the next episode in our 21 digital film series is now online the series examines a simple question of does where you live in the state affect how you live 21 profiles one person in each of our 21 counties and looks at the social determinants that affect that person's life the latest film introduces us to Warren County's Laura Zhang Choi who with her unwavering love and courage embodies the change she wants to see inclusive communities that Embrace diversity where everyone's stories are valued a champion of educational Equity safe spaces lgbtq inclusion and mental health awareness she simply strives for a brighter tomorrow Brianna vannozzi talked with Laura take a look I'm just curious about you Laura the human you have had obviously so many experiences that shaped where you are now what drives you first of all I think what drives me is is being a mom and I think since I became a mom I feel I can't imagine anyone else's children not being loved or not being included or not being not having the access and resources and opportunities that um that possibly my kid would have um and I think that definitely was the was what motivated me um in the very beginning but my faith I I my faith is rooted in the belief that human beings are inherently good a community's biggest asset and resource is its people um and you know not not their wealth or um their resources um yeah I'm curious was it your kids who really influenced your decision to get involved in the local school board there and your work within the schools um well yes and yes and no I I've always been an educator um I've always been passionate about the educational space and as an immigrant um my first visibility representation to me was my fourth grade teacher Mrs Malloy who was a Filipina American so um I never believed that I could not be a teacher in America um even as a young immigrant who spoke very broken English and you know I had to learn English and so and so but that was never out of my reach because I I saw that I saw that mirror and um even though I didn't see myself very much in our in our in our education in my education um but I was surrounded by lots of mirrors that made me believe like what was possible for me um that not only my kids need the mirrors um you know in a in a increasingly um shifting Community um I I feel like all kids need a good balance of mirrors and windows into their life so they know that what's possible for them why is that so important to you I know you were instrumental in getting legislation passed in New Jersey for curriculum that recognizes Asian American history but also your work has really encompassed lgbtq inclusivity why has your organizing gone in that direction why is it so important to you well personally I am a parent of a young adult who identifies as a transgender um but that was not that was not a space where I felt equipped to to fight in but but in most recent years it feels like um it feels like not just for my child but for all children who don't feel safe I'm a homebound instructor for students that are recovering from mental health and a disproportional a disproportionate number of students identify as lgbtq and and I feel like it is it is rooted in the stories that they tell themselves and the world tells them that they don't belong and so um I feel like in all my efforts I just tried to um create spaces where um where everyone feels like they don't need to be anything else um that they that they can bring their whole selves and be safe yeah I like that sentiment uh earning not having to earn your inclusion Laura Choi thank you so much for participating in our documentary and for your time thank you so much I appreciate your interest and you can meet Laura and the other extraordinary Jersey residents at mynjpbs.org 21.

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