Diane is an educator, multimedia storyteller, and cultural worker, her research and work outside of academia stems from a place of deep love for community. She specializes in the needs of non-profit and grassroots organizations working towards social justice and is able to provide support in these areas: develop resource tool kits, facilitate program development, grant writing, data visualization, design and disseminate surveys, collect demographic data at the neighborhood level, youth and senior capacity development, community-based fundraising, and measure impact through surveys, focus groups, storytelling, and interviews.
Prior to graduate school, Diane worked as an educator at the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) based in New York City’s Chinatown. During her time there, she partnered with Chinatown residents and small businesses to piece together a walking tour titled “Voices from Ground One: Post-9/11 Chinatown” that chronicles the profound changes that 9/11 and post-9/11 policies had on the neighborhood. Since then, Diane has been invited to consult with non-profits, foundations, family associations, and grassroots groups in San Francisco, Seattle, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Vancouver Chinatowns around the issues of gentrification, displacement, intergenerational dynamics, and creative resistance.
Previously, Diane worked as the digital media organizer for 18MillionRising.org, a grassroots organization that brings disparate Asian American communities together online and offline to inspire systemic change. She curated content for the organization on all media platforms, sustained on the ground relationships with core partners, and spearheaded rapid response campaigns related to civic engagement, youth criminalization, deportation and detention, police violence, and Islamophobia. Diane has also worked extensively with Asian youth and seniors through her collaborations with the Chinatown Youth Initiatives, East Coast Asian American Student Union, Chinese Community Development Center, CAAAV: Organizing Asian Communities, Chinatown Tenants Union, and Chinatown Art Brigade.
Three years ago, Diane helped to establish The W.O.W. Project, which is a community initiative located inside the oldest continually run store in Manhattan’s Chinatown that brings concerns about gentrification in the neighborhood into a space for intergenerational dialogue and grassroots action. She is also currently on the steering committee for the Chinatown Art Brigade 唐人街藝術隊／唐人街艺术队, which is a collective of Asian American artists, media makers, residents, and educators driven by the belief that addressing racial, social, and economic inequities is fundamental to the media making process. Her consultations and collaborations are driven by the desire to create sustainable and livable communities where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
Prior to graduate school, Diane worked as an educator at the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) based in New York City’s Chinatown. During her time there, she partnered with Chinatown residents and small businesses to piece together a walking tour titled “Voices from Ground One: Post-9/11 Chinatown” that chronicles the profound changes that 9/11 and post-9/11 policies had on the neighborhood. Since then, Diane has been invited to consult with non-profits, foundations, family associations, and grassroots groups in San Francisco, Seattle, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Vancouver Chinatowns around the issues of gentrification, displacement, intergenerational dynamics, and creative resistance.
Previously, Diane worked as the digital media organizer for 18MillionRising.org, a grassroots organization that brings disparate Asian American communities together online and offline to inspire systemic change. She curated content for the organization on all media platforms, sustained on the ground relationships with core partners, and spearheaded rapid response campaigns related to civic engagement, youth criminalization, deportation and detention, police violence, and Islamophobia. Diane has also worked extensively with Asian youth and seniors through her collaborations with the Chinatown Youth Initiatives, East Coast Asian American Student Union, Chinese Community Development Center, CAAAV: Organizing Asian Communities, Chinatown Tenants Union, and Chinatown Art Brigade.
Three years ago, Diane helped to establish The W.O.W. Project, which is a community initiative located inside the oldest continually run store in Manhattan’s Chinatown that brings concerns about gentrification in the neighborhood into a space for intergenerational dialogue and grassroots action. She is also currently on the steering committee for the Chinatown Art Brigade 唐人街藝術隊／唐人街艺术队, which is a collective of Asian American artists, media makers, residents, and educators driven by the belief that addressing racial, social, and economic inequities is fundamental to the media making process. Her consultations and collaborations are driven by the desire to create sustainable and livable communities where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.