Yes, You Can Do It All and Thrive with Bobbie Oudinarath
By Alyssa Chiang & Alexis Constantino
Photos Courtesy of Bobbie Oudinarath
Originally Published Sept/Oct 2023 by Lotus Mag
Bobbie Oudinarath wears a lot of hats. She is one of the leaders spearheading recognition of Lao American History and Cultural Studies in the U.S. From sparking the movement that gave birth to California’s (Assembly Bill) AB1393 to include “Lao History and Cultural Studies into the K-12 Curriculum” to mobilizing the Lao American community in San Diego and California to take action to bring more visibility, she has worked hard to make her voice heard. And all while managing to give her all in raising her two children (10 and 15 years old) and fostering a full-time thriving career at JP Morgan Chase. She shows us that it’s possible be extraordinary and do it all.
“I have many people at home, at work and in the community who rely on me to lead the way. It’s not easy to juggle it all, but with a plan, effective time management and hard work every day, anything is possible. I hope to be an inspiration to all those around me and show that it’s possible to live with purpose and have the life you want.”
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
Bobbie’s story began with the odds stacked against her. “I was born in Houay Xay in the Bokèo Province of Laos. Post the Vietnam War, I escaped with my family when I was three years old. My dad had been released from “a re-education camp for all males in the country” under the new communist government. When he was discharged home with severe ulcers, he secretly made a bamboo raft.” Creeping down the Mekong River in the dead of night, Bobbie’s family made it across the river over three trips (they were a family of seven children at that time), risking separation and death. By the break of dawn, her family had made it to a refugee camp in Thailand. Over the next three years, they lived in poor conditions and were transferred to another camp in the Philippines, before getting granted asylum in the U.S., where they settled in Santa Barbara, CA.
“My dad always instilled in us that education was the passport to living the life you dream of and want.” So Bobbie worked hard and excelled, quickly learning to be self-reliant. With flying colors, she graduated from UC San Diego on a full scholarship, and was hired into Human Resources at Washington Mutual Bank. “I worked my way up in that line of business and transitioned to sales management in business banking. Today, I am an Executive Director for Business Banking at JP Morgan Chase in San Diego. With self belief, a solid education, strong work ethics, a growth mindset, mentors and support system, you can catapult yourself into the professional and personal life you want”
GIVING TO THE COMMUNITY
Once Bobbie found herself in a space of confidence and acceptance of her full self in her late 20s, she was in a place to contribute and give back to the community. “I started out volunteering in the Lao American community in San Diego. I built connectivity and learned from those with experience in this space and through my passion, active engagement, valued contributions quickly elevated to positions of leadership.” Today, she serves as a leader in the AAPI community across San Diego holding Board of Director positions on many key Organizations, as well as in the Lao American community. She is actively co-leading both the “Lao Americans Organization” and the “Lao Advocacy Organization of San Diego” (LAOSD) and serves as a Board of Director for the Lao Community Cultural Center (LCCC). “My passion is around diversity, equity, and inclusion platforms for Asian Americans. As a subset of that, I focus on helping elevate and bring key resources to help the Lao American community. Representation matters, in order for us to have impact for our AAPI communities, we have to work to have a seat at the table.”
Bobbie recognizes the importance of intergenerational engagement in community projects. She works to always include the younger generation to foster future culture leaders and also honoring elders by leveraging their experience. It also takes collaborations with many partners and community leaders to make things happen. “This type of work takes a lot of passion and energy. We can’t do the work without concerted efforts and collaboration with other leaders and partners. It takes strong visionary leaders with grit and heart to be able to impact and mobilize the community and do this type of important work.”
And it isn’t easy work. As a mother, a career woman, and community advocate, Bobbie believes that the key to balancing it all is having a clear vision of who she is and strong work ethics.
“Being proud to be a Lao American woman and comfortable in who I am and where I came from keeps me grounded and on track. Having the courage to speak up when something’s not right and doing something about it is not easy but always the right path forward. It’s hard to balance it all, but it’s possible if you live with purpose, have effective time management skills and can inspire and take people along with you.”
