Speakers

Erica Aguirre

Meet Erica, a passionate history teacher from Cerritos, California, with 17 years of experience. She infuses pop culture, graphic novels, and local history into her classes to make learning epic. As a second-gen Filipina-American, she’s committed to social justice, celebrating diversity, fostering community engagement, and igniting a fervor for education. 🔥📚🌟

“Have you eaten yet?” Kapwa in Classrooms through Food and Culture | Friday Session 3 (Virtual) | 1:30-2:20pm PDT

Sohyun An

I am a professor of social studies education at Kennesaw State University. My teaching and research centers on K-12 Asian American studies and ethnic studies.

“Momma, are we Black or White?”: Parenting and Teaching for Asian American Racial Literacies and Solidarity | Friday Session 2 (Virtual) | 11:10am-12:00pm PDT 

Keith Camacho

 Keith L. Camacho is a Professor of Asian American Studies at UCLA. He is also the editor of Reppin’: Pacific Islander Youth and Native Justice (University of Washington Press, 2021).

Pacific Islanders 101: A Workshop for K-12 Teachers | Friday Session 1 (Virtual) | 10:10am-11:00am PDT

Mia Cariello

Mia is the Education Specialist at the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center (APAC), where she collaborates with K12 educators and Asian American and Pacific Islander content specialists on the development of APAC’s National Education Program. Previously, Mia was the Wikimedia Coordinator for the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum where she researched and wrote over 100 articles on women and nonbinary people, with a particular focus on women of color. She graduated from The Ohio State University with an MA in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.

Co-Creation – Creating Resources on Local AANHPI Histories and Stories Together | Friday Session 1 (Virtual) | 10:10am-11:00am PDT

Elizabeth Chan

Elizabeth Chan is currently a junior at Santa Margarita High School. Her areas of interest include the assimilation of minorities and immigration patterns through the lens of the Asian American community. The question, “what does it mean to be Asian American?” sparked her involvement in Asian American studies. She is excited about this opportunity to work with and meet other individuals who share similar passions and to learn about other complex topics/issues in regards to the AAPI community.

Bridging Research and Community Impact: A Workshop for High School Educators | Saturday Session 1 | 10:30am-12:00pm PDT

Theodore Chao

Theodore Chao is an Associate Professor of Mathematics Education at The Ohio State University and an affiliate of the UCLA Mathematics Project. His research involves video storytelling to engage students and teachers in sharing counter stories of mathematics that push back on harmful stereotypes, particularly within Asian and Asian American communities. His projects have been funded through the IES, NSF, and Fulbright. He is currently the host of the TODOS: Mathematics for All Podcast with Shari Kaku. He also produced the Radical Cram School web series and the wrote the subsequent book, Auntie Kristina’s Guide to Asian American Activism, with Kristina Wong, Anna Michelle Wang, and Jenessa Joffe.

Cramming for Justice: Auntie Kristina’s Guide to Asian American Activism| Saturday Keynote | 9:15am-10:15am PDT

Heather Chen

Heather Chen is a senior at Irvine High School, passionate about engaging with the Asian American community through her participation in AAYL. She also serves as a delegate of the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation for United Nations CSW on gender inequality and as a student representative on the IUSD Board of Education Student Advisory Committee. Heather demonstrates leadership and dedication in service, advocacy, and the arts through working closely with her local organizations, the City of Irvine, and Girl Scouts, as well as being on her school’s broadcast and filmmaking team.

Bridging Research and Community Impact: A Workshop for High School Educators | Saturday Session 1 | 10:30am-12:00pm PDT

Lauryn Chew

Lauryn Chew (she/her) is a sophomore at Northwood High School. As a fourth-generation Cantonese American who is passionate about social justice advocacy, Lauryn founded Focus to cultivate belonging by empowering youth to analyze the power structures and cultural contexts that have shaped their experiences through Photovoice, a method of photographic storytelling that gives marginalized individuals power to shape decisions that impact their quality of life. She is a member of Irvine Unified School District’s Ethnic Studies Committee, and she recently represented Girl Scouts at the 68th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women.

Capturing Youth Stories of Solidarity: A Youth-Driven Approach to Ethnic Studies | Friday Session 4 (Virtual) | 2:30pm-3:20pm PDT

Trinh Dang

Trinh is a third-year doctoral student at UCI Global and International Studies with a graduate emphasis in Asian American Studies. She is passionate about working with Asian American communities and taking a collaborative approach to investigating topics that concern the community.

