Vietnamese-Australian lawyer Tu Le wasn't surprised when she was dumped by the Labor Party to run as candidate for the south-west Sydney seat of Fowler at the last federal election.
"It actually wasn't the first time that I've been overlooked or sidelined or underestimated, and so it didn't necessarily come as a surprise to me," Ms Le told the ABC.
Ms Le was vocal about Labor's controversial decision to parachute in former senator Kristina Keneally as candidate into the multicultural seat.
Ms Keneally wound up losing to independent Dai Le.
The 31-year-old has spoken out about the need for diversity in politics and local representation, and was told by some people to keep quiet.
Instead, she has been making her voice louder.
"I really just turned the whole experience into a huge opportunity and I think I've been given a huge platform," Ms Le said.
"A lot of people have told me that it was probably ignorant or not the right thing to do.
"[That] if I had just stayed quiet, then I would have had much better chances in the future if I choose to pursue politics again."
While Ms Le's political career may be on pause, her influence and work within the community has not slowed down.
She has continued to focus on multicultural communities within the community legal sector on initiatives addressing domestic, family and sexual violence.
Last night she was recognised for her commitment to her community as the overall winner of the 2022 40 Under 40 Asian-Australian Leadership Awards.
A sense of 'connection and community'
Ms Le was born to the parents of Vietnamese refugees and raised in south-west Sydney — one of the city's most ethnically diverse but disadvantaged areas.
She said she developed a sense of belonging and connection to her Vietnamese heritage in that community.
"I think that's played a big part of who I am today, having that sense of connection and community to culture."
While her connection to Vietnamese culture inspired Ms Le's career path, so too did the circumstances in which she grew up.
But it wasn't until she started university that she began to notice exactly how disadvantaged her area was compared to other parts of Sydney.
"I noticed more and more as I grew older and saw the divide," she told the ABC.
"I think I just realised in terms of the opportunities, in terms of extracurricular activities as well … [they] were much more limited in my school growing up compared to others."
Ms Le also witnessed instances of exploitation against migrant employees by "unscrupulous employers".
This motivated her to pursue a career helping migrants learn their workplace rights.
From 2019 to 2021 she managed a statewide migrant employment legal service, assisting migrants and temporary visa holders, including international students, in understanding Australia's legal system and their rights.
Currently, Ms Le works as a community education lawyer at the Marrickville Legal Centre, helping domestic violence survivors access legal support and offering services to people who can't afford legal assistance.
"A lot of people who can't afford to get proper legal assistance are then having to navigate their circumstances, their legal problems on their own and not getting the right help," she said.
"It's personally really important for me ... that we ensure the law is accessible and approachable as well."
In 2019, she co-founded the youth group YCollab, and last year co-founded the Vietnamese Australian Forum.
She is also on the board of human rights charity Addison Road Community Organisation, deputy chair of Asian Women at Work, the ambassador for Zen Tea Lounge — which empowers victims of domestic violence — and an executive member of the Vietnamese Australian Lawyers Association.
The importance of diversity in decision making
Ms Le said the preselection of Ms Keneally in Fowler encouraged her to speak openly about the importance of diversity across all industries and in politics.
"It's actually strengthened my resolve to continue to speak up about what I believe in," she said.
"I really do hope that it not only sparks a conversation but also action as well and it's something that I'll continue to speak on."
She said Labor's loss in Fowler sent a strong message to the major political parties that communities could not be taken for granted.
"It's been really important that the community has had a strong say … and I think that's a good thing when the community is finally being heard," she said.
"I think with an outcome like that, I don't think that we can ever assume there is a safe seat within politics."
Asked what she would say to young multicultural Australians looking to embark on a career in politics, Ms Le said identity and culture was something that should be celebrated.
"I think that it's really important we are proud of our heritage and we do celebrate it and we do maintain that culture too because that's what makes Australia so great."
Awards recognise Asian Australians
Asian-Australians across 11 categories — from science and medicine to education, media and the corporate world — have been named as winners in the 2022 40 under 40 awards.
It includes Associate Professor Rona Chandrawati, who is one of Australia's leading researchers in colorimetric food sensor technology.
The technology is used to monitor food quality in real time and identify spoilage.
Al Jazeera journalist Drew Ambrose also took out the media award.
He was famously expelled from Malaysia for producing a documentary on the poor treatment of migrant workers in the country.
Here's the full list of the winners:
- Under 25 Rising Star – Angelina Inthavong, Intersectional Youth Advocate and co-founder of Crafts and Convos
- Science and Medicine – Associate Professor Rona Chandrawati, Scientia Associate Professor and NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow at the University of New South Wales
- Community and Advocacy – Angelique Wan and Joyce Yu, co-founders of Consent Labs
- Arts and Culture – Michelle Law, writer and actor
- Corporate – Mahjabeen Zaman, Head of FX Research at ANZ
- Education – Sabrina XiaoXiao Li, International Students Coordinator at St Margaret's and Berwick Grammar
- Entrepreneurship – Belinda Bentley, Director and Non-Executive Director at 9Springs and Link Wentworth Housing
- Legal and Professional – Matthew Floro, Special Counsel, Environmental Defenders Office and National Vice-President at Asian Australian Lawyers Association
- Public Sector and Government – Joseph Haweil, Councillor and former mayor of Hume City Council
- Media – Drew Ambrose, International Correspondent, Investigative Journalist and Documentary Producer at Al Jazeera English
- Overall Winner – Tu Le, Solicitor at Marrickville Legal Centre
Tu Le is the overall winner of the 2022 40 under 40 Most Influential Asian-Australians Awards, an initiative of the Asian-Australian Leadership Summit. The ABC is a media partner of the awards.
