By Stephanie Ming, 1990 Institute
Julie Su is one of the few Asian Americans to have held a position in a U.S. president’s cabinet. She is a renowned labor rights advocate who served as the Deputy and then Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor from 2021 to 2025. An attorney, she has championed immigrant workers’ rights and led major reforms as California’s Labor Commissioner and Labor Secretary, including creative approaches to combatting wage theft and protecting immigrant workers.
Julie was the lead attorney in a 1995 case representing Thai garment workers in Los Angeles County who were imprisoned and working in conditions of slavery, leading to a landmark verdict holding the retail manufacturers responsible for sweatshop abuse. Just 26 years old at the time and a first-year lawyer at the Asian American Legal Center, her tenacity and dedication on behalf of the women changed labor laws. The legal precedent has been used hundreds, if not thousands, of times, nationally and internationally.
Julie participated in our new, powerful documentary short on the Thai garment workers case. Watch “Threads of Freedom: The Case That Changed Labor Law in America” on the 1990 Institute’s YouTube channel. The case was one inspiration for the landmark Victims of Trafficking and Violence Act of 2000.
Julie spoke at our Roots & Wings Youth Symposium in September, sharing her life experiences with our audience of youth, educators, and parents.
Prior to being appointed to government positions, Julie worked at Asian Americans Advancing Justice in Los Angeles for 17 years and served as its litigation director. She graduated from Stanford University and Harvard Law School and received a MacArthur “Genius” award. She speaks both Mandarin and Spanish.
We featured Julie Su on our program highlighting New Asian American Voices. Click here to learn about more notable Asian Americans.