Bridging Research and Community Impact: A Workshop for High School Educators | Saturday Session 1 | 10:30am-12:00pm PDT 

Tony DelaRosa

Tony DelaRosa is an Filipino American dad, husband, son to Pampangan and Caviteño immigrants. He is an award winning racial justice educator, poet, mixed-methods researcher, and author of “Teaching the Invisible Race: Embodying a Pro-Asian American Lens in Schools.” His work has been featured on NBC, Hulu, CNN, NPR, Harvard Ed Mag, and elsewhere.

Isang Bagsak as an Educational Framework | Friday Session 4 (Virtual)| 2:30pm-3:20pm PDT

Ethan Eng

Ethan Eng is a sophomore from Irvine High School who is deeply interested in the academic discipline of humanities. He enjoys reading, writing, and pondering over topics of philosophy and the state of society. He believes in the importance of Asian American Studies and its positive effects on the community.

Bridging Research and Community Impact: A Workshop for High School Educators | Saturday Session 1 | 10:30am-12:00pm PDT

Eryn Feng

Eryn (they/them) is a queer Chinese transnational/-racial adoptee. They are currently a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow at Bryn Mawr College and the co-founder of the community organizations, Bi-Co Asian Adoptees and Queer Transracial Asian Adoptees in Philadelphia.

Developing AAPI History Curriculum in K–12 Education | Friday Session 3 (Virtual) | 1:30pm-2:20pm PDT

Tsai-ling Fraher

Tsai-ling Fraher, is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a Clinical Supervisor, working primarily with high achieving professionals in her Newport/Irvine based private practice. Tsai-ling received her Bachelor’s degree from UCLA and her Master’s degree from Cal state Fullerton. Prior to becoming a therapist and a clinical supervisor, Tsai-ling spent several years in corporate America followed by more than 20 years in the FBI utilizing her Mandarin language expertise. In therapy, she leans on her diversified professional and life experiences with multicultural issues as well as her empathic problem-solving abilities to help her clients.

Moving from Surviving to Thriving: Helping Asian American Youth Build Strong Psychological Immune Systems | Saturday Session 1 | 10:30am-12:00pm PDT

Jessica Gao

tba

Elevating Student Voices: Learn from Walter Payton College Prep’s AAC Student Exec Board| TBA | 11:10am-12:00pm PDT

Nicole Gilbertson

Dr. Nicole Gilbertson creates opportunities for educators to learn and collaborate with one another as the Director of the UCI Teacher Academy. She received her Ph.D. in history with an emphasis on modern Europe and world history, while at the same time earning a secondary teaching credential in history-social science, and has led professional development in Southern California for the last 15 years. Dr. Gilbertson values the partnerships and community that have emerged and continue to grow through the Teaching for Justice conference.

Closing Reflection | Friday (Virtual) | 3:30pm-4:00pm PDT

Cathlin Goulding

Cathlin Goulding, Ed.D., co-directs the YURI Education Project. YURI creates educational resources and experiences for cultural institutions, teachers, and PK-12 students on Asian American histories and stories.

Developing AAPI History Curriculum in K–12 Education | Friday Session 3 (Virtual) | 1:30pm-2:20pm PDT

Victoria Gray

Victoria Gray teaches Ethnic Studies, US History, and AP Human Geography at Torres East LA Performing Arts Magnet in Los Angeles Unified School District, where is she is a member of the district’s Ethnic Studies leadership team. She completed her undergraduate degree in History and English, with a minor in Art History, at UC Santa Barbara and will have recently completed her Master’s in History at CSU Long Beach (one week before this conference!). Victoria was born in Taiwan and raised in the San Gabriel Valley.

Cultivating Compassion: Teaching and Building Community in Secondary and Post-Secondary Contexts| Friday Session 3 (Virtual) | 1:30pm-2:20pm PDT

Ivy Hang

Ivy (they/them) is the Sr. Education Coordinator at Viet Rainbow of Orange County, a grassroots organization working with LGBTQ+ Vietnamese Americans and their loved ones. They received their M.Ed in Human Sexuality Studies from Widener University.

