MJ Carpio
(she/her/hers)
MJ was born in Nueva Ecija, Philippines and moved to the US during preadolescence. MJ’s awareness that social and economic inequities were rooted in systemic oppression began with engaging with the Occupy Wall Street movement, as her secondary school was walking distance from Zuccotti Park. It has since become impossible to ignore social injustice because as valid as the concerns were of the OWS movement, they failed to represent non-white minorities. MJ obtained her B.A. in Neuroscience Studies with a concentration in Philosophy from Macalester College. There she co-founded the Filipinx Association at Macalester, which sought to educate people of any background on the interlacing political and cultural histories of the Philippines and the US; and support others’ artistic and activism work by organizing audience members and volunteers, respectively. Currently, MJ is collaborating with various organizations to create a program that will aim to address misunderstandings about black- and Indigenous-led movements and internalized racism that has roots in colonialism; and validate concerns whilst fostering an understanding toward the interconnected struggle of underrepresented people, within the Minnesotan Filipinx community. She is also the administrator of a budding organization that seeks to provide a safe space for Asian- and femme/trans/women identifying people who are navigating their roles whilst fighting the systems of oppression we live in. At the University of Minnesota, she is researching the effects of alcohol dependence on
cue-elicited behavior. For fun, MJ likes to read non-fiction, cook for people, explore state parks, and bike, amongst other activities.
Monzong Cha
(she/her/hers)
I join Propel Nonprofits with years of research work in sociology and politics. As the Loan Fund Associate, I work with Propel’s Capital Access Team to fuel the impact of nonprofits by managing our loan financial software and providing administration and team support. I find inspiration engaging with this compassionate team who cares about propelling a diverse network of nonprofits that supports a more welcoming and just community.
I studied biochemistry and sociology at St. Olaf College, while sparking conversations on environmental sustainability. I live in Minneapolis where I craft beautiful vegan soaps that rebalance the skin and soothe the soul. I love making art, playing the piano, and traveling.
Soua Christiansen
(she/her/hers)
I am an IT consulting professional with more than 15 years of experience in the private sector. As a mother of two teenagers, navigating a white dominated corporate America has made me uneasy for years that my kids will have a chance to blossom in the current environment. I hope to plant seeds and make change happen at that level to fight for future generations so they can truly be the best they can be.
Michelle Gin
(she/her/hers)
Michelle was raised in Minnesota and identifies as Asian American with family ties to Hong Kong. She is an advocate with a background in grassroots community efforts and evidence-based evaluation. Michelle has lived abroad in Africa and Europe with extensive travel in Asia and Latin America. Thinking globally and acting locally embodies her passion for human and environmental health issues. She has organized international conferences and bike tours for the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize Awarded organization International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War where she has met with foreign leaders, the media, and fellow activists from around the world.
Michelle now serves at the Minnesota Department of Health where she focuses on toxic chemicals in consumer products. She enjoys bringing a social and environmental justice lens to work. She established a Health Equity Community of Practice and is constantly seeking meaningful and unique ways to collaborate with individuals and diverse communities.
Michelle loves outdoor adventure. She is part of the rock climbing community and may be found scaling 200 ft. cliffs on Minnesota’s North Shore. She will camp anywhere, from the desert to the jungle. Michelle has cycled over 1,000 km for peace and health across Japan and Kazakhstan. When home, she is with loved ones learning how to garden or experimenting with new culinary dishes.
Marlina Gonzalez
(she/her/hers)
Marlina is an arts, culture, media arts curator-producer. Using art as a tool for social change, she has produced international film festivals, exhibits and performances for venues such as Pangea World Theater, University of Minnesota’s Katherine E. Nash Gallery, Walker Art Center. In the 90s, she was Festival Director of Asian American International Film Festival (NY), introducing pan-Asian cinema to U.S. and international audiences. At the Walker Art Center, she presented prominent filmmakers such as Yoko Ono, Chen Kaige, Kayo Hatta.
Marlina was named one of the 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the
U.S. as an Innovator and Thought Leader by The Filipina Women’s Network (2009). As a recipient of The Joyce Foundation Award for Theater (2012), Pangea World Theater and Teatro Del Pueblo commissioned her to write/co-directed IslaTuliro (Island of Confusion), an allegorical play about language and colonialism. In 2017, her piece Dancing Between Bamboos or The Rules of Wrong Grammar was included in How Dare We! Write, a
non-fiction anthology by writers of color and writers on the edge.
As Community Impact Manager for Twin Cities PBS Television (TPT), Marlina employs community-centered design strategies to catalyze and deepen TPT’s participatory engagement with diverse communities. She produced one of TPT’s first participatory online events entitled Stories From Asian America in conjunction with the PBS documentary series Asian Americans (May 2020).
Marlina has a M.A. in Communication from the University of North Texas and a B.A. in Broadcast Communication from the University of the Philippines.
