Derek is the child of Vietnamese refugees who found a home in Los Angeles’ Chinatown and then the San Gabriel Valley. Formerly an Art and then an Architectural Studies major, he will be completing his undergraduate degree at UCLA in Asian American Studies. As a result of his experiences, his academic and research interests exist within the intersections between cultural production, spatial articulation, social justice, and identity construction. Derek’s earliest experience with independent research was under the guidance of Professor Dana Cuff from the Department of Architecture and Urban Design, which culminated in a documentary film that historically contextualizes and compares the architectural and urban forms of the two Chinese American enclaves in which he grew up. Now under the supervision of Professor Karen Umemoto from the Asian American Studies Department, Derek is writing an academic paper for his departmental honors thesis based on the previous research he completed with Professor Cuff, adding cultural and critical theories provided by his new field of study. After graduation, he plans to pursue a doctoral degree and a career in higher education and community outreach.