april theses /

Hello. I'm Andy Tran. I use they/them pronouns.

I am Vietnamese, born and raised near Toronto, Ontario, Canada. My parents arrived here in Canada in the 80s. My father was a Boat Person who first came as a refugee. (Yes, it's complicated.)

I went to university to study physics. I decided quickly that I would not like to be a physicist. After I graduated, I followed a path that I didn't really expect I'd take, which was to follow my father's footsteps and pursue software development.

Since 2017, I have worked at a few small companies as a full-stack software developer. I've learned a lot about both handling technical projects and working with software teams. I've managed databases, built mobile apps, maintained REST and GraphQL APIs, and more.

Along the way, I got involved with the Philippine National Democratic Movement as a member of Anakbayan Toronto. I had the opportunity to visit the Philippines in 2019 as part of an Exposure trip, the goal of which is to integrate with the progressive mass organizations in the Philippines and learn from them. Without exaggeration, I can easily say that this experience changed my life.

I am now a member of the Canada-Philippines Solidarity Organization, which was founded in November 2020. I intend to continue raising awareness and building support for the Philippine ND movement until its victory.