In 2016, I realized how marginalized the Asian-American community had become. Then-candidate Trump accused us of spying and proposed a ban on student visas for Chinese nationals. Yet, few Asian-Americans planned to vote. Our apathy to politics and scarcity in leadership blinded us to important policies and allowed officials to ignore us.

To change this, I founded Asian Youth Liberty League (ALLY), formerly known as Future Chinese Leaders of America (FCLA). Since then, we have registered hundreds of underrepresented voters, held over 50 events, and raised thousands of dollars and supplied hundreds of masks to help the COVID-19 response. It is impossible to pick out a favorite ALLY memory, but seeing each member of ALLY grow into a young advocate and leader is definitely the experience I cherish most.

For far too long, Asian community have only focus on the STEM areas for their studies because it is “sturdy money” and overlooked the humanities and its social responsibility with the mindset of “minding its own business.”

I wanted to changed that. So I founded the SGV branch and have been active with all ALLY activities. Extended on Oliver’s philosophy to the organization, I focus my works in ALLY primarily around the theme of “Social Justice and Responsibility.” 

My goal in this organization is to help more Asian youths to understand more about humanitarian of America and corporate their passions and dream with the sense of social responsibility.

“Be Fearless in Pursuit of What Set Your Soul on Fire.”

ALLY has changed my life. ALLY has taught me how to be a leader, how to make visions come to reality, ALLY has taught me the importance of civic engagement, and ALLY has given me invaluable, priceless memories to never be forgotten. I joined Asian Youth Liberty League the summer after eight grade and attended one of the very first meetings since the creation of the organization.

Since then, I have become a very active and proud member in the organization, hosting events ranging from interview etiquette workshops to hosting debates. I would say my best memory would be the 45th District Congressional Debate, where I got the once-in-a-lifetime expérience to moderate a debate for candidates running for Congress. This season, for 2020, I hope to continue organizing important events for our community, encourage voter participation, and make new experiences. Let’s go ALLY!!

Born in South Korea, Sang-Min grew up in Los Angeles. He graduated magna cum laude from UC Berkeley in 2020, majoring in political science and with a minor in public health. He is a joint degree student at NYU Law, where he is a Root Scholar, and at Harvard Kennedy School, where he is pursuing a master’s in public policy. Sang-Min joined ALLY this summer as part of the Policy Committee. He hopes to use his education and career to empower neglected and marginalized stories, human rights, and accountability in foreign policy.

I remember walking into an ALLY meeting for the first time. It was the summer before 8th grade. I was afraid to sit in the front and avoided eye contact with everyone. When opportunities arose, I was nervous to speak up. That same year, I made my speech on the podium for External VP with a note in-front of me, speeding through and never glancing up at the audience once. Five years later, ALLY has shaped me tremendously as a leader and team member. I am beyond honored to have grown and matured with the organization.

One of the most memorable events for me was the 45th Congressional Debate. Everyone worked together as a team to make the event happen, and the turn out was amazing. We got press there and the room was filled with people of all ages, eager to be more involved in politics. From these experiences, I reached a realization, that in order to be an effective leader, you can’t just do everything by yourself. That is a dictator. A good leader works with the people, unifying them as one, strong, undivided force.

Stacey Jung is currently serving as the Chief Operational Officer on the Board of Directors Committee at ALLY. After receiving her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California, Berkeley she pursued becoming a Master of Public Health Candidate at Columbia University.

I'm Melissa, a junior at USC studying neuroscience and health policy. I currently serve as the CEO of ALLY. I first joined ALLY as a 7th grader eager to be involved in Asian American advocacy. In 10th grade, I founded and was president of the Palos Verdes Chapter. ALLY has shown me countless opportunities for what high schoolers can do for our community. My favorite event is hands down the Covid-19 fundraiser, where we raised approximately $5,000 for medical supplies and distributed masks to homes in need. I am extremely grateful to be a part of this amazing student-run non-profit organization.

Beau Gillam is currently serving as the Chief Finance Officer of the Finance Committee at ALLY. After graduating Polytechnic School in 2020, he became a student at Cornell University and is now a rising senior at the Dyson School of Applied Economics & Management. 

I’m a social entrepreneur studying at The Wharton School in the University of Pennsylvania. Passionate about change-making, youth leadership, and equality, I joined ALLY two years ago as President of the SGV Chapter. As CMO, I hope that my work at ALLY will promote intergenerational conversations, unity among youth, and overall, propel movements for social good.

