Amanda Nguyen Blazes Trails as First Vietnamese American Woman To Go to Space

By Fawzia Reza    

Activist, CEO and a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize, Amanda Nguyen can now add astronaut to her resume. Nguyen will become the first Vietnamese and Southeast Asian woman to go to space when she embarks on Blue Origin’s next launch aboard the New Shepard rocket. She will be attending on behalf of Space for Humanity, a Colorado-based nonprofit that awards the efforts of civilian leaders with space travel.

Nguyen is the CEO and founder of RISE, a nonprofit civil rights organization that advocates for and protects sexual assault and rape victims. She is an activist who spoke out against anti-Asian violence during the COVID-19 pandemic and a nominee for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize. Due to her varied and impactful accomplishments, Nguyen has been recognized as a Heinz Laureate, a Nelson Mandela Changemaker, Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and Marie Claire’s Young Woman of the Year. She was named one of Time Magazine’s Women of the Year in 2022.

In 2013, when Nguyen was at Harvard, she was sexually assaulted. When she went to report this, she recognized that the criminal system to protect rape victims is flawed. For example, the rape kit, which is often the first step in documentation, is destroyed after six months if charges are not filed within that period unless the victim obtains an extension. Therefore, forensic evidence can go undocumented.

Victims of sexual assault are effectively at the mercy of the criminal system because they must constantly file for extensions as their case moves through various legal stages. Understanding and experiencing this ordeal, Nguyen started speaking out on behalf of victims of sexual abuse and fighting for justice for them. She was instrumental in drafting the Sexual Assault Survivors Bill of Rights, which was signed into law by President Obama in 2016. Nguyen then extended her efforts internationally and spoke at the United Nations and other international platforms to create greater awareness of this issue, which ultimately culminated in the United Nations passing an international sexual assault survivors’ bill of rights in 2022.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a surge in anti-Asian crime due to perceptions that the virus had originated in Southeast Asia. Nguyen worked with the nonprofit STOP AAPI Hate to develop awareness of how Asian communities are being targeted and spoke to various media outlets to share the voices of the Asian American community.

Nguyen dreamed of becoming an astronaut when she was a child. In an Instagram post, she wrote that a desire to experience the overview effect has sparked her inner child:

“The overview effect is an experience many astronauts get when they see Earth for the first time. This orbital perspective makes them realize we are all on this planet together but also that our worries may not be as big as we fear. We are but a blink of an eye in the universe. That makes me feel both humbled but also special. We’re able to feel, to love, to have dreams—so with our limited time, I’m going to go after my dreams.”

Her trip will be sponsored by the Space for Humanity Organization, which runs a Citizen Astronaut Program and selects competent and impact-driven individuals for future space missions. Nguyen had to undergo rigorous training to be accepted into the program. For example, she was submerged under water upside down and blindfolded with only mere seconds to find her way to the surface. Nguyen reported that her oxygen tank failed, but she did not give up and pushed her way up to the surface.

Nguyen’s dedication, motivation and resilience allowed her to break the glass ceiling and stereotypical views that offer males such opportunities. In an interview with ABC News, she shared why this mission is essential, “…to let every young Vietnamese girl know that we belong, that they can see themselves in the stars and that their dreams no matter how big are absolutely real and they matter.”

Nguyen serves as a beacon of hope for all young girls who are hesitant to pursue a STEM-related field. Her experiences as an astronaut will empower girls, especially those from minority backgrounds, and demonstrate that everything is possible if they work hard. Her journey into space will serve as a symbol of breaking barriers and stereotypes regarding women in space, inspiring young girls worldwide.

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This article was originally published on diversitycomm.net.