Biography

Angelina Karnsouvong (they/she) is a queer second-generation Khmu and Lao refugee born and raised on Chochenyo Ohlone land (Richmond, CA). They received their Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Berkeley in both Ethnic Studies and Public Health.

Angelina is currently in their second year of graduate education, pursuing a joint masters in Asian American Studies (MA) and Community Health Sciences (MPH). Their primary research focuses on de-centering colonial biomedical understandings of health and healthcare to re-center community, culture, and indigenous healing practices, with an emphasis on re-envisioning Khmu wellbeing in Southeast Asian refugee diaspora, as well as the role of critical history and community education in achieving better health outcomes. They are especially passionate about the concept of diversifying narratives and being the teller of one’s own story, which influences a great deal of their work in research, community organizing, and creative spaces.

In their free time, Angelina enjoys writing, drawing, spending time with friends, being outdoors (except in LA), building Legos, staring at bodies of water, and reading wiki articles on niche topics.