AIWA’s board and staff are committed to the long-term capacity building of immigrant women and youth leaders

 

Latika Malkani

Board President
Latika Malkani is a partner at Siegel LeWitter Malkani where she exclusively represents employees and labor unions. Latika’s advocacy has included representation of women and men seeking justice and improved conditions in the workplace. Latika litigates employment and other civil law matters, including class actions, wage and hour claims, and enforcement of anti-discrimination laws.

Anna Rodrigues

Board Treasurer

Anna is currently the Experience Design Program Management Lead at Bank of America. One of her early job experiences was at AIWA and she is grateful for the opportunity to re-connect with women’s rights advocacy. She also looks forward to the continued growth of AIWA’s leadership program.

Mila Thomas

Board Member
Mila is a former Organizing Coordinator at SEIU 1021, the union representing workers in the public sector and non-profits in Northern California. She has organized low-wage workers in homecare, clinics, Head Start, childcare and adjunct faculty. An immigrant from the Philippines, she is passionate about women’s rights and sees great potential for AIWA’s leadership framework to empower workers to have a voice in the larger community.

Young Shin

Executive Director
Recognized many times over as a pioneer and visionary leader over a lifetime developing women’s leadership and supporting immigrant rights, Young oversees the coordination of programs and administration.  She earned her JD from Hastings College of the Law.

Lan Fong Lau

Peer Organizer

Lan Fong is a food service worker who has tirelessly conducted outreach to hundreds of immigrant women and their families to attend AIWA classes, events and trainings. She worked as a garment worker when she came to the US, and the piece rate was so low she only made $2 per day. She decided she wouldn’t isolate herself, but would fight for a better job. She says, “If I did not fight for my dream job, it wasn’t going to call me on its own.”

Anupama Chapagain

Nepali Leadership Training Coordinator

Anupama works with various South Asian communities to understand their issues and advocate for them to get the right resources for their personal health and well-being.  She has a Post-Baccalaureate Degree in Women’s Studies and focuses on Women’s Empowerment, Capacity Building, Gender Awareness, Domestic Violence Issues, Career Development, Accessible Healthcare and Income Generating activities for the immigrant community.

Sohung Wong

Peer Organizer

As a member of AIWA, Sohung discovered that her sisters in community are compassionate and resilient, yet they also lack resources, language support, and opportunities for public engagement. By serving as a Peer Organizer, Sohung wants to help her sisters to grow together and support each other so they can achieve the rights they deserve.

Qiuhe Yang

Peer Organizer

As a new immigrant, Qiuhe Yang is well aware of the challenges posed by language and cultural barriers. Through community work, she has learned how to care for others and engage in outreach. As a Peer Organizer, Qiuhe hopes to strengthen her leadership skills to fight for the rights and dignity that women deserve, and ultimately empower other immigrants to improve their living conditions and be confident.

Swostika Timalsina

Peer Organizer
Swostika Timalsina joined AIWA in 2017 through “Training for Trainers”. Swostika has a passionate social justice background, especially in navigating the justice system and educating communities of color to know their rights. Swostika is from Nepal and enjoys hiking and reading in her free time. She received her Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice from Cal State University, Hayward and is doing her Master’s in Legal Studies at UC Law, San Francisco. 

Josh Liu

Program Assistant
Josh joined AIWA as a volunteer teacher for workplace literacy classes, and is now a member of AIWA staff to continue to support the development and literacy of immigrants. He’s inspired by Jay Chou’s creativity and Jeremy Lin’s grit to build a better community.

Junwei Zhang

Program Assistant

Junwei was a member of AIWA’s Youth Build Immigrant Power program before joining as a staff member. He has a strong commitment to creating a united and responsible community. Through AIWA, he hopes to improve his surroundings. Junwei provides support for YBIP and the event planning committee.

Jieshan (Shannon) Liu

Bilingual Program Supporter

Jieshan was a member of AIWA Youth Build Immigrant Power and is now happy to be a Bilingual Program Supporter at AIWA. She is studying Molecular and Cellular Biology and Data Science at Cal.

Isabel Liu

Program Assistant
Isabel is an undergraduate student studying Public Health with an interest in immigrants’ rights and health. Previously, she was a MOVE Asian American Community Organizing fellow from UC Berkeley. She provides support for AIWA’s IHSS Committee, social media, and educational programs.