“We’re Here and We’re Queer”: Queer Families and Advocacy | Saturday Session 2 | 1:15pm-2:45pm PDT

Ruhi Haryadi

Ruhi Haryadi is a senior at Capistrano Valley High School. She works as part of Dear Asian Youth @ CVHS and CVHS Empowerment Initiative, which are youth activist groups that strive to promote intersectionality. She also works as a part of the Model UN management team at her school, helping educate students about how to approach real-world issues with innovative ideas. Ruhi is passionate about the current sociocultural changes in the world, and works to empower student voices by amplifying cultural awareness and diversity.

How Biased Narratives Affect Classroom Curriculums | Saturday Session 2 | 1:15pm-2:45pm PDT

Eunice Ho

Eunice Ho (she/her) is a former Ethnic Studies, Orange County-based high school teacher who practices humanizing, healing-centered, praxis-driven, and place-based critical pedagogy. She received her BA in Ethnic Studies from UCSD and her M.Ed with an Emphasis in Ethnic Studies from the UCLA Teacher Education Program. She currently serves as the Teacher Training Coordinator at the UCLA Asian American Studies Center on their multimedia digital textbook project, Foundations and Futures.

Capturing Youth Stories of Solidarity: A Youth-Driven Approach to Ethnic Studies | Friday Session 4 (Virtual)| 2:30pm-3:20pm PDT

Suhyeon Abby Hong

Abby Hong (she/her) is a Korean American student at Swarthmore College (‘27). She is currently on the pre-law track, an Anthropology and Education special major, and minoring in Asian American studies. She is passionate about studying education and access, Asian American immigrant experience, and connecting scholarship to her community.

Developing AAPI History Curriculum in K–12 Education | Friday Session 3 (Virtual) | 1:30pm-2:20pm PDT

Tan Huynh

Tan Huynh (@TanKHuynh) is a secondary school teacher specializing in English language acquisition, an author, podcaster, and consultant. He has taught students from 5th to 10th grade in domestic public, private, and charter, but the bulk of his experience has been in international schools.

Collaboration that Fosters Learning for MLs | Friday Session 1 (Virtual) | 10:10am-11:00am PDT

Arlene Inouye

Arlene Inouye was the United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) treasurer, secretary and bargaining co-chair through multiple historic contract campaigns; she is now working with the UCLA Asian American Studies Center’s Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) Multimedia Textbook project, a one-of-a-kind narrative change resource being developed for high school students.

Foundations and Futures: A Multimedia Textbook on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders | Saturday Session 1 | 10:30am-12:00pm PDT

Jenessa Joffe

Jenessa Joffe is a Los Angeles-based writer, director, producer, and mother who is passionate about creating social change through comedic, kid-focused content. Jenessa earned a BA in East Asian Studies from Wesleyan University, and a MFA in Directing from the American Film Institute. A frequent collaborator with Kristina Wong, Jenessa’s work has gone viral, won awards, and screened for audiences worldwide.

Cramming for Justice: Auntie Kristina’s Guide to Asian American Activism | Saturday Keynote Panel | 9:15am-10:15am PDT

Esther Kim

Esther Kim is an assistant professor at the School of Education and affiliate faculty of Asian Pacific Islander American Studies at William & Mary. Her research focuses on how racial and religious identities shape understandings of citizenship. She is a former high school social studies teacher.

“Momma, are we Black or White?”: Parenting and Teaching for Asian American Racial Literacies and Solidarity | Friday Session 2 (Virtual) | 11:10am-12:00pm PDT

Fuko Kiyama 

Fuko is a fourth-year doctoral candidate at UCI School of Education with a graduate emphasis in Asian American Studies. She is passionate about working with Asian American communities and taking a collaborative approach to investigating topics that concern the community.

Bridging Research and Community Impact: A Workshop for High School Educators | Saturday Session 1 | 10:30am-12:00pm PDT

Dylan Lam

Dylan Lam is a junior at Polytechnic School in Pasadena. She enjoys participating in class cabinet, varsity tennis team, learning about economic finance and investing, and also enjoys painting and singing in her free time. Her research targets the modern day impacts of the misunderstanding and ignorance of Asian American history, especially in classroom settings, and hopes to encourage teachers to bring more inclusion into school curriculums. She is passionate about creating a community of other students and teens to empower one another to speak out and push for change..