THE GENESIS OF LAOSD
In 2018, Senate Bill 895 was passed to include the histories and refugee stories of Vietnamese, Cambodian and Hmong stories related to the Vietnam War in the K-12 curriculum. “At first, I thought that was a great win for Southeast Asian Americans! But then it hit me. What about Lao Americans stories? We can’t be excluded, because how does that impact our Lao American community?” After a sleepless night, she called a key Lao American Leader in San Diego, Pida Kongphoutone, who with her became the co-founder and co-leader of LAOSD, and they realized they needed to mobilize. “We had a meeting with our elders at the temple and talked about Senate Bill SB895. What can we do? How can we do it? The answer was legislative lobbying and a clean up bill to include Lao American History and Cultural Studies.” The Lao Advocacy Organization of San Diego was formed and after two years lobbying with other Lao American leaders in California, AB1393 made impact with current curriculum in development to include Lao History and Cultural Studies in local school districts. “We were the first to launch and do this from San Diego and in California, it inspired others across the nation to follow suit around different bills that would make sense for them in their community.”
LAO SD TODAY
Working with school districts to develop the curriculum
Inaugural Lao Food Festival in the Nation to teach others about Lao cuisine and support Lao food entrepreneurs
Documentary on the journey of AB 1393 to highlight refugee stories and create understanding, appreciation, and self-identity in the Lao American community
Permanent museum exhibit for the ‘Between Two Worlds: Untold Stories of Refugees from Laos’ exhibit to share Lao American stories to a broader audience
Proclamation for April as Lao American Heritage Month in San Diego
Designation of Wat Lao Buddharam Temple in San Diego as a historic site and Lao Town in San Diego
STRIVING TO BE THE “BEST MOM” SHE CAN BE
“My most important job is to provide and care for, be the best mom and role model to my children. I spend as much time with them as possible and encourage their interests and talents. No matter how busy I am, I manage my days to be able to make breakfast, pack their lunches and cook them dinner daily. There’s nothing more important to me than talking with my children about their day over dinner at home. I strongly feel staying engaged this way helps build strong connectivity and provides love and support they need for their positive growth journey.”
A LOVE FOR FOOD
This was what had kickstarted the idea of the inaugural Lao Food Festival in the nation with her colleague Pida and LAOSD! Bobbie loves food and she loves to cook - and she makes beautiful food. “I am truly passionate about food. Eating is a full experience. I source organic ingredients and put a lot of love into cooking and serving my dishes. I focus on executing my meals with perfection and every meal must be beautifully presented because I believe that the people you love deserve the best. And you have to honor yourself by giving your best. Food is my love language!”
THE MODERN DAY WOMAN
Through and through, Bobbie shows that it’s possible to be beautiful, smart, kind, impactful, and she hopes young women can see that in themselves.
“As a woman, we bear a lot of expectations, we’re expected to do a lot, be a lot, juggle it all. It’s not easy, but It’s possible if we know who we are and have a plan to go after what we want. I’ve been working hard all my life. I’m not nearly done with what I must do, there’s more for me to do. My advice to younger women, believe in yourself and work hard to be self reliant. Have mentors and learn from others. Always find ways to give back, work to motivate and inspire others in your journey.”
Alyssa Chiang is Co-Founder of Lotus Magazine - and she’s also working on her Ph.D. in bioengineering at UC San Diego! She loves to try new foods and bathe in the SoCal sunshine. You can catch her whipping up tasty meals, dancing in heels, reading in her Cave, or listening to sad music. Perpetually juggling a bunch of things, but it’s all by choice and passion.
Alexis Constantino is one of the co-founders of Lotus Magazine where she enjoys working with the team as well as connecting with people within the community. She is also a local piano teacher in San Diego, teaching kids from elementary to high school and anyone who's willing to learn! In her free time, Alexis loves immersing herself in books, traveling to new places, and eating great food.