Interviewer: Siena Iwasaki Milbauer
To celebrate Asian Heritage Month, we’ve been talking with Minnesota-based Asian activists about what their heritage means to them, and how it influences and inspires their organizing. Check out our previous interviews, with Tri Minh Vo of The SEAD Project, Nicole Ektnitphong of MN350 and Training for Change, and Jennifer Nguyễn Moore.
For our final conversation, we spoke with Michelle Chang (she/they). Chang is the Lead Organizer on Education and Economics for CAAL MN. She shared how her Hmong heritage has made her an activist that centers collaboration, and how they call on the example of their elders in their work.
Please introduce yourself
Hello! My name is Michelle Chang, I use she/her and they/them pronouns. I’ve been with the Coalition of Asian American Leaders (CAAL) since October 2020.
Some things about me: I have a pomsky named Joey. I love to play board games – my favorite is currently this engine building game called Wingspan. Right now I am reading The Purpose of Power by Alicia Garza and I am listening to the Rotten Mango podcast. In my free time I love exploring the many parks in Minnesota!
Please describe your heritage in your own words. How does it influence who you are as a person?
Kuv yog HMoob. I am Hmong.
The most important thing that being Hmong has taught me is that there is power in the collective. Most importantly, when my community thrives, I also thrive.
Can you share a bit about your organizing work and what that looks like?
My introduction to organizing was through nonprofit voter and census engagement work. I learned that the systems we live in are not made for people who look like me.
I work on education issues at CAAL. I mainly organize with parents, guardians, and students on education issues that impact Asian Minnesotans. Some of the issues we work on include advocating for disaggregated data, ethnic studies, and Heritage Language Programs. My work is to ensure that our youth and families feel represented, safe, and welcomed at schools!
How does your heritage influence your work? In what ways does it motivate and shape your organizing?
I take inspiration from my ancestors when it comes to organizing. Our elders are organizers themselves! Imagine how much community work it took to survive from China to Laos and then to other pockets of the world.
I remember when I was young, I would see my parents call numerous relatives when an issue arises in the community. My parents would invite them over to strategize over a pot of food. The question was always centered around – how can we put our resources together to help whoever was impacted by the issue?
So when I organize, I make sure that my community is present with me to strategize and dream about next steps together. We cannot just show up to the table ourselves and call it representation, I think the power of organizing is in doing the work to bring community with you to the table.
What does Asian Heritage Month mean to you?
I think Asian Heritage Month is a time for us to reflect on how we got here, celebrate our present, and dream about our future.