Journey to Ward 2 Candidacy
At the age of three, Yilin came with her mother to the U.S. to join her father. The move was unexpected, and she and her mother, a schoolteacher, did not speak English. They lived on her father’s graduate student salary, and her mother balanced caring for the family and working in a deli shop and cleaning houses.
Even with little financial resources to give, Yilin’s parents showed her a strong spirit of service and volunteerism. This led Yilin to establish, in high school, a chapter of an international nonprofit that builds schools in developing countries; and, in college, a nonprofit that promotes the health and education of children; working in community health fairs to increase health and health care literacy; and volunteering at soup kitchens.
A year-and-a-half-ago, Yilin discovered how she could more tangibly take part in and make a difference in our democracy – in the fight for DC Statehood. Working with the League of Women Voters, she presented to audiences across the country to raise awareness about DC’s need for voting representation in Congress and equal rights for all (https://www.lwvdc.org/dc-statehood).
This is our right.
