Biography

“Yee Thao (she/her/hers) is a first-generation Hmong American womxn born and raised on traditional Nisenan Land (Sacramento, CA). She obtained her Bachelors at CSU Sacramento with a double major in Anthropology (Culture, Language, & Society) and Ethnic Studies (Asian American Studies). Throughout her undergraduate career, she worked alongside many empowering Hmong and AANAPISI organizers trying to dismantle the oppressive systems that impact folx with a community history of displacement and forced migration. Her work is rooted in fostering communities who ground themselves in love, care, and abundance while propelling themselves towards transformative change — sowing the seeds of a movement where resilience is not the immediate product of surviving oppressive and exhaustive systems, but rather, through a shared power of love, healing, and liberation. In her time at UCLA, she hopes to blend her passions of serving disenfranchised and underserved communities into a multifaceted fold of racial equity, language justice, youth representation, mental health and equal/accessible education. In particular, she strives to deepen her understanding in Gender, Migration, Hmong diaspora, and Organizational/Grassroots Leadership. In her free time, Yee enjoys spending time with family by solving jigsaw puzzles! Some of her hobbies include photography/videography, collecting succulent plants, writing poetry, and eating (especially sticky rice and corn)!