Vietnamese refugee Thu Nguyen makes history as first nonbinary city council member in Massachusetts

Thu Nguyen has become the first nonbinary Worcester City Council member in Massachusetts.

LGBTQ+ representation: Asian Americans have made history across the nation on local election day on Tuesday. Nguyen made history for the LGBTQ+ community as well.

Nguyen won their first-ever political campaign, winning one of the six at-large seats on the City Council.
They won about 10.9% of the vote, totaling 7,364 votes, according to Spectrum News 1.
Voter turnout for the general municipal election was 16%.
Nguyen was endorsed by 11 organizations, including Massachusetts State Council, Victory Fund, Sierra Club, Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund of Massachusetts, Run For Something, Maria’s List, Vote Pro Choice, Massachusetts Nurses Association, 1199SEIU, Massachusetts High School Democrats and North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters.

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About Nguyen: The political newcomer grew up in poverty in Worcester, and they have spent their career giving back to the community.

Nguyen, a Vietnamese refugee, sought asylum with their family in Worcester at age 1.
Their father fought in the Vietnam War and was a prisoner for seven years.
They attended Worcester public schools and graduated from Clark University with a bachelor’s of arts in studio art and sociology.
Nguyen launched a program to help students get into college at Claremont Academy.
They co-founded an organization that showed young people how to use art to tell their stories.
Over the last decade, Nguyen facilitated after-school programs at the Worcester Youth Center to hire young people to work for Recreation Worcester at local parks and schools across the city.
Nguyen works at the Southeast Asian Coalition, an organization that supports small businesses, promoting civic engagement and strengthening communities.
Nguyen helped build Mutual Aid Worcester, which raised nearly $75,000 to support families in Worcester and started an immigrant and refugee pantry, and hot meals program during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Featured image from Thu Nguyen

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