Democracy Camp in DC

Chan Venh (John) Lam, a first-generation Chinese-America from Sacramento, California, has embarked on a remarkable journey of resilience and advocacy. After spending 16 years incarcerated, Chan's path took a transformative turn when his sentence was commuted by Governor Brown in 2018, igniting a passion for social justice that continues to drive his advocacy efforts today.

Throughout his time behind bars, he played a pivotal role in shaping legislative change, collaborating with Human Rights Watch and the Anti-Recidivism Coalition to advocate...

Karen Esparza Lopez is first-generation Mexican Immigrant and former foster youth studying Political Science. During her time in foster care, she witnessed extreme injustices that many foster youth face in the child welfare system. She has seen the ways in which local and federal governments have both failed at meeting the needs of their underrepresented community members in the foster care system. She hopes to resolve these issues through a career in public service. She is most passionate about resolving issues regarding child welfare, social welfare,...

As a first-generation student, I am committed to amplifying the voices of those who are not heard. I have spent my life on labels that the government often overlooks, such as low-income or people of color. I have completed research and interned for the City of Sacramento, the Sacramento Mayor’s Office, and Sacramento’s District 3 Office. It was vital for me to have my voice heard and speak about issues the government was not interested in. During my time, I aided the Council in passing a legislative bill regarding plastic pollution. While working with City Hall, I realized how...

Raised by a single mother in a household of six siblings in Southern California, Anthony is passionate about creating solutions for formerly incarcerated, system-impacted, and marginalized communities. At an early age, Anthony was abandoned by his father and was forced to live in a heavily gang-infested area which led him to be incarcerated at a young age. Through this experience, he became acutely aware of policies that affect youth at a young age due to being forced to live in low-income communities with high crime rates. At UC Berkeley, Anthony, the first in his family to...