Sally Chen

Thesis Title: “Take Root”: Community Formation at the San Francisco Chinatown Branch Public Library 1970s-1990s

What Now: Deputy Director, Livable City

Follow Me: @Sally_Chenpion (Twitter)

Coming from a low-income Chinese immigrant family, I struggled in my transition to college, but taking my first Asian and Pacific American Studies class completely changed my life. I finally had the tools to interrogate the root causes of the obstacles that so many AAPIs like myself face, but more importantly I found an inspiring community of activists and advocates putting this education to practice. The frameworks and skills that I gained through my education in Ethnic Studies are crucial to my day-to-day work. I am an organizer and advocate dedicated to building the capacity of working-class communities of color in their own neighborhoods, with a passion for my hometown of San Francisco. My education has carried me in a variety of roles, from running vocational training for Chinese immigrant workers to advocating for race conscious college admissions to fighting for greater urban sustainability practices.