Hibah Zehra Hassan
(she/her/hers)
Hibah Hassan is a Pakistani-American studying pre-law at the University of Minnesota Twin-Cities. Hailing from south of the cities, she often finds herself seeking new opportunities for civic engagement and activism in local government. She hopes to someday make a difference practicing law on behalf of the disadvantaged and marginalized communities in Minnesota. In her free time, she enjoys writing, working on music, and practicing painting and sketching.
Kevin Huynh
(he/him/his)
Kevin is a recent graduate of University of Minnesota, Twin Cities with a major in Sociology as well as minors in Leadership and Public Health. In his last semester, he worked on campus at the Asian Pacific American Resource Center as a Student Coordinator and at the President’s Emerging Scholars Program as a Peer Mentor. Additionally, he had an internship at Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity through the Capitol Pathways program. There he was able to learn more about the legislative process and advocate for affordable housing. Throughout his college career, he was also engaged in a variety of campus organizations such as the Vietnamese Student Association, the Midwest Asian-American Student Union, and the Multicultural Center for Academic Excellence. Other recent experiences that he found valuable were having interned at the City of Minneapolis as an Urban Scholar and being a teaching assistant for the University of Minnesota Leadership Minor. For leisure, Kevin enjoys playing board games, trying new foods, and exploring new hobbies. As a member of the 2020 Cohort, Kevin is looking forward to gaining a better understanding of the social justice movement framework to strive towards justice, equity, and prosperity.
Jon Jee Schill
(he/him/his)
Jon wants to work with you to build a kinder, more inclusive world full of kinder, more inclusive systems. If you can’t find common ground, he wants to create it. Jon grew up in Oregon, Idaho, and Arizona but has been in Minnesota long enough to start to feel “from” here. He and his partner live in Minneapolis with their cat and rabbit.
Sumee Lee
(she/her/hers)
Sumee is a Korean-American Minnesotan driven to do good and do well. She is passionate about systems change for health equity and racial justice. Sumee Lee is the Community Partnership Manager at Livio Health in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In that role, she develops and manages strategies to build relationships with community non-profits that provide services for older adults with serious illnesses. She is a chronic learner currently interested in creating psychologically safe workplaces and methods of measuring the impact of social services. She has a B.S. in Life Science and LL.B. in U.S. and International Law from Handong University, South Korea, and an MPP in Social Policy and Advanced Policy Analysis from Humphrey School of Public Affairs. During the current COVID-19 quarantine, Sumee is finding joy in baking banana bread, taking care of Mona, her foster dog, watching vegetable seeds sprout from her egg carton garden, and volunteering her time on the board of SERVE MN.
Kaoxue Lis
(she/her/hers)
I am part of the last wave of Hmong refugee from Thailand. My mom, four younger siblings and I came to Minnesota in September 2004. I was 10 years old. I spent half of my childhood in the Wat Tham Krabok refugee camp and the other half in North Minneapolis. I attended a suburb high school through the Choice is Yours program and graduated from the University of Minnesota with two majors and a minor: Supply Chain and Entrepreneurial Management and a minor in Leadership. Since graduation, I have been working for Land O’Lakes where I had the opportunity to work with four different departments. Currently, I am in the indirect sourcing department supporting internal and external business partners with the new procurement system. My dream is to travel the world and to be an entrepreneur. I want to give back to the community through more job with good pay.
Kim Park Nelson
(she/her/hers)
Kim Park Nelson is an educator and researcher whose work uses adoption as a lens to understand race and culture. Her work has contributed to building of the field of Adoption Studies and Korean Adoption Studies in the
U.S. and internationally. Dr. Park Nelson’s book, “Invisible Asians: Korean American Adoptees, Asian American Experiences and Racial Exceptionalism” was published by Rutgers University Press in Spring 2016. The book is based on her ethnographic research exploring the many identities of adult Korean adoptees, as well as the cultural, social, historical, and political significance of sixty years of Korean adoption to the United States. Dr. Park Nelson is also the Equity Inclusion Coordinator for the St. Paul based InterFaculty Organization (IFO), the labor union for the 4000 faculty in the seven campus Minnesota State University system. She directs and leads equity initiatives within the IFO, consults and advises union and administrative leadership on equity issues, and organizes for empowerment among marginalized faculty within the system. She is an associate professor of American Multicultural Studies at the Minnesota State University at Moorhead where she teaches comparative race and ethnic studies and Asian American studies. She holds a Ph.D. in American Studies from the University of Minnesota.
Sheryl Grace Raygor
(she/her/hers)
Hello! I am a Filipina-American that works in nonprofit fundraising for local social justice-based nonprofits in Minnesota. I’m currently working on my master’s in Nonprofit Management at Hamline University. I also serve as Treasurer on the board of For the Love Project, which is a new nonprofit formed out of a 5 year Star Grant funded free family-friendly hip hop show that I stage managed in Lowertown St. Paul which was called For the Love a Community Celebration. For the Love Project is turning into a social
justice-based school curriculum that we are looking to launch in 2021 in metro public schools that using music and song writing to let under heard youth voices be heard and to train then in all the skills needed to produce a concert.
