Amanda Nguyen

Photo Credit:  TED

When Amanda Nguyen became the target of a horrific crime, she discovered that the criminal justice system did not adequately protect those in her situation.  But rather than play the role of victim, she founded RISE, a nonprofit organization that focuses on protecting the rights of rape survivors.

In February 2016 Congress unanimously passed legislation Ms. Nguyen helped draft.  President Barack Obama signed the Sexual Assault Survivors' Rights Act into law seven months later.  RISE now works to pass similar laws at the state level.  The Washington Post named RISE as one of the top charities in America to donate to.

"I know firsthand the failings of America’s justice system, but I also know the change that ordinary Americans can bring—after all, I lived it. Here’s what I learned: no one is powerless when we come together. No one can make us invisible when we demand to be seen." - Amanda Nguyen

Jacqueline Dan

Jacqueline Dan graduated from Rice University and UCLA School of  Law.  She serves as a staff attorney with Advancing Justice-OC, where she has been practicing immigration law for more than four years. Jacqueline has also served as a judicial extern with the Immigration Court of Los Angeles, interned at the National Immigration Law Center and the Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project with Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, Inc.

Jacqueline was selected as one of the 2015 VABANC Law Foundation Fellowship recipients, where she worked with Southeast Asian immigrants challenging unlawful immigration detention or deportation.  Specifically, she focused on providing services to refugees and long-term residents who face immigration consequences through the criminal justice system – an area of law that has significant need yet lacks resources as it has largely been overlooked.

Thuy Vu

Photo Credit:  Twitter @Thuy

Thuy Vu is the host of "KQED Newsroom" on PBS and "Scale the Wall" by NASDAQ.  Her career in broadcasting began in the early 1990's and includes roles of anchor, reporter and host on various networks such PBS, NPR, ABC, CBS and Fox.

Ms. Vu has won five Emmy awards, the prestigious Edward R. Murrow award, amongst many other.

A news director once suggested that she change her name, saying that no one with the name "Thuy Vu" will get a professional job.  She considered it for a few minutes, but decided against the advice and has had no regrets since.  In fact, she still meets Vietnamese people who are proud that she didn't choose a more American-friendly name.

Dr. Jane Luu

Photo Credit: LinkedIn

Dr. Jane Le Hang Luu is an astronomer and engineer at the MIT Lincoln Laboratory.  Amongst many other awards, she has been honored with the 2012 Shaw Prize in Astronomy and the 2012 Kavli Prize in Astrophysics for her work in discovering the Kuiper Belt, a region of the solar system beyond Neptune.

Dr. Luu immigrated to the United States from Vietnam at the age of 12.  She received her undergraduate degree from Stanford and her doctorate from MIT.  She has taught at Harvard and Leiden University in the Netherlands.  She was also a Fulbright Fellow at The Arctic University of Norway.

PIVOT asked Dr. Luu to share some of her thoughts for Women's History Month.

PIVOT:  Can you provide your thoughts on this administration and how it affects people in your field?
DR. LUU:  The current administration’s disregard for facts is terrifying.  A rational conversation about anything is necessarily based on logic and facts.  If facts don’t matter anymore, then society simply breaks down.

PIVOT:  How did being an immigrant affect who you are today?
DR. LUU:  I think it instills in me the idea of not taking anything for granted.  And to keep going, no matter what.

PIVOT:  What is it like to be a Vietnamese woman in your field?  What are the advantages?  What obstacles have you had to overcome?
DR. LUU:  It’s a tough problem because both men and women are biased against women.  I don’t know what I can say about the problem that is new, I am sure you’ve heard it all before, so I won’t say anymore.

PIVOT:  What advice do you have for minorities (particularly females and Asians) as we strive to become successful in your field?
DR. LUU:  Never give up.  Most of the time things won’t go your way, but if you stop, you are sunk.  Just keep going.

Christine Ha

Photo Credit: Rodale Inc.

Christine Ha is a Vietnamese American chef, writer, and television host.  She is the first blind contestant on and season three winner of the competitive cooking television show, “MasterChef”.

PIVOT asked Ms. Ha to share some of her thoughts for Women's History Month.

PIVOT:  Can you provide your thoughts on the Trump administration and how it affects you or your family?
MS. HA:  I am for social justice, civil rights, and equality for all.  America was founded on the basis of freedom, and freedom means different things to different people.  To some, it means to be able to live any way they please, so long as it doesn’t harm others.  To others, it means feeling safe at all times in one’s country.  My hope is that my nation and its representatives strive to uphold the notions of freedom and equality.

PIVOT:  How did being the daughter of immigrants affect who you are today?
MS. HA:  It has taught me to be respectful of all cultures.  I am just one single person on this very large planet with billions of other people, all unique yet equally human.  I’ve learned to be more open-minded and to embrace cultural differences.  There is no one right or wrong way to do things, but we should all try our best to understand and respect one another.

PIVOT:  What is it like to be a Vietnamese American woman in your field?  What are the advantages?  What obstacles have you had to overcome?
MS. HA:  In the U.S., the Vietnamese chef and the woman chef are still considered minorities.  I believe this can be advantageous because I have a particular sensibility of a particular cuisine.  However, women are still not always respected and treated as equals, not only in the kitchen, but in offices, schools, life.  Also, it is still not a common career choice for an Asian-American to become a chef.  It motivates me to keep doing what I’m doing so that I may be an example to Asian-American girls.

PIVOT:  What advice do you have for minorities as we strive to become successful in your field?
MS. HA:  It’s not an easy road, so you’ll have to work hard.  You’ll have to exude grit.  Remember that success, whatever may be your definition of it, is attained when you find the intersection of passion, talent, and opportunity.  Yes, you’ll have to work hard, and yes, you should love what you do.  But don’t discount luck and opportunity.