Mai Foua Her, M.A.

Pronouns: They/Them/She/Her/Nws

Email: maifoua@ucsc.edu  

Mai Foua Her is a UC Santa Cruz alum with a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and a minor in Education. They continued their education by pursuing a Master of Arts degree in Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University, with an emphasis in Interdisciplinary Studies Education. Mai Foua’s research regards Hmong American education through a Critical Refugee Studies lens, and they have presented on the topic, “Beyond Ethnic Boundaries: Decolonizing Asian American Women’s Voices”. In addition to her academic research, Mai Foua advocated for women in community spaces. At Larkin Street Youth Services in San Francisco, Mai Foua served in multiple roles from Academic Support Program Manager to Academic Support Associate Director, where she co-facilitated the Women of Color Affinity Group and supported a reproductive health program. Mai Foua also served on the Hmong Women’s Summit Planning Committee, to organize a multi-generational gathering that seeks to educate, explore, and empower women around the issues of leadership within the diverse Hmong community. Workshops provided space for shared learning, meaningful dialogue, and opportunities to lead from the authentic Hmong self, resulting in a supportive sisterhood. In their free time, Mai Foua writes and performs poetry as a source of empowerment, self-care, and creative expression to explore internally how the world has shaped their experience as a scholar, advocate, and educator.

Favorite feminist: bell hooks