Nhi Nguyen

 Nhi Nguyen has been working in the world of human rights, survivor advocacy, and education for ten years. She is committed to serving her community through a trauma-informed and intersectional lens. Prior to joining the National Urban Fellows program, Nhi served as the Hate Crime Prevention Coordinator at Orange County Human Relations (OCHR). At OCHR, she responded to hate crimes and hate incidents across 34 cities. She also led the county’s Hate Crime Prevention Network and was the liaison to the Orange County Human Relations Commission. In December 2021, through a unanimous vote from the Board of Supervisors, Nhi and her team were awarded a $1 million grant. The grant led to the enhancement and expansion efforts to address hate activities across the county. 

Before joining OCHR, Nhi worked at UC Irvine’s Campus Assault Resources and Education Department for two years. There, she established the Narrative Project, a space for diverse community members to explore topics of allyship, community care, and restorative justice practices.  

In 2019, she received a master’s in Education at California State University, Long Beach. Her master’s thesis focused on utilizing Dr. Tara Yosso’s community cultural wealth framework to explore first-generation Vietnamese women’s experiences in higher education. Nhi was a recipient of the Merry Lee Latta Chambers Endowed Scholarship, an award that recognizes two outstanding students in the education field. During her time in the program, Nhi was also actively engaged on and off campus with organizations such as Liberty in North Korea, the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, TEDx, and more.  

Outside of work, Nhi has been a mentor for two years with Wedu Global, a non-profit that supports the education and leadership advancement of young women across Asia.  

Nhi is excited to continue her work in racial equity, trauma-informed practices, and violence prevention. Through the National Urban Fellows program and Georgetown University, she hopes to gain the necessary tools to advocate for policies that reflect the needs of marginalized communities. Together, Nhi believes we can create a world centered on compassion and love.