Inclusivity and solidarity at EBALDC

February 2021

East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation

45 Stories for 45 Years

Contributor: Dr. Karna Wong, Assistant Professor of Teaching at UC Irvine

In the summer of 1994, between my junior and senior year at San Francisco State University, I was a Housing Development Intern at EBALDC. These few months with EBALDC made a huge impression on me both personally and professionally. 

As a fourth generation Chinese American from Oakland, it was an honor to work with then Executive Director Lynette Lee. I was inspired to work for an Asian American woman who was so dedicated, and who led with such compassion. It was part of her vision for EBALDC to expand its work into other communities besides Chinatown. The stigma of the model minority and white privilege that Asians also reap benefits from can be rectified by solidarity with ethnoracial minorities, immigrants, low-income persons, and unhoused persons—within and outside our community—and I have been proud to see how EBALDC has reaffirmed this commitment over the last 27 years. 

The inclusivity of EBALDC, even to an intern whose time many might have used for menial data entry, was immediately clear. I worked with then project manager Joshua Simon to evaluate site feasibility for homeownership projects, research existing housing projects and identify financial resources. And at a clean up day for one of EBALDC’s properties, I met board member Neil Tanaguichi who had rolled up his sleeve to work side by side with me and other staff members to pitch in.

This internship started my career in affordable housing and community development. I eventually received a PhD in urban planning from UCLA and am now an Assistant Professor of Teaching at UC Irvine. I teach a Housing Policy course and hope to train the next generation of affordable housing developers to follow leaders like EBALDC by redistributing resources to the populations most in need, and providing the most valuable resources: a home, community empowerment, and a place to go for support.

As EBALDC marks our 45th anniversary, we will be gathering more stories like this one from our friends, family, community members, partners and more stakeholders that have made our impact possible. We would be honored for you to join us:

  • Follow us on social media: @EBALDC

 

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