I have been fortunate to serve local governments as a public law attorney in California, Massachusetts, and Colorado for the past eight years. I am proud to currently work for the City of Oakland, which is the second city in the nation to have a Department of Race and Equity dedicated to intentionally integrating equity and social justice practices on a city-wide basis. As a member of the Real Estate Unit for the City Attorney’s Office, I am particularly mindful of the enduring legacy of residential segregation created by redlining and racially restrictive covenants. My most meaningful graduate studies included American Indian Law and Race and American Law, both of which should be foundational coursework for all attorneys practicing in the United States.

I was born in a refugee camp in Thailand to Cambodian parents who survived the Khmer Rouge, and I staunchly believe that the myth of meritocracy is used to perpetuate anti-black racism. Our family had a jewelry store in Memphis, TN, and I use this knowledge to create Bahai-inspired jewelry.