Meet the team!

Alvina Yeh, Executive Director
Alvina (she/her/hers) serves as the Executive Director of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) and Institute for Asian Pacific American Leadership & Advancement (IAPALA).  Originally from Colorado, Alvina comes from a Chinese family who fled from the war in Vietnam. Alvina is a lifelong community organizer with experience in electoral and issue-based campaigns. She is deeply passionate about building a movement where everyone has a fair shot in a thriving society. She has previously 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 work on several campaigns at the congressional and presidential level and serving as Program Director at Asian Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote). Alvina currently serves as the Co-Chair of the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA) and serves the following organizations: Congressional Progressive Caucus Center Advisory Board, National Korean American Service & Education Consortium Action Fund (NAKASEC AF) Board, and the Solidarity Center.  Alvina lives in Washington, D.C. with her partner, Jeff, and child, Mazie. In her free time, you can find her risking friendships over a competitive board game, crafting, trying new food, or just trying to take a nap.

Kristina Romines, Economic Justice & Capacity Building Director
As the Economic Justice & Capacity Building Director of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance and Institute for Asian Pacific American Leadership & Advancement, Kristina (she/her/hers) 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.​

​Vivian Chang, Civic Engagement & Racial Justice Director
Vivian (she/her/hers) serves as the Civic Engagement & Racial Justice Director of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, overseeing APALA's programs on voting, redistricting, immigration advocacy, and political engagement. Her role builds on her recent leadership of APALA's field program in Nevada, coordinating and mobilizing AAPI communities for record voter turnout. She previously worked in federal science policy and served two years as an AmeriCorps VISTA in Philadelphia, Pa., and Moline, Ill. She is dedicated to advancing social and economic justice informed by the collective power of communities, and to improving physical environments. She holds an MPA from Princeton University and a B.S. and B.A. from Carnegie Mellon, where she dedicated time to cultivating AAPI community and building solidarity across communities of color. Vivian's hometown is Columbus, Ohio, sprouting from dual Taiwanese and Buckeye traditions.​

Sara Greiner, Operations & Development Manager
Sara (she/her/hers) serves the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance as the Operations & Development Manager, where she performs office operations, fundraising, development, and administrative duties. Sara first started her work at APALA as a part-time Operations Coordinator while attending graduate school at the University of George Washington for International Development Studies. She was born and raised in Hong Kong before moving to the United States to pursue higher education and a career on advancing social and economic justice. Sara is half Thai and has volunteered her time at the Thai Community Development Center. After work hours, Sara trains Muay Thai and also enjoys spending time with friends and family, planning her next adventure, or watching crime drama.

Maggie Tsai, Campaigns & Data Manager
Maggie (she/her/hers) joins the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance as the Campaigns & Data Manager, providing data management, training, reporting, and technical assistance to support chapter leaders, members, and Civic Engagement fellows in the execution of APALA's civic engagement programs. A Taiwanese immigrant, Maggie grew up in California before moving to the East coast. Prior to joining APALA, Maggie served as a staffer in the United States Senate, handling portfolio areas in AAPI outreach, STEAM education, and immigration casework. She previously served as a Congressional Emerson Hunger fellow, working in anti-hunger policy, child care and community development efforts. Following-that, Maggie worked in Nevada mobilizing AAPI voters, where she cultivated her passion for building a movement centered on youth, racial justice, and building stronger care networks. When she’s not organizing, you can find Maggie cooking, hiking, or sitting by the ocean.   ​

Organizing and Civic Engagement Fellows

Syeda Bano
Syeda (she/they) is the Georgia APALA fellow based out of the Asian American Advocacy Fund in Norcross, Georgia. Syeda was born in Pakistan and has lived in Georgia since she was three, spending much of her childhood at her mosque and with her family. As a Shia Muslim she finds her roots of radical politics and organizing in her religious practices, inspired by the perseverance of Zainab bint Ali. Syeda received a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Sociology in 2020 from Oglethorpe University. Syeda's lived experiences fuel her commitment to fighting for justice, equity, and liberation, centering marginalized communities in her work. When she is not working Syeda is with her family and friends, drinking boba tea, or reading.

Munni Rahman
My name is Munni Rahman (she, her). I am a Bangladeshi American who is a current resident of Warren Michigan.  I graduated from a Detroit High School named Davis. I went to Kalamazoo College and Wayne State University focusing on Sociology.   I want to help build a community which we can all thrive in.  Having equal opportunities for AAPI communities is an integral part of building prosperous communities. I love to take walks around my neighborhood and during the Summer, attempt at growing things in the garden. I would like to see myself on a bike in the near future, enjoying the breeze on my face.

Kristi Mai
Kristi is an APALA Organizing Fellow housed with the Pilipino Workers Center. She graduated from UCLA this past June with a B.A. in Asian American Studies and History, with a minor in Labor Studies. She first got involved with the community organizing world as an intern with the Chinatown Community for Equitable Development (CCED) in January 2020, where she put on a tenant town hall to mobilize UCLA students against the displacement and evictions of Chinatown tenants. In addition to her time with CCED, also held leadership roles with the Vietnamese Student Union and Asian Pacific Coalition at UCLA. In her free time, she enjoys playing video games, reading, and traveling with friends.