Champions of Change

Champions of Change: Aapi Women

The White House honors fifteen Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander women as "Champions of Change" who are doing extraordinary work to create a more safe, equal, and prosperous future for their communities and the country.

Myrla Baldonado, a household worker organizer with the Latino Union of Chicago, is dedicated to improving the working and living conditions of the estimated 2.5 million domestic workers in the...

Aparna Bhattacharyya is a passionate advocate for immigrant survivors of family and sexual violence and ensuring they have access to safety, justice and healing. As the Executive Director of...

Minh Dang currently serves as the Executive Director for Don’t Sell Bodies, which advocates on behalf of survivors of modern day slavery. By sharing her own story of child abuse and slavery...

Catherine is a Social Justice Fellow at Asian American/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy, where she manages API Dream Summer, a component of a national internship program that engages partners in...

Atsuko Toko Fish, a first generation Japanese American, is committed to innovation and social change in the U.S. and Japan, especially in the areas of empowering women and promoting understanding...

Lucy Hansen was born in American Samoa and has lived in Anchorage, Alaska since 1985. In 2004, she started the first Samoan language computer school for elders, and in 2005, helped launch the...

In the aftermath of 9/11, Pramila Jayapal founded the non-profit organization OneAmerica, now the largest immigrant advocacy organization in Washington State. She has worked to advance immigration...

Arline Loh is a former banking information technology expert who was forced prematurely into early retirement because of advancing liver disease caused by Chronic Hepatitis B. Having been infected...

Mia Mingus is a writer and organizer working for disability justice and transformative justice to end child sexual abuse. She describes herself as a queer physically disabled Korean woman...

In 2003, Natalie Nakase became the first Asian American player in the National Women’s Basketball League when she joined the San Jose Spiders. She then went on to play for the San Diego Siege and...

With over 30 years in nursing, the past 20 years serving Native Hawaiian communities, Dr. Mary Frances Oneha is committed to improving the health of Native Hawaiians. Her research efforts have...

Karen L. Suyemoto, PhD is an Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology and Asian American Studies at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. Karen and her research team explore how racialized...

In 1997, Nancy Tom founded the Center for Asian Arts and Media at Columbia College Chicago to highlight the contributions of Asian Americans to this country's culture and history. She remains...

As vice chancellor of workforce and economic development of California's system of 112 community colleges, Van Ton-Quinlivan is working to transform the country's largest higher education system...

Shireen Zaman is the Executive Director of the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, a grassroots think tank focused on issues related to the Muslim community in the United States and...