Bridging Research and Community Impact: A Workshop for High School Educators | Saturday Session 1 | 10:30am-12:00pm PDT

James Lam

James Lam is currently a junior at Ayala High School. He is chapter lead of Dear Asian Youth @ Ayala High School, a chapter of a youth-led organization that strives to promote intersectional activism ‘for Asian youth, by Asian youth.’ He is passionate about working with others to address issues within the Asian American community and has been active in community organizing efforts surrounding the complex issues that affect Asian youth. Working with the CVHS Empowerment Initiative and another DAY chapter at CVHS, this partnership of youth activist groups shares a common goal of empowering student voices by raising cultural awareness and diversity, starting in the classroom.

How Biased Narratives Affect Classroom Curriculums | Saturday Session 2 | 1:15pm-2:45pm PDT

mads lê

mads is a PhD student in Information Studies at UCLA and also serving as board president for Vietnamese Rainbow of Orange County (VROC), a nonprofit based in OC advocating for LGBTQ+ communities.

“We’re Here and We’re Queer”: Queer Families and Advocacy | Saturday Session 2 | 1:15pm-2:45pm PDT

Caroline Lee

Caroline C. Lee, PhD is a credentialed elementary school teacher and licensed clinical child, adolescent, and adult psychologist currently in private practice in Newport Beach, CA. Caroline graduated with her PhD in Educational Psychology from Stanford University where she taught a psychoeducational course called Culture and Coping: Asian American Approaches. Caroline is an Asian American mental health advocate who works to destigmatize mental health in the community to help youth and families thrive.

Moving from Surviving to Thriving: Helping Asian American Youth Build Strong Psychological Immune Systems | Saturday Session 1 | 10:30am-12:00pm PDT

Esther Lee, ACSW

Esther Yerin Lee, ACSW is a queer Korean-American mental health therapist, ethnobotanist, and herbalist who believes in the pursuit of personal liberation as a necessary tool for collective liberation. She believes that there is a healer in each of us and we hold the innate wisdom we need in order to transcend the mindsets, institutions, and systems that prevent us from thriving on individual and communal levels. Their priority as a mental health professional is to create a safe space for BIPOC Queer/Nonbinary folks to reconnect with their magic.

Myth of the Model Minority: Deconstructing and Decolonizing | Friday Session 4 (Virtual) | 2:30pm-3:20pm PDT 

Stacey Lee Gobir

Stacey Lee Gobir is a first-generation Korean American and first-generation college graduate. She serves at Pepperdine University as the Director of Resilience-Informed Skills Education (RISE) Program, which aims to equip students with wellness skills crucial for lifelong resilience. She holds a Masters in Dispute Resolution from Pepperdine University’s Caruso School of Law and has worked with the Los Angeles Superior Courts as a civil harassment mediator and with Stanford University as a community educator supporting veteran and nontraditional students. She is passionate about community belonging, flourishing, and thriving.

Coaching to Care: The Power of Active Listening | Friday Session 1 (Virtual) | 10:10am-11:00am PDT

Linn Lee

Linn Lee (she/her/hers) is a Curriculum Specialist for History Social Science and Ethnic Studies in the Santa Ana, CA. She has a Masters in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She has taught U.S. History for over 20 years in high school. She has been committed to strengthening and creating an authentic Ethnic Studies program at the state level and within Santa Ana Unified School District. She served on the original California Department of Education Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum Committee in 2018.

Cultivating Belonging in Asian American and Pacific Islander Communities
| Saturday Session 2 | 1:15pm-2:45pm PDT

Karina Li

Karina Li is a junior at Oxford Academy. She is passionate about introducing Asian American studies to peers in her community. She is the creator of Love Through an Asian American Lens, an after-school program for high school students to learn about Asian American studies and practice utilizing PhotoVoice as a form of storytelling and community building. In her free time, she enjoys reading, crocheting, and doing nail art.

Capturing Youth Stories of Solidarity: A Youth-Driven Approach to Ethnic Studies | Friday Session 4 (Virtual)| 2:30pm-3:20pm PDT

Freda Lin

Freda Lin is the Co-Director/Founder of YURI Education Project, and began this work as an undergraduate at Northwestern University, where she initiated and led a campaign to implement an Asian American Studies program. Freda taught middle and high school history and leadership in Chicago and San Francisco Bay Area schools for 16 years.  After leaving the teaching field, she consulted with the Center for Asian American Media and UC Berkeley History-Social Science Project, and was the Education Program Director of the Fred T. Korematsu Institute. Freda currently serves on the National Council for History Education(NCHE) Board of Directors.

