Dr. Kani Ilangovan

Dr. Kani Ilangovan is a child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist based in Princeton, New Jersey, whose personal experiences with racial invisibility in education led to a significant advocacy movement. Growing up as one of the few Asian American students in a predominantly white school district, Ilangovan recognized the absence of her community's history in the classroom, a gap she later worked to address for future generations. Her combined expertise as a clinician and community organizer informs her perspective on the intersection of education, identity, and mental health.

Following the Atlanta spa shootings, Ilangovan founded Make Us Visible New Jersey, a grassroots coalition of teachers, students, parents, politicians, and community members focused on integrating comprehensive Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) history into New Jersey's K-12 public school curriculum. What began as an email to a local Asian American reading group expanded into a statewide movement. Leading a coalition of more than 60 organizations, Ilangovan played a central role in the passage of legislation mandating AAPI-inclusive curriculum in New Jersey, making it the second state in the nation to require AAPI history as part of its public school standards. The law also established the Department of Education Commission on Asian American Heritage.

Ilangovan's advocacy continued beyond the legislative process. Make Us Visible New Jersey shifted to implementation, mobilizing its grassroots network at school board meetings and developing a free, on-demand professional development course for teachers in partnership with New Jersey Education Association. The organization has worked with numerous school districts across the state, providing resources and guidance to support meaningful curriculum integration. As a psychiatrist, Ilangovan brings a clinical perspective to this work, addressing the lifelong impact of racial trauma and the effects of anti-Asian hate on children and communities.

In addition to her advocacy, Ilangovan is an author and a board member of The E Pluribus Unum Project, which advances pluralistic education advocacy nationwide. She has written three books—"Mindful Writing: Embracing Transience," "Mindful Gratitude," and "Mindful Relationship"—which extend her clinical work into the areas of mindfulness, resilience, and self-reflection. As a keynote speaker, Ilangovan draws on her medical background, lived experience as an AAPI woman, and coalition-building skills to address topics such as grassroots organizing, inclusive education, and the importance of representation in the classroom for both justice and public health.