Kurt RuKim
(he/him/his)
Kurt is a transracial transnational Korean adoptee. He currently works as a Restorative Practices lead for Saint Paul Public Schools. Kurt has been a steering committee member for Network of Politicized Adoptees for 6 years. He enjoys riding his motorcycle and spending time with friends and family.
Savanna Thao
(she/her/hers)
Savanna is a 24-year-old queer, Hmong womxn born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She recently moved to Minnesota in mid-March of 2020 and now resides in East St. Paul. She is working towards obtaining her Human Relations bachelor’s degree from the University of Oklahoma and would love to work with LGBTOIA+ folks/youth, Hmong womxn, or Hmong youth in the future. She is also interested in learning and expanding her knowledge about gender and reproductive justice work. If feeling inspired in her free time, Savanna likes to be creative and artistic, producing artwork (pencil, watercolor, digital, etc.) as a fun and therapeutic hobby.
Douangta Vang-Sitcler
(she/her/hers)
I grew up in St. Paul and currently live in Woodbury with my husband and two teenagers. I am passionate about family, friends, food, fun and helping people in my life feel loved, supported, acknowledged and successful. I value listening, learning, and using my voice to advocate for myself and others. I am a mom and wife first and foremost, but also find joy and satisfaction in my work as a Public Health Nurse and union rep in a large county organization. PHNs are a fierce group of boots-on-the-ground people who love serving our community and a loud voice for health and racial equity. My work in the union adds the ability to advocate for my colleagues, our public service work, as well as address health and racial equity issues in the workplace. I am thrilled to be included in this year’s group of MOVEE and look forward to meeting everyone and learning lots this summer!
Tri Minh Vo
(he/him/his)
I am a 1.5 gen immigrant, born in South Vietnam and came to the U.S with my mom when I was 4 to join my dad in Minnesota. I tell people I identify as a jungle punk USer- a lot. A third culture kid moving diaspora leftwards, is my six word story I submitted for MinneAsianStories’s third year.
Johnathan Wong
(he/him/his)
Jonathan currently serves as the Regional Communications Specialist with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights and continue pursuing his Master of Public Administration in St. Cloud. Jonathan is passionate about social justice and raising social equity from the current status quo. Besides work and studies, Jonathan serves on the advisory board of Jugaad Leadership Program, a program that train, place, and connect emerging leaders of color to lead in the local community. Jonathan is also part of a
community organization – Light the Legacy, as an ex-offi ތ 倒牥瑰健楧cio to the advisory board. In his graduate program, he has also been part of the SCSU Survey Research Center, a public opinion research center since 2017.
Jonathan also involves in different efforts across greater Minnesota. Most recently, he was selected as an emerging leader to participate in the Minnesota Young American Leaders Program, a Harvard based program hosted by the University of Minnesota that tailored to increase cross-sector collaborations in Minnesota. Currently, he is working on initiatives that addressing racism at the systemic levels with different approaches which include policy changes and through arts and culture. Jonathan uses his experience as an engagement practitioner to constantly challenge the practice and framework of civic engagement in every level of government and community.
Jonathan believes in community building and the power of the community. In his leadership, Jonathan believes that serving is the best way to demonstrate leadership and he continues to practice that in his leadership journey.
Kia Xiong
(she/her/hers)
Kia is a Community Engagement Coordinator at Girl Scouts River Valleys. She attended Hamline University for three years and decided on her career in community engagement when she joined her first few political campaigns starting at the age of 21, as the Communications Director for both campaigns. The victory of her first campaign marked a first for many-the first person of color to ever be on Brooklyn Park’s City Council and the first Hmong City Councilwoman, Susan Pha. Kia’s second campaign, Cindy Yang for MN House Representative, was likewise an empowering experience for her because, also for the very first time, it was a race between two Hmong women candidates. When Kia isn’t busy watching horror movies or trying to feed her baby (who is very stubborn and energetic), she spends time playing The Sims. She is currently working on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives at Girl Scouts by doing intentional outreach to cultivate authentic and long-term relationships with organizations that primarily serve the BIPOC community. Simultaneously, Kia works hands-on together with communities from different racial/ethnic backgrounds through recruitment, training, and mentorship with Mentored Troops, a Girl Scout pathway that is a safe and empowering space for girls and leaders of color. You can reach Kia at kxiong992@gmail.com or on LinkedIn.
Xay Yang
(she/her/hers)
Xay is a queer Hmong woman who is passionate about ending
gender-based violence and addressing intersecting violence that comes along with gender-based violence. Xay currently serves as the Oueer Justice Director at Transforming Generations. Xay is a clinical social worker by trade. In her spare time, she enjoys playing card/board games, watching KDramas, eating good food and spending time with loved ones.
Lily Yu
(she/her/hers)
Lily is the daughter of first-generation Chinese immigrants and an East Coaster at-heart. She believes in the power of storytelling to build community and spark movements. She currently works at Girl Scouts River Valleys as a Program Resources Specialist developing curriculum and volunteer trainings. In her free time, she enjoys walking many miles around the Twin Cities or has her nose in a book (sometimes both at the same time!)