Angie Yamanaka (she/her/ella) is a tireless anti-war activist and change agent for social justice, dedicated to building a better world. An immigrant originally from Japan, she is now a “transplanted Texan” on Karankawa lands, in solidarity with its diverse peoples. She believes in the power of people and hopes to see a permanent end to all genocides/nuclear proliferation, in our lifetimes.
Angie joined the ACLU of Texas in May 2019, drawn to the organization’s powerful work protecting all immigrants’ rights by combatting the “Muslim ban.” Now the Grants Strategist, Angie drives and manages the grant program to foundationally resource the vital work on the ground in Texas, increase capacity and power-building, and cement our ability to respond in moments of crisis as we push back against state attacks on the most vulnerable.
Outside her role at the ACLU of Texas, Angie founded and operates the AEGIS Network, a mutual aid and community support network that provides in real-time assistance for vulnerable people and survivors of abuse/violence. She personally donates primarily to direct mutual aid funds and to Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors without Borders.
Angie graduated from the University of Houston with a B.A. in history (specializing in comparative revolutions and Black women's U.S. history). She has worked a gamut of jobs—content manager, copywriter, in museum education, and as a tutor/writing instructor for first-generation college students—with her first as a manual laborer in a factory, where she learned the importance of organizing.
25 years after attending her first anti-war protest, Angie is still organizing and protesting, boycotting and divesting. She now lives in Houston with her attack cats and intergalactic chosen family, collecting books and hobbies (with no intention of finishing either).