Being a part of ALLY has been an eye-opening experience. Having been president of my chapter during the pandemic, the unity that this organization brings through our events, including panels with politicians and informative sessions with doctors, has been extremely uplifting and gratifying to witness. I am excited to continue expanding the message of ALLY and one of its longest standing chapters, the San Gabriel Valley chapter. 

ALLY has a powerful mission and powerful, Asian leaders to help us achieve our goals. I hope that you will join us on this journey and support our chapters in providing an educational and inspirational community for all Asian Americans! 

I am an incoming freshman at Northeastern University, majoring in political science and international relations on the pre-law track. I have been exploring my passion for public service through my role as Chief Policy Officer at ALLY. Being a part of ALLY, surrounded by individuals dedicated to empowering other Asian Americans is inspiring and deeply rewarding. 

I am a Chinese American and Pacific Islander double majoring in Sociology and Ethnicity and Race Studies at Columbia University. During the summers of 2021 and 2022, I served as ALLY's San Gabriel Valley Branch's Internal Vice President and Vice President of Operations, respectively. And for the past few years, I have served as the Chief Content Officer on the executive team. I truly believe in ALLY's vision and mission of youth advocacy, Asian activism, and equality. ALLY greatly impacted my formative teen years in high school by helping me turn my passions into tangible change in my community. I could only dream of helping the organization as much as it has helped me!

I’m Taiwanese American and a first generation college student from Chino Hills, CA. I’m a current rising sophomore at UC Berkeley studying Psychology and Public Policy on the Pre-Law track. My passions include providing feasible opportunities and resources to underrepresented student groups, especially in the pre-professional world and destigmatizing the topic of mental health within the Asian community. Outside of my school and professional setting, I enjoy playing basketball, scrolling on LinkedIn and going out with friends!

I am currently a rising third-year student at Sophia University, studying global studies with an international sociology major and an asian studies minor. I previously studied abroad at the University of Texas at Austin last year. I am supervising the Irvine and Michigan chapters this summer. My favorite thing about ALLY is the collaborative community and how it is a safe space to grow and empower Asians. 

I am currently a graduate student at Georgetown University, doing a Master of Public Policy. This summer, I am supervising the San Gabriel Valley chapter, and co-supervising the DMV chapter. I am a strong supporter of ALLY's mission to cultivate greater leadership skills, and civic awareness among Asian youth.

I’m a Canadian-American college senior from Columbia, South Carolina. I currently attend Babson College where I am studying all things business related, with concentrations in consulting and finance. Outside of school, I enjoy going to concerts and traveling. I am passionate about marketing and social media, which led to my involvement in ALLY. One of my favorite things about ALLY is that we are all constantly learning from one another. I love collaborating with others and using my Asian background to make change.

I am a incoming college freshman studying Business and Enterprise Management at Wake Forest University. Ever since middle school, I was invested in becoming more connected with my community. I wanted to encourage interconnectedness with each other and to create a more close-knit community! Which had led me to finding ALLY and being able to extend that passion through organizing events like virtual career fairs for high school students. I loved being able to meet with so many new people and further explore the world of leadership and activism through ALLY.

I am a rising senior at Palos Verdes Peninsula High School, where I am president of the AI Scholars Club and co-founder of the AI Crash Course workshop. I hope to help my community become stronger through ALLY by fostering opportunities for leadership and academics. I look forward to helping facilitate stronger advocacy and outreach through my background experience in debate.

I’m Melinda Mei, a rising senior at Huron High School in Ann Arbor. At school, I play on the Varsity soccer team and compete in BPA competitions. In my free time, I like to listen to the Unsolicited Podcast, read (I just finished The Cruel Prince), and go on Target runs with my friends. My favorite part about ALLY is the unexpected relations that it brings. Through our ALLY branch, people of all different schools and grades have connected with each other!

Hey everyone! I’m Anna, the current president of ALLY’s San Gabriel Valley branch. I’ve been with ALLY for a few years now and I’m very excited to bring another summer of workshops and events to our community. From my previous work with ALLY, I’ve recognized that our audience tend to prefer college and career-focused events the most, so we are trying to structure this summer’s events around those topics. 

Patrick Deng is a rising junior at Canyon Crest Academy. At ALLY San Diego, we aim to provide resources valuable to kids in middle and high school. San Diego branch has hosted panels and workshops with local students, graduates, and small businesses. ALLY aims to provide opportunities for today's youth by creating a community to support and empower each other. ALLY events are built on the objective of creating an interconnected space to expand students' goals and interests.

I am an advocate supporting Asian-American needs in the DMV area, while often volunteering at many AAPI organizations. My efforts in supporting the community stem from the lack of leadership and representation in the DMV area. I am always finding ways to contribute and create a positive change for the AAPI community.