Meet Tran Tran—Local Ms. Vietnam’s People’s Choice 2022 Honoree, Community Advocate (Story 26/40)
At the age of one, Tran and her family migrated from Vietnam to City Heights. One of her most recent achievements is graduating from San Diego State University. Fueled with a fascination for City Height’s multifaceted identity, Tran ditched her pursuit of a career in real estate, instead committing her efforts to protect City Height’s essence - its people.
Tran shares how growing up in City Heights framed her perspective of a successful and meaningful career.
“As I grew older, I realized City Heights shaped me into who I am today. Our community is built on refugee and immigrant labor. There are language barriers amongst immigrant communities, making advocating and bringing them together important. We can do this by sharing resources and information that matters. This is how individuals and our community will continue to progress. “
Over the years, Tran has watched City Heights evolve from a community tainted by violence and heavy policing, to one recognized for its saturated cultural diversity.
“The community is a melting pot of backgrounds; history and cultures all coming together. We are on the lower socioeconomic side, and it's great to see local families and businesses come together to help our community flourish and grow. We still need people and organizations advocating for us.”
Tran’s advocacy work includes formerly working as a tutor with Reality Changers and as a school mentor with Price Community Scholars at Wilson, Clark and Hoover. Today, she is searching for non-profit work in City Heights focused on appreciating people and cultures as they are whilst advocating for greater protections on their behalf.
If you are interested in connecting with Tran, you can reach out via Instagram @missvietnamsandiego.