Our Founding
On Sunday, August 28th, 2022, the Undocumented Asian and Pacific Islander (API) Leadership Summit was held in San Diego, California, bringing together undocumented API youth activists from across the state of California to engage in leadership workshops, reflection, discussion and action planning. The Summit provided an opportunity to build community and recognize the need for a space dedicated to undocumented API immigrants.
Our Mission
An undocu-led group, empowering undocumented Asian and Pacific Islander Communities to proclaim their stories and fight for social change against all social, racial, and economic injustices.
Our Values
We envision systemic changes that recognize and value all undocumented people.
Our Core
- Equity, abolish systemic barriers to create opportunities
- Solidarity, fostering relationships to combat all forms of oppression
- Compassion, unconditional empathy to better serve our community
- Sustainability, consistent community care to sustain our vision
Visibility
Empowerment
Leadership
Meet the Team!
Justine Lim (she/her) – Executive Director
Justine was born in Quezon City, Philippines and immigrated to the U.S. in 2005. At 19, Justine moved cross-country from Pennsylvania to California on her own in search of better opportunities. She graduated summa cum laude with college honors from UCLA with degrees in Political Science & Labor Studies. Through education and understanding the law, Justine is passionate about empowering immigrant communities to become their own advocates.
Rehana Morita (she/her) – Cultural Affairs & Educational Director
Rehana is a Japanese/Libyan writer, chief editor, actor, digital storyteller, and cultural organizer raised in the Inland Empire, CA. She officially settled in the U.S. in 2008. She is currently majoring in Film & Media and Asian American studies at UC Irvine with a life goal in re-imagining and building new worlds as a tool for decolonization and collective liberation.
Norberto Jose Gabriel Duga (he/him) – Written Communications Specialist
Gabby resides in Glendale, CA & received his degree at CSULA in July 2021. One issue that is important to Gabby is reforming the immigration system in the US by providing a pathway to citizenship to the undocumented immigrants and providing fair wages, preventing the exploitation of their labor.
Beatrice Noble (she/her) – Financial Director
Bea was born in the Philippines and immigrated to America when she was six months old alongside her family. She got into immigrant advocacy when she first joined The Hidden Dream, an online space dedicated to Visa-dependent immigrants. She is now studying Business Administration at USC in hopes of helping other immigrants start their own businesses.
Jenny Jihyun Kim (she/her) – Campaign Coordinator
Jenny Kim was born in Gangwon-do, South Korea and immigrated to the U.S. in 2008 at the age of 10. Separated from her family at a young age, Jenny grew up in Southern California with her grandmother. Jenny attended UC Irvine, where she graduated in 2020 with a BA in Criminology, Law & Society. She now works with NAKASEC and hopes to attend law school in the future.
Paul Ryan Villanueva (he/him) – Civic Engagement Director
Paul Ryan is a graduate student at the Evan’s School of Public Policy & Governance at the University of Washington. He is not a part of the APALA Seattle Chapter, where he was able to see the different perspectives on undocumented immigrants across Washington and California.
Lisa Nguyen (she/her) – Social Affairs & Events Director
Lisa is a 2nd year at College of San Mateo, studying Public Policy, Law & Society. Since immigrating from Quebec, Canada in 2014 to the Bay Area, her family has faced multiple employment-immigration setbacks. Witnessing how callously her and her family were treated, she hopes to further explore the intersectionality of advocating for immigrant & labor rights.
Ava Ham (she/her) – Outreach Coordinator
Ava Ham is an undergraduate student studying Biology at UC Riverside, aspiring to make a change in the healthcare system by tackling the inequities in current research and policies. She believes that the foundation of happiness is good health.
Inhauck Choi (he/him) – Visual Communications Specialist
Inhauck Choi is a DACAmented Korean-American. An issue important to Inhauck is creating a pathway to citizenship for the undocumented community. He says “It isn’t right that the undocumented youth of America are not given access to opportunities that make life here possible, even when we are more than qualified. Inhauck currently works at UCSF as a clinical research coordinator, focused on a clinical trial for depression.
Clyde Marty (he/him) – Technical Communications Specialist
Clyde is a computer science student. He moved to California from the Philippines 10 years ago and lived here ever since. The issue of immigration, especially those that pertain to undocumented immigrants is important to him because it is a topic that permeated his life here in the U.S. His motivation stems from breaking the cycle of poverty in his family and succeeding regardless of the barriers he faces due to his status.
