, equity-driven practices in health. I am currently working on building multiracial coalitions at CPEHN that will serve as the civic muscle for California's public health. Show less



Asian Americans Advancing Justice│Los Angeles

• Health Program Educator

  • Jul 2016 - Jun 2019

  I provided health navigation & education to communities to get covered under Medi-Cal & Covered California and access health services including mental and oral health care. For 3 years, I provided education and assistance to 600+ people per year one-on-one, navigating them through California’s complicated/fragmented health system and overcoming cultural, linguistic, and logistical barriers in accessing health. My clients were largely immigrants, POC, older adults and women, and many didn't speak English/had low health literacy. I also partnered with legal and immigration professionals to regularly host community educational workshops at public libraries in Los Angeles. Additionally, I actively connected the community stories and data with my team’s policy and media advocacy work. E.g. I was a media spokesperson with Chinese ethnic media on health issues for my org. I also joined many immigrant rights defense and health equity coalitions to relay the on-the-ground experiences to advocacy in LA County and California statewide, including supporting Health4All. I supported other direct services staff and created work protocols that emphasized on trauma informed and person centered practices. I was a fierce advocate on supporting direct services staff to counter vicarious trauma. I created and provided training and technical support for other CBOs. I also produced and edited educational materials in simplified and traditional Chinese such as on calduals.org. I advocated to integrate mental health as part of my team’s approach to health equity. I led a community-based research project with AANHPI-serving mental health providers at A3PCON and produced a report on the importance of community-defined evidence practices and culturally and linguistically appropriate care for AANHPIs. I advocated with LACDMH on adequate investment to address the disparities faced by AANHPIs. I also joined advocacy to update cultural competency standards e.g. supporting AB 512 Show less



Center for the Pacific Asian Family

• United States
• Civic and Social Organizations
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Emergency Shelter Intern

  • Dec 2015 - Jul 2016

  In this eight-month internship, I assisted with case management, language interpretation and general maintenance at CPAF's emergency shelter for domestic violence and/or sexual assault (DV/SA) survivor women and children. CPAF is one of the few DV agencies that focus on API women and families and serve clients regardless of immigration status in California. I completed the 65-hour state DV/SA training and obtained a counselor certificate prior to working at the shelter. Working at CPAF was an intense but invaluable experience - I gained crucial knowledge and kills in trauma-informed care, self care and community care that changed my viewpoint on trauma and bettered my capacity working with communities experiencing trauma. I feel grateful towards both my fellow advocates and my clients. Show less



International Women’s Rights Action Watch - Asia Pacific

• International Trade and Development

• Summer Intern

  • Jul 2015 - Jul 2015

  Each year IWRAW-AP, an NGO based in Malaysia, hosts its Global-to-Local training programs in Geneva, Switzerland, helping build capacity for NGOs from across the world who work on women's human rights in their home states. The program also aimed to strengthen conversations among NGOs, their state governments, and the United Nation's Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) committee during the CEDAW sessions. As IWRAW's summer inter, I accompanied NGOs from eight (8) countries, including Senegal, Spain, Gambia, Viet Nam, Bolivia, and Croatia during the 61st CEDAW session, and documented all the key conversations during the state party reporting, formal and informal meetings, and the Global-to-Local training program that occurred during the weekend. I organized and shared notes on a daily basis, prior to when UN releases its own notes online, which helped NGOs better strategize their advocacy efforts. I also actively participated in discussions with NGO representatives, CEDAW committee members and advocates from IWRAW-AP. It was an incredible experience witnessing women's rights advocates from all over the world in action, who represent various cultures, languages, history and spirituality. I gained great insight on how countries (both their governments and their NGO sectors) strive to achieve equal representation of women in all fabrics of society, and how the UN can play a part in monitoring and urging the states. P.S. The United States have not ratified CEDAW yet - which means you won't see their participation in these sessions! Show less



World YWCA

• Switzerland
• Non-profit Organization Management
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Intern

  • Jun 2015 - Jul 2015

  Many have heard of the YMCAs (mostly for their hostels and perhaps gym facilities). A few might have heard of the YWCAs - Young Women's Christian Association, a network of NGOs in about 120 countries who aim at the empowerment, leadership, and health and rights for girls, young women and women worldwide (and they are often not Christian mission driven nowadays). My internship with the World YWCA (i.e. the headquarter or world office) was mentored by two of the program directors (Hendrica and Julie) at World YWCA. I focused on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) research and advocacy, including researching the UN databases and producing fact sheets on adolescent & youth SRHR for 4 Sub-Saharan African & 12 Pacific-Asian countries to be used by their YWCA national associations. I also drafted the World YWCA SRHR & HIV/AIDS Policy for 2016-2019. I represented the World YWCA at the World Health Organization (WHO)'s 28th Policy and Coordination Committee (PCC) that focused on reproductive health. I also attended meetings at the 29th United Nations Human Rights Council and helped document discussions that were hosted by the World YWCA. Show less



Lo Ka Chung Centre for Natural Anti-Cancer Drug Development, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University

• Research Assistant

  • Sep 2013 - May 2014

  Investigated arginine depletion therapy on two pancreatic cancer cell lines for thesis study Investigated arginine depletion therapy on two pancreatic cancer cell lines for thesis study



Laboratory Animal Services Center, Prince of Wales Hospital & Chinese University of Hong Kong

• Research Assistant

  • Mar 2013 - Dec 2013

  Maintained liver cancer transgenic mice, licensed under Animals (Control of Experiments) Ordinance, Cap. 340, Department of Health, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Maintained liver cancer transgenic mice, licensed under Animals (Control of Experiments) Ordinance, Cap. 340, Department of Health, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region



Hisun Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Co., LTD.

• China
• Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Technician

  • Jun 2012 - Aug 2012

  Contributed to the pilot production of three 500-liter batches of anti-tumor drug AnBaiNo (generic Enbrel); Contributed to the pilot production of three 500-liter batches of anti-tumor drug AnBaiNo (generic Enbrel);