Co-Creation – Creating Resources on Local AANHPI Histories and Stories Together | Friday Session 1 (Virtual) | 10:10am-11:00am PDT

Roseann Liu

Roseann Liu is a visiting assistant professor of Asian American Studies and Educational Studies at Swarthmore College, and an assistant professor of education studies at Wesleyan University. She recently published the book, “Designed to Fail: Why Racial Equity in School Funding Is So Hard to Achieve.”

Developing AAPI History Curriculum in K–12 Education| Friday Session 3 (Virtual) | 1:30pm-2:20pm PDT 

Virginia Loh-Hagan

Dr. Virginia Loh-Hagan is the Co-Executive Director of The Asian American Education Project and the Director of the San Diego State University’s Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) Center. She is a former K-12 teacher and teacher educator. In addition, she had written over 400 children’s books, mainly about APIDA content. She is committed to amplifying APIDA histories and narratives.

Teaching APIDA Today for an Inclusive Tomorrow| Saturday Session 1 | 10:30am-12:00pm PDT

Kara Lu

Kara Lu is an educator based in Kumeyaay ancestral land, San Diego. She is currently the K-12 Access Project Coordinator for California State Parks and works to increase access to the natural environment as a place of learning. She hopes to build lasting bridges for students to explore their connections to California’s rich natural and cultural heritage.

Bringing Stories to Life with California State Parks| Friday Session 2 (Virtual) | 11:10am-12:00pm PDT 

Virginia Nguyen

Virginia Nguyen is a high school history teacher and co-founder of Educate to Empower. She is committed to fostering school communities that center student voice, belonging, and empowerment. In addition to being a teacher and district leader, Virginia facilitates workshops, writes, and speaks at events advocating for equity and justice in education. Virginia is also a wife, mom, and proud daughter of Vietnamese refugees. These identities continue to shape her dreams and aspirations. As a teacher of over 20 years, she believes educators have the power to change the world.

Co-Creation – Creating Resources on Local AANHPI Histories and Stories Together| Friday Session 1 (Virtual)| 10:10am-11:00am PDT

Natisha Patirupananda

Natisha Patirupananda (she/her) is currently a senior in Capistrano Valley High School with future aspirations in the public health field. As the co-founder of both CVHS Empowerment Initiative and Dear Asian Youth @ CVHS, Natisha has been granted amazing opportunities dedicated to combating discrimination and amplifying marginalized voices within her community. From voting drives to poster projects, she hopes to not only promote intersectional activism, but also celebrate years of rich Asian history and excellence paved by those before her. She hopes that her efforts will inspire future first-generation Thai-Americans to understand and help change the systemic issues of today’s world.

How Biased Narratives Affect Classroom Curriculums | Saturday Session 2 | 1:15pm-2:45pm PDT

OiYan Poon

OiYan A. Poon (she/her) is a longtime researcher and leader for intersectional racial equity in education. She is the author of Asian American Is Not a Color: Conversations on Race, Affirmative Action, and Family (2024, Beacon Press), which explores how Asian Americans are shaping the future of race relations through debates over education policies like affirmative action, using personal narrative and interviews of Asian Americans across the country. She is currently a co-director of the College Admissions Futures Co-Laborative at the University of Maryland-College Park, and a research fellow at the NAACP LDF Thurgood Marshall Institute.

“Momma, are we Black or White?”: Parenting and Teaching for Asian American Racial Literacies and Solidarity| Friday Session 2 (Virtual)| 11:10am-12:00pm PDT 

Isabela Quintana

Isabela Seong Leong Quintana is a teacher and scholar of the interconnected histories of Asian Americans and Chicanxs/Latinxs, and the borderlands spaces they inhabit. Her work in Relational and Comparative Ethnic Studies focuses on women and children in the US West and Southwest whose visibility, voices, and knowledges are often unspoken and undocumented in the conventional archival record. Profe Quintana is a faculty member in the Department of Asian American Studies at UCI. She is also Co-Director of The Five Chinatowns Project, a collaborative community-based research project, with William Gow (Sacramento State University) and Kelly Fong (UCLA), along with the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California.

