We want to congratulate our Asian American Studies Students who have been awarded this year’s Asian Pacific Alumni of UCLA Scholarships!

A few of our students highlighted are:

Angela Li Exp. ’21 — Undergraduate

Angela Li is a rising senior double-majoring in Asian American studies and political science with an interest in pursuing a career in public interest law. Li is currently the director of the Asian Pacific Coalition and the Campus Retention Committee. At the intersection of both of her majors, Li has done research on hate crime legislation and human trafficking of Asian women, and is working on her Asian American studies honors thesis, which examines the relationship between xenophobia and public health.

Ngoc Nguyen Exp. ’21 — Undergraduate

Ngoc Nguyen is a UCLA senior majoring in Asian American studies, international development studies and sociology. This year, Nguyen worked with Southeast Asian student leaders at UCLA to create the Southeast Asian Students for Organizing (SEASON) conference, the first three-day, two-night conference for Southeast Asian students. It brought together around 200 students to strategize effective campus-based actions to support their community. In addition to her involvement with SEASON, Nguyen has served as president of the UCLA Vietnamese Student Union, interned with the Thai Community Development Center and Nikkei Progressives, and volunteered at the Los Angeles Stanley Mosk courthouse.

Daniel Luu Exp. ’22 — Graduate

Daniel Luu graduated from UCLA with a degree in Asian American studies and minor in urban and regional studies. He is currently earning his master’s in urban planning at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. Luu will be the first in his family to attain a master’s degree. His focus and interests revolve around working with the Southeast Asian community (Cambodian, Vietnamese, Laotian) to combat various social issues overlooked by the general public — such as gentrification, deportation and education attainment — that affect these communities.

Through his coursework, Luu is now seeking to further understand how urban infrastructure and design can be reclaimed by Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) through aspects of storytelling, cultural arts and participatory planning. This type of work has led Luu toward finding his own identity to become an empowered community activist working toward healing both his family’s and community’s trauma.