Meet the team!

Alvina Yeh, Executive Director
Alvina is the Executive Director of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance and Institute for Asian Pacific American Leadership & Advancement.  Originally from Colorado, Alvina comes from a Chinese family who fled from the Vietnam War. Her experiences as a child of immigrants and growing up in a house that welcomed and supported refugees and immigrants have shaped her values and commitment to community. Alvina’s career demonstrates her deep passion for empowering traditionally disenfranchised groups to become active participants in our democracy. Most recently, she served as the Director of State Capacity Building with State Voices, working with state-based coalitions on program management, strategic planning, and organizational development. Her prior experiences include high-level work on several campaigns at the congressional and presidential level and serving as Program Director at Asian Pacific Islander American Vote. In her free time, you can find her risking friendships over a competitive board game, enjoying live entertainment, traveling, or trying new restaurants.

Kristina Romines, Program Manager
As Program Manager of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance and Institute for Asian Pacific American Leadership & Advancement, Kristina oversees the development, planning, and execution of APALA’s campaigns and programs. She works to foster the growth, sustainability, engagement, and effectiveness of APALA’s network of chapters and pre-chapters across the country. Prior to joining APALA, Kristina coordinated the field operations of several national women’s organizations and, utilizing an intersectional framework, campaigned on a wide range of progressive issues. Originally from Hawaii, Kristina is hapa Filipina. She grew up on a number of military bases and began her political career organizing in Virginia. It is this background that has shaped her passion for community, with particular interest in multi-racial/ethnic identity and organizing southern and rural communities. When she is not campaigning to advance worker, immigrant and civil rights, she can be found walking her hound dog named Hermione or coaching a middle school girls’ basketball team.​

Marian Manapsal, Strategic Communications Consultant
Marian Manapsal is APALA's Strategic Communications Consultant, where she oversees and implements communications strategies for the organization. Prior to joining APALA, she was previously the Communications & Development Assistant at the International Labor Rights Forum, a human rights NGO strengthening workers' rights in global supply chains. Before moving to Washington, DC, Marian worked as a political fundraising staffer for electoral campaigns in Massachusetts on the national, state and local levels. She has been a longtime supporter of Asian American causes -- from leading her university's Filipino-American student organization during her undergraduate career to serving on the boards of the Asian American Resource Workshop and the Asian American Women's Political Initiative (AAWPI). In 2013, Marian was a State House Fellow herself in the AAWPI program, an experience that opened her eyes to the importance of building a pipeline of Asian American leaders to drive policy and political change. Marian is a graduate of the Carroll School of Management at Boston College, and she hails from the San Francisco Bay Area.