Rodriguez & Yu Join Second Generation Board

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Executive Director Ryan Alsayegh (ryan@secgenpac.org)

(Philadelphia, PA) – Second Generation, the federal political action committee that empowers marginalized immigrant communities, announced today the appointment of Emily Rodriguez and Kay Yu to its Board.

“We owe so much of this year’s success – from the electoral victories of SecGen candidates Jamie Gauthier and Anthony Kyriakakis to our voter engagement in Philadelphia’s immigrant communities – to our diverse and dynamic Board,” said Joe Khan, Chair of Second Generation.  “Emily and Kay are amazing women who will help us build on the accomplishments of our inaugural election cycle and expand our reach as an organization.”

Emily Rodriguez is dedicated to building resilient democracy everywhere, a passion sparked in Venezuela where she lived as a teenager. Throughout her career, she has trained activists and election observers around the world, including in El Salvador, Turkey, Ghana, Liberia, Lebanon, Ecuador, Zimbabwe, and Nigeria. Before joining a DC-based think tank which focuses on how global challenges play out in Europe and the United States, Emily spent almost a decade in Philadelphia working in domestic politics, strategic communications, and organized labor. Fluent in Spanish, French, and Italian (and working on German and Turkish), the Pennsylvania native holds a master’s degree in international development from Sciences Po Paris and a bachelor’s degree from American University’s School of International Service. Emily has been a political partner with the Truman National Security Project since 2013.  “Emily is not only a superstar,” said Khan, “she is also an ideal person to help our federal PAC expand upon the important work we did in Philadelphia last May.”

Kay Yu is an award-winning attorney, arbitrator, and legal scholar. An immigrant who became out of status as a small child, Kay has dedicated her career to advocating for traditionally marginalized communities. She is a graduate of Columbia University and Georgetown University Law Center, and served as the Chairperson of the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations.  In 2018, Kay was recognized by the Philadelphia Bar Association as a recipient of its acclaimed Justice Sonia Sotomayor Diversity Award and was named Attorney of the Year by the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Pennsylvania. The following year, Second Generation gave its first ever endorsement to Kay’s trailblazing campaign for judge in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas.  “We were so proud to support Kay earlier this year, and even more grateful that she now continues to pave the way for others,” said Khan.

Board members Majid Alsayegh, Maryam Deloffre, Dr. Asif Hussain, Siobhán Lyons , Andy Toy, and Shailah Yazdani joined Khan in welcoming Rodriguez and Yu to the Board. Second Generation is a nonconnected federal political action committee whose mission is to promote the political engagement of immigrant communities that have not been fully included in the political process where they live.