Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts
United States
Phitsamay, a refugee from Laos, has been teaching, researching, and advocating on behalf of the Southeast Asian American community for over 10 years. She is a determined advocate for Southeast Asian American students who face unique challenges in schools and whose needs are often invisible and forgotten.
Phitsamay is board president of the Southeast Asian Resource and Action Center and volunteers at the Legacies of War project. This community-based, multimedia project educates and advocates for the removal of unexploded bombs from the Vietnam War in Laos, provides space for healing the wounds of war, and creates hope for a peaceful future.