Cultivating Compassion: Teaching and Building Community in Secondary and Post-Secondary Contexts| Friday Session 3 (Virtual) | 1:30pm-2:20pm PDT 

Michael Rodriguez

Mike Rodriguez (he/him) is an Ethnic Studies Teacher in Santa Ana, California in his 18th year of teaching and a community activist in unceded Ajcachemen and Tongva territories (Orange County). He graduated with an Ethnic Studies degree from UC San Diego in 1998 and is currently a member of the SAUSD Ethnic Studies Steering Committee. He has created curriculum at the Middle and High School levels. Mike has also co-created the “People’s History of Orange County” summer course and co-facilitated the class for 7 years. He is now facilitating local tours to help local Ethnic Studies teachers build curriculum for their students. He believes in People Power and Youth as a Force for change in society.

Cultivating Belonging in Asian American and Pacific Islander Communities | Saturday Session 2 | 1:15pm-2:45pm PDT 

Noreen Naseem Rodríguez

Noreen Naseem Rodríguez is an Assistant Professor of Elementary Education and Educational Justice in the Department of Teacher Education at Michigan State University. She researches teachers of color, elementary social studies, diverse children’s literature, and the teaching of Asian American histories in K-12 classrooms. Before becoming a teacher educator, Noreen was a bilingual elementary teacher in Texas for nine years.

“Momma, are we Black or White?”: Parenting and Teaching for Asian American Racial Literacies and Solidarity | Friday Session 2 (Virtual) | 11:10am-12:00pm PDT 

Priya J. Shah

Dr. Priya J. Shah teachers Ethnic Studies and Gender and Sexuality Studies. She received her Ph.D. from UC Irvine in 2008 and currently teaches at IVC and CSUF. She is an advocate for gender and racial equity in K-12 schools and serves as a speaker on these issues for the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and many other local and state organizations. She is also an artist and her work has been shown at the Riverside Art Museum and the Mission Viejo Library and published in coloring books.

“We’re Here and We’re Queer”: Queer Families and Advocacy | Saturday Session 2 | 1:15pm-2:45pm PDT

Abigail Shih

Abigail Shih is a high school senior looking to bridge access to resources among immigrants. Her research interests include linguistics, mental health within immigrant communities and understanding systemic problems through an intersectional lens. As a community activist, she has worked with local non-profits and the Mayor to organize community events in hopes of promoting the safety and well-being of the public. As a member of the Student Advisory Board of Asian American Youth Leaders, she hopes students can start understanding cultural histories and their implications in today’s world earlier rather than later.

Bridging Research and Community Impact: A Workshop for High School Educators| Saturday Session 1 | 10:30am-12:00pm PDT

Alfredo Silva

In the classroom for over 20 years Mr. Silva currently teaches History at Bolsa Grande High School in Garden Grove where he serves as Department Chair. Additionally, he is on the Board of CUE Los Angeles. In 2023 he was recognized by the Digital Citizenship Institute as a Global Impactor for his work with Yaritza Villalba on the Microsoft Flip Global Cultural Exchange. He is also the proud host of the Teach4Justice Podcast.

The Youth Know the Truth: Creating Belonging by Encouraging Student Voice | Saturday Session 2 | 1:15pm-2:45pm PDT

Catalina Silva-Oliveira

Catalina Silva-Oliveira is a senior at Capistrano Valley High School. She is the Secretary for CVHS Empowerment Initiative and a member of Dear Asian Youth @ CVHS. Catalina is also the Director of Capo Task Force Against Racism and Social Inequity, and a TedX speaker. She’s passionate about educating herself and others, and strives to promote intersectional feminism.

How Biased Narratives Affect Classroom Curriculums | Saturday Session 2 | 1:15pm-2:45pm PDT

Yeyoon Song

My name is Yeyoon Song, a student at Swarthmore College. I am a proud Korean immigrant born in Seoul, Korea and I have been living in America for 17 years. I plan on majoring in Economics and minoring in Asian American studies, and a dream of mine is to start a business or organization empowering Asian American youth.

Developing AAPI History Curriculum in K–12 Education | Friday Session 3 (Virtual)| 1:30pm-2:20pm PDT

Aser Brandon Sorongon

Aser Brandon Sorongon ’27 (he/him) is a first-year political sociology student, future lawyer or legislator. My passion for politics and sociology brought me to Swarthmore College, where I am working on my BA in Political Sociology.

