Born in Hong Kong in 1980, I was raised in a large and close-knit family among the bustling streets of Kowloon. My parents and I moved away from our extended family in 1995, immigrating to Australia to seek greater opportunities. This experience – moving from the warmth of a vibrant family, community, and culture in which I felt I belonged, to a new land in which we were “aliens” – has informed the course of my studies and my career. I pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work at UNSW. I then began my career as a social worker carrying out programs for new immigrants. I helped immigrant youth to adjust to their new host culture, organized free English language classes, and planned multicultural festivals in which immigrants from around the world could share and exchange customs from their countries of origin in order to foster a sense of pride in the community’s diversity. After spending five years as a social worker, I recognized the urgent need for housing that many new immigrant families faced. I then went on to work for the Department of Housing, striving to provide affordable and accessible homes for marginalized communities. This work highlighted for me the many institutional barriers that prevent families from feeling at home in Australia – literally, in terms of housing, as well as psychologically and emotionally. I became fascinated with questions about the intersections of race, ethnicity, and economic status in the context of immigrants’ lives, and therefore I am currently pursuing a PhD an UNSW in the field of Gender, Race, and Social Justice. Points to include in an autobiographical sketch: * Key dates and locations * Academic and/or career accomplishments * Relevant personal milestones, if applicable * Future plans and goals