Angela (they/them) is a visionary organizer and Kingian nonviolence trainer working towards a world where we have increased capacities to sit with our own and each other’s complexities. Angela stewards community spaces where participants can share grief, practice conflict skills, and be co-opted into emergence inspired by the erotic, the intuitive, the divine, the more-than-human. They are deeply and fully in love with this world we get to live in and on a life-long journey to learn how to love everything that comes with it with compassion and accountability. Their work is guided and influenced by the land and their ancestors as well as the work and teachings of Grace Lee and Jimmy Boggs, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Dr. Vanessa Machado de Oliveira, and Nêgo Bispo. Angela is a second-generation Brazilian-born Korean and moved with their family to Tovaangar (LA) when they were thirteen. They now live in multiple homes and hearts across California. 

Dante Comet (she/her) is a mixed, queer racial justice and community advocate born and based on the unceded, ancestral lands of the Munsee tribe of the Lenni Lenape people traditionally known as Manahatta. Her passions lie in mixed Asian advocacy and identity as well as seed/food sovereignty and shared liberation. She remains dedicated to highlighting intersectionality amongst oppressed groups through radical empathy and shared struggle.

In her free time, you can find her seeking out a sweet treat, reading, and trying to pet every dog she sees. Her forever puppy is named Paul Anka.

“AAJIL has been one of the strongest drivers in my advocacy journey. It is the first space I felt free to question, to unlearn, and to dissect the uncomfortable. I cherish AAJIL's level of accessibility and commitment to community.”

Diana Vathanakamsang (she/her) is a Thai third culture kid who grew up between the American South and Southeast Asia, and is now based on the unceded ancestral homeland of the Ramaytush Ohlone peoples. As an educator, avid learner, and community builder, she holds a deep belief in education as a transformative tool. She is committed to creating inclusive learning spaces of all kinds that center community, inspire collective action, and ignite lasting social change.

When she’s not galavanting or karaoke-ing with friends, Diana can be found reading about feminism, animals, or the environment; cooking vegetarian/vegan recipes; or diving into craft projects.

“My first AAJIL experience was profoundly meaningful. In college sociology and women’s studies classes, I was often the only Asian person in the room, and API histories and experiences were frequently overlooked or erased. AAJIL’s workshops and labs have served as an antidote—filling a much-needed void. I am so excited to be part of the AAJIL community.”

Hân Nguyễn, LMSW (she/her/quýt) is a queer, cis-gender woman and identifies as part of the Vietnamese Refugee diaspora. She was born in the Philippines Refugee Camp and raised in Southern California's Little Saigon. She likes to take walks with her corgi, Lychee and enjoy live music and concerts. Hân is a lifelong anti-racist organizer, educator, and licensed social worker based in New York City. Hân is dedicated to dismantling systemic racism, advocating for mental health in Asian communities, and creating collective liberating spaces.

“AAJIL gave me the opportunity to be curious and creative. I was able to experiment and co-create space with Asian identified folks in such a deep, reflective and vulnerable way.”

Dr. Nat H.N. Low (they/them) is a queer marine ecologist and data specialist. They were born and raised in Singapore and are currently located on the central coast of California, on unceded territory of the Awaswas-speaking Uypi Tribe, currently stewarded by the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band. Nat is part of Bitter Cotyledons, a queer and trans Asian American collective in Santa Cruz centered around ancestral foodways, food growing, and community as creative resilience.

“I am always inspired by the way the AAJIL community strives to live out the values of emergent strategy in our work. This is a community that consistently helps me believe that we can collectively build the just and loving world that we dream of.”