Cynthia Choi

Cynthia Choi is the co-executive director of Chinese for Affirmative Action, a community-based civil rights organization dedicated to protecting the dignity and fair treatment of all immigrants and advancing a multiracial democracy. She is also the co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate, a national coalition addressing anti-Asian racism across the United States. With more than three decades of experience in the nonprofit sector, Choi has spent over 20 years in leadership roles, guiding local, state and national initiatives on issues ranging from reproductive justice and gender-based violence to immigrant and refugee rights, environmental justice, and community safety. A daughter of immigrants raising three daughters of her own, she is deeply committed to building a socially just world.

Choi’s leadership and advocacy have earned widespread recognition. She was appointed by California Governor Gavin Newsom to the California Commission on the State of Hate and has been featured in the New York Times’ Women in Leadership series. Alongside her Stop AAPI Hate co-founders, she was named to the TIME100 list of the world’s most influential people and included in the Bloomberg 50: The People and Ideas That Defined Global Business. She has also been recognized by POLITICO as one of the 40 most influential figures in race and politics and received the Webby Social Movement of the Year award in 2021.

In addition to her public advocacy, Choi continues to mentor and advise emerging leaders in social justice and civil rights work. She has played a pivotal role in shaping policies and programs that combat systemic racism, protect immigrant communities, and promote equity and inclusion across the country.

Choi’s work reflects a lifelong commitment to amplifying marginalized voices, strengthening community resilience, and ensuring that social justice remains at the forefront of civic life.