I was born and raised in northern New Jersey just outside of New York City. My mother, Yuriko, was a Japanese immigrant, and my father, George, was a Chinese-American US Air Force veteran who, despite not having a college degree, became a Corporate Controller at Chase Manhattan Bank.​

I attended public high school while also earning a pre-college degree from the Juilliard School of Music. I graduated from Barnard College, majoring in Political Science, worked as a legal assistant, and then went on to Rutgers Law School. I developed a passion and interest in environmental law after participating in an externship program with the Sierra Club in San Francisco.

After graduation, I worked at the Container Recycling Institute, tracking statewide Bottle Bill efforts, and the National Wildlife Federation, successfully lobbying for a Flood Insurance Reform Bill championed by U.S. Senator John Kerry.

In 1995, my husband John and I moved to Newton, where we raised our three children: George, Midori, and Joseph. Like many people, we were attracted by Newton’s excellent school system and close proximity to Boston.

I ran for the then-called Board of Aldermen in 1997 against a longtime incumbent (and won on a recount by 12 votes) on a platform of transparency, accountability, and constituent service, and served for ten terms (20 years).

I am proud to have played a leading role in environmental protection, affordable housing, and other progressive issues.​

In addition,  I volunteered with immigration advocates, representing disabled individuals seeking waivers on their citizenship applications and monitoring children held in a detention center at the California border. I have been active with many local community organizations, and currently serve on the Dow Fund (which provides assistance for legal service providers in the Asian community) and OCA-APAA-NE (which provides mentorship and scholarships for Asian American Youth).

In 2015, as part of my service as a Councilor, I began a weekly email newsletter to keep Newton residents informed about government meetings. This continued until April 2022, when I co-founded Fig City News, which has rapidly become Newton residents' go-to news source.

More recently I worked at the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, providing assistance to individuals and families facing eviction and foreclosure and directing them to resources to help keep them housed.

My current priorities as State Representative are advocating for a healthier environment, for individuals with disabilities, for immigrant children, for access to safe and affordable housing, and on behalf of the residents of Newton. I am happy to be your advocate in the 11th Middlesex District!