OCA Intern Alum: Christian Phomsouvanh
Interview by Ethan Kishan / Written by Amelia Lagna and Kent Tong
Photography by Roxana Baker; floral design by Conner Nesbit; hair and makeup by Tupu Reid; fashion design by Afa Ah Loo (May 2025)
WHEN CHRISTIAN PHOMSOUVANH WAS GROWING UP, being “Asian” meant something different from who they were. As a Southeast Asian child of Lao refugees growing up in Utah, they often felt out of place—too Asian in predominantly a white state, not Asian enough in a state where “Asian” meant East Asian. Later, navigating their genderqueer and non-binary identity only deepened that feeling. Over time, those experiences pushed them to build the inclusive communities they once searched for.
At Weber State University, Phomsouvanh helped re-establish an Asian student organization as the Asian Student Involvement Association (ASIA) to represent all Asian cultures, not just East Asian ones. As president, they revived a weeklong celebration that brought together performers, community members, and organizations to highlight the diversity of pan-Asian culture. The event was a major success in raising awareness of oft-overlooked Asian communities and creating a more inclusive campus environment.
Off-campus, Phomsouvanh found belonging through the OCA – Utah chapter, an organization they’ve now been involved with for nearly a decade. Their advocacy included organizing workshops on mental health and anti-Blackness and meeting with state legislators about AAPI issues. Eventually, the chapter president recommended they apply to the OCA National summer internship program. "They've never had anybody from Utah apply or get accepted into it," they remember being told. But they had imposter syndrome. Researching the program, they noticed most interns came from Ivy League schools and other prestigious universities. “I was just a small person coming from the state of Utah and an open-enrollment university,” Phomsouvanh recalls. “I was like, Can I really be a part of this program? Can I actually get this internship?” With encouragement from mentors at OCA - Utah, they applied—and got accepted.
In March 2020.
What should have been a life-changing summer in Washington, D.C. quickly became impossible due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The internship transitioned online, and Phomsouvanh remained in Utah. As a student studying botany and plant ecology with an emphasis on anthropology and chemistry—and someone passionate about environmentalism and learning from Indigenous communities—OCA placed them with the Asia Team at the Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI), a global coalition focused on land tenure, gender justice, and environmental rights.
Working with the Asia Team, Phomsouvanh supported projects with Indigenous groups in Indonesia, Nepal, India, and Thailand—regions heavily affected by mining and land disputes. The placement fit perfectly, aligning with their past work as a cultural affairs specialist for the American Indian Council at Weber and with The Ohana Association, where they organized a “Rights of Nature” discussion on granting legal status to ecosystems. At RRI, they hosted virtual roundtables with communities fighting to protect their land. “A lot of the women and children are at the frontlines where they’re literally protecting trees and forests with their bodies,” they say. Listening to these stories was both heartbreaking and galvanizing. “Working with these Indigenous groups solidified my passion for eco justice a lot more,” they say. “I learned a lot from them.”
After graduating from Weber in 2022, Phomsouvanh returned to OCA as a part-time community outreach coordinator supporting digital equity efforts. They managed volunteers nationwide to raise awareness in AANHPI communities about the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)—a federal initiative providing discounted internet access to low-income households. Unfortunately, the ACP ended in 2024 after Congress failed to renew funding, putting both Phomsouvanh’s position and a vital lifeline for millions of families in jeopardy.
Since leaving OCA, Phomsouvanh has continued volunteering with the Utah chapter while exploring new opportunities. They find nourishment and inspiration in family and friends, music, food, traveling, and fashion—they walked at New York Fashion Week this year. Their advice to anyone reading this is to simply show up and live as authentically as you can: "Even if you’re still questioning some parts of your identity, I think that’s okay, too,” they say. “Everybody has something to bring to the table because of everyone’s different lived experiences.”
Christian Phomsouvanh walking at New York Fashion Week. (September 2025) / Photography by Madi Roberts; makeup by Ayano Shirahama; hair by Book of Beauty; production by Runway7 x LiberLive; fashion design by Rakee Chen
Phomsouvanh hopes their place in the OCA internship program inspires other students who may doubt their potential to succeed beyond their community. “That’s kind of what my intentions were with getting accepted into the internship program,” they say. “I wanted to provide that opportunity for other folks so that they know they could do this as well.” With four more interns hosted from Utah in the five years since their internship—the majority Pacific Islander—and all from community colleges or state schools, Phomsouvanh has made their mark on OCA and opened the door for future generations of changemakers.
Phomsouvanh uses they/them pronouns.