Andrew de las Alas

Whether through Student Union, on campus organizing, or working at community organizations, Andrew de las Alas strives to be a bridge between siloed groups and issues. A rising senior studying Global Studies, Sociology and Asian American Studies, Andrew has navigated his racial identity as a biracial Filipino American through a lens of social justice, and hopes to work with minoritized communities to create a robust coalition for change.  

His nominator Caroline Fan writes of Andrew’s approach to coalition building, “In the past year, I have watched Andrew develop a trademark approach to community organizing and public service. He consistently leverages his talents to empower traditionally marginalized communities by considering overlapping needs, then attempting to bridge siloed issues. Recently, he spearheaded a partnership with a St. Louis-based mutual aid organization to host a multilingual food distribution, voter registration, and social services event that attracted 80 families of all ethnicities, with many Spanish speakers represented. By his own initiative, Andrew ensured that bilingual caseworkers and voter registration were on-site to address any community needs. It was a highly efficient and well-run event that allowed the parents, elders, and children to choose what clothes and food they wanted and needed.” 

On campus, Andrew has been deeply involved in the Asian community. As co-president of Asian Multicultural Council, he helped plan an excursion trip to St. Louis commercial Chinatown and oversaw the development of the university’s first Asian American Living Learning Community. Guided by political role models like Malcolm X, Yuri Kochiyama, and Dorothy Day, he serves as an organizer for Asians Demanding Justice where he helps facilitate weekly workshops that focus on identity, history, and Asian American Studies. Alongside friends, he co-founded and edited (RE)ORIENT, the university’s Asian-identity magazine, which has featured over 40 pieces of artwork, essays, and independent research. Outside of his work with the Asian community, Andrew was elected to Student Union as Vice President of Engagement where he oversees Student Union Public Relations, and he serves as a co-captain for WashU’s nationally-ranked mock trial team. 

After a summer as a St. Louis Fellow in the Goldman Fellows cohort, Andrew joined the Missouri Asian American Youth Foundation as staff. In the past two years, he has supported voter outreach for over 10,000 Asian voters, helped launch a leadership cohort for international students, and met with state representatives to successfully pass legislation that recognizes the month of May as Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month in Missouri. Inspired by his own upbringing and local Asian leaders, Andrew also conducts research as to how Roman Catholicism influences St. Louis Filipino Americans’ sense of racial and ethnic community as a Merle Kling Fellow. 

After interning with the St. Louis Public Defender’s Office, Andrew was able to see the significant need for a human-centered approach in the criminal legal system. This experience has motivated him to pursue a joint degree in law and social work following graduation to better serve marginalized communities. Throughout his community-facing work and campus involvement, Andrew works across organizations and groups of people to organize for community care and action.