Chinese immigrant and school principal's American dream: Making her community 'healthier and wealthier'

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Through July 4, The Post, in conjunction with the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream, is featuring US citizens explaining what the American dream means to them in 2026 — including Yvonne Chan, principal of the Vaughn Next Century Learning Center in San Fernando, Calif. She improved learning outcomes and created a social services center that offers vaccinations, child care, job training and legal aid to members of the community.

I believe that I have achieved the American dream.

Yvonne Chan, Doctor, Founding Principal, and Chief Visionary Officer of Vaughn Next Century Learning Center. — Yvonne Chan is the daughter of Chinese immigrants. After coming to the United States, she worked her way up from special needs teaching assistant to school principal. Milken Center

Ethan Bronner and Yvonne Chan speaking at the New York Times Schools For Tomorrow Conference. — “I have achieved the American dream: Help my kids not only achieve theirs, but do even better than I,” said Yvonne Chan. Neilson Barnard

I come from a single mother. Family is from China. My mother had no education and was a housekeeper for rich people, but I was very fortunate to receive help from the American Maryknoll Sisters, which is a Catholic school in Hong Kong. The American Sisters saw something in me and pushed me to pass exams so that I could be sponsored to go to the United States.

[I was] a poor immigrant, came to this country with nothing. And yet, [I’m] very grateful that I have the opportunity — opportunities — to have a great, proper education, to get a graduate degree at UCLA, to be a teacher, a principal. Serve on the California State Board of Education as a policymaker and serve on the Los Angeles City Commission as a commissioner for children and families.

Together, [we’ve realized] this vision of not just taking students from cradle to career with a good education, but also to develop and sustain the community to make it healthier and wealthier.

Dr. Yvonne Chan riding a tricycle with three young children on tricycles behind her, with traffic cones on the asphalt. — Dr. Yvonne Chan is the principal of Vaughn Next Century Learning Center in San Fernando, California. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Doors have been wide open for me: open for me to take risks, open for me to innovate, open for me to get people together — whether they agree, disagree — and open to really see the invisible so that I can do the impossible.

I have achieved the American dream: Help my kids not only achieve theirs, but do even better than I. It’s just a matter of the right strategy, the correct mission. Get the team together. Over time it can be done. It has to be done.

Don’t accept what it is. You have to create what can be and what should be.

The American Dream Video Project showcases real stories that illuminate pathways to opportunity. Featured at the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream (MCAAD), this series is part of the Center’s celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. MCