Kathy Tran

Kathy Tran is running for Virginia's House of Delegate in the 42nd District. 

Ms. Tran graduated from Duke University and earned her Master of Social Work from the University of Michigan.  She serves on her local PTA.

Why did you want to run for political office?
I was due with my baby daughter – the youngest of four - on Inauguration Day this past year. After the election, my husband Matt and I decided to name her Elise Minh Khanh. "Elise" is inspired by Ellis Island, a beacon of hope for generations that Matt's family passed through seeking opportunity in their new home. And "Minh Khanh" is Vietnamese for "bright bell," inspired by the Liberty Bell. To us, her name means "to ring the bells of liberty and champion opportunity for all."

As I held her in my arms in the weeks after she was born, I realized I couldn’t give such an aspirational name to this tiny little baby and just hope that she would be able to create a world that safeguards her future and the values that inspired her name. I decided that I needed to step up to fight for my childrens’ future now.

I have devoted my career to ensuring that all Americans have the skills and credentials they need to succeed. I shaped national workforce development policies and programs during my 12 years at the U.S. Department of Labor, and I have also advocated for immigrants in the workforce at the National Immigration Forum. If elected, I will use this expertise to advocate for all Virginians and fight against a national agenda that seeks to divide us.

What role did being a Vietnamese American woman play in your decision to be more politically active?
Like many other Vietnamese American families, my parents and I fled Vietnam as refugees. We left by boat when I was almost seven months old. Although many other countries offered us asylum, we waited 13 months for the United States to process our application. For my parents, America represented hope, opportunity, and freedom, and they were willing to risk it all to make sure they could come here. I’m running for the Virginia House of Delegates because I couldn’t just stand by while Donald Trump and Virginia Republicans dismantle the American ideals that brought my family here.

I would be the first Vietnamese American to win popularly elected office at any level in Virginia, and the first Asian American woman elected to Virginia state government. I firmly believe that we all benefit from having diverse perspectives and voices in government. For example, many of the issues facing immigrant and refugee families today are issues that I faced growing up in the Vietnamese diaspora. That experience has informed my entire career. I have worked with immigrant communities across the country, from teaching ESL classes to detained asylum seekers in Newark, to encouraging entrepreneurship in Detroit’s Latino community, to running after-school programs for immigrant children in San Jose. In my most recent role at the National Immigration Forum, I advocated for policies that would help immigrants in the workforce reach their full career potential.

I am a strong advocate for comprehensive immigration reform that includes a pathway to citizenship and values family-based immigration while meeting our nation’s economic needs. If elected to the Virginia House of Delegates, I will fight for policies that fully integrate immigrants and refugees: I will work to expand citizenship preparation classes, push for additional funding for adult education, including ESL classes, and make sure small businesses and entrepreneurs have access to the resources they need to thrive. I will also advocate for disaggregation of AAPI ethnic data in order to truly understand community needs, and I will work to expand culturally competent services that are accessible to Virginians with language barriers and other obstacles.

What advice can you give to Vietnamese Americans about making a difference?
It can often be discouraging or intimidating to get involved when you don’t see people from your community represented in the political process. When that’s the case, as it is in most of the country for Vietnamese Americans, stepping up to fight for what you believe in and to make a difference is all the more important in helping to pave the way for others and encouraging them to get involved with you.

I had never thought of myself as a politician - and I still don’t - but I have always tried to make a difference. I am proud of the work I’ve done for American workers and jobseekers as a civil servant at the U.S. Department of Labor, my efforts to fight for immigrants and refugees at the National Immigration Forum, and the kids, families, and teachers I’ve advocated for as an officer on my local PTA. During this campaign, as I have met with my neighbors from all different backgrounds, I have learned more about their concerns over what is happening in our country today and their hopes for the future.

Fight for what matters to you and your community. Get involved in a cause you believe in or run for office yourself. Join our campaign at kathyfordelegate.com as we push to engage and organize here in Virginia, and fight for our common values of hope, opportunity, and freedom for all who seek it.

Kavi Vu

Kavi Vu is a spoken word artist and videographer hailing from Atlanta, Georgia. She considers herself a storyteller who aims to inspire her audience with her passion for creative freedom, social justice, and culture. She believes that too many ideas are left unspoken and too many stories are going untold from generation to generation. Through storytelling and videography, she is committed to being a part of the movement that brings more Asian Americans on our screens, on the stage, and at the polls.

Ms. Vu has been heavily involved with the Union of North American Vietnamese Student Associations (uNAVSA), serving positions such as Southeast Regional Representatives, Entertainment committee, and Collective Philanthropy Campaign team. uNAVSA has not only grown her appreciation for her culture and connected her with a Vietnamese-American and Vietnamese-Canadian network all across the continent, it also sparked her interest in social activism. It is through uNAVSA that she met many colleagues who introduced her to having political conversations, as it is something she was unfamiliar with growing up. 

Ms. Vu also served on the board of Kollaboration Atlanta, a nonprofit organization that seeks to empower AAPI youth through entertainment. After she won the showcase with her spoken word poetry and was given an opportunity to performa all across the country, she joined the Kollaboration staff as Associate Director to keep doing the work that would allow other Asian Americans to have a voice and grow their passion. 

On being a Vietnamese American in politics...
It’s very difficult for me, as a (somewhat) young Vietnamese-American woman trying to engage in our country’s politics. First, my family has ALWAYS shied away from politics, and it was never really encouraged in our community events. Taking a step into the political space was so, so hard. It’s complicated and there isn’t an easy answer for any issue. I constantly feel underprepared and incompetent as I learn to navigate this space to mobilize young Vietnamese voters, but that feeling goes away when I’m able to share that information with someone who also didn’t know. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, but I’ve learned that as times change, our government will be constantly growing and changing as well. What won’t change is that if we stay committed, we can definitely raise the AAPI voice in our country.

On how she plans to affect change...
Along with my fellow PIVOT member Phi Nguyen, I plan on educating the AAPI youth by creating engaging videos that will give them necessary information to become part of the civic space. For example, we will break down local government, give examples on how policy affects us personally and our AAPI community, interview local AAPI’s on what issues they care about, and push for a higher AAPI turnout for the 2017 Atlanta Municipal races in November. 

The big focus is that we want to give AAPI millennials tangible action items to affect change, but also not overwhelm them with too much information. Politics tends to turn people away. Right now, we need them to lean in. 

On advice for the younger generation who want to participate in political and social change...
My advice is to take small steps. Politics is overwhelming and there are A LOT of things that need to be done. However, we will likely not be able to do everything. My advice is to focus on a few issues that matter to them, and focus in on that. There will be moments when you are exposed to issues for the first time; do not feel you have to have a stance on it. Give yourself time to do some research, have conversations with people you respect, and then take your time to form your own thoughts. Forming a small group of socially and politically conscious friends helps a lot. And always take care of yourself mentally and physically. There is a world of work to be done, but it can only get done when you’re well. 

I’ll be the first to admit that I am not at all familiar with the civic space. I do not have a full grasp on how government works, I am terrible at retaining statistics and details, and as embarrassing as it is, I am easily overwhelmed by emotions and cannot form a sure stance on many issues. What I do know is that I care immensely about my community, and I’m willing to put in the time and effort to make sure its voice is heard. 

Fun facts

• I was born in Ban Me Thuot, Vietnam and came to the U.S. when I was 2 years old.
• I grew up on a chicken farm in South Georgia.
• I love performing spoken word poetry, and get to travel across the country to perform!
• I made up Kavi from the initials of my name, Kim Vu.
• A dream of mine is to release a rap album.