Developing AAPI History Curriculum in K–12 Education | Friday Session 3 (Virtual) | 1:30pm-2:20pm PDT

Allyson Tintiangco-Cubales

Allyson Tintiangco-Cubales, Ph.D. is a distinguished professor in the College of Ethnic Studies at San Francisco State University. Since 2000, she’s been teaching interdisciplinary courses focused on critical pedagogy, race and racism, identity, gender, cultural production, and research methods. She is also an affiliated faculty member in the Educational Leadership Doctoral Program. She has mentored hundreds of critical master’s and doctoral students who are now teaching and working in schools, colleges, and community organizations across the nation.  She is also currently the director of curriculum for UCLA’s Foundations and Futures: Asian American and Pacific Islander Multimedia Textbook. 

She is also the co-founder and director of Community Responsive Education (CRE), an organization that support the development of responsive, equitable, and justice-driven educators. She has provided direct support to schools, districts, counties, and organizations throughout the nation including San Francisco, Daly City, Oakland, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Pajaro Valley, Fresno, Pittsburg, Santa Barbara Los Angeles, El Rancho, New York, Newburgh, Boston, Allentown, and Baltimore.  With CRE, she also supported the development of a community responsive wellness index which is rooted in the values of Ethnic Studies and humanizing pedagogy.  In 2001, she founded Pin@y Educational Partnerships (PEP), a “barangay” that focuses on providing schools with Ethnic Studies courses and curriculum, developing radical educators, and creating resources for Filipina/x/o communities and similarly marginalized people. She has worked with many school districts throughout the nation, including the San Francisco Unified School District, to co-develop Ethnic Studies, Social Justice, and also Filipino Language curriculum. She is the author of four books of curriculum and a wide range of articles focused on the applications of critical pedagogy, Ethnic Studies curriculum, Motherscholarship, and Pinayism. She recently completed the editing of the first Filpina/x/o American Studies Encyclopedia with 350 entries and 300 authors. In 2024, she was honored with the Wang Family Award,  one of the most prestigious honors faculty can receive in the California State University (CSU) system for her teaching, service, and scholarship. Also, in 2024, she became an American Educational Research Association Fellow.  

Keynote: What educators can learn from Ethnic Studies: Growing Communities Rooted in Love and Collective Liberation | Friday Keynote (Virtual) | 9:00am-10:00am PDT

Thuy Vo Dang

Thuy Vo Dang is a professor of Information Studies and Asian American Studies at UCLA. She is coauthor of A People’s Guide to Orange County (2022) and Vietnamese in Orange County (2015).

“We’re Here and We’re Queer”: Queer Families and Advocacy | Saturday Session 2 | 1:15pm-2:45pm PDT

Anna Michelle Wang

Anna Michelle Wang is a multifaceted artist who co-produced the web series Radical Cram School, contributing as music director, lyricist and puppeteer. As an entrepreneur, she launched her own lifestyle brand, Kitsch’n Glam, sold in specialty boutique stores worldwide – including Anthropologie, Paper Source, and Macy’s Herald Square. When she is not performing or designing, she is a mother of 3 children aged 10-14.

Cramming for Justice: Auntie Kristina’s Guide to Asian American Activism | Saturday Keynote Panel | 9:15am-10:15am PDT

Kristina Wong

Kristina Wong is a Doris Duke Artist Award winner, Guggenheim Fellow and a Pulitzer Prize finalist in Drama. She’s a performance artist, comedian, actor and writer whose original theater works have been presented internationally across North America, the UK, Hong Kong and Africa. “Auntie Kristina’s Guide to Asian American Activism” comes out Spring 2026 from Beaming Books and is co-written with the producers of Radical Cram School, the web series she has created for kids.

Cramming for Justice: Auntie Kristina’s Guide to Asian American Activism | Saturday Keynote Panel |9:15am-10:15am PDT

Stacy Yung

Stacy Yung, cofounder of Educate to Empower, is a former middle school history teacher who currently supports educators as a thought leader, mentor, and curriculum developer. With over 15 years of experience in K-12 education, Stacy has organized and spoken at conferences focused on topics such as culturally responsive teaching, social justice, and student-centered learning. She is dedicated to supporting educators in their efforts to create inclusive classroom and school communities that foster a sense of belonging and joy.

“Momma, are we Black or White?”: Parenting and Teaching for Asian American Racial Literacies and Solidarity | Friday Session 2 (Virtual)| 11:10am-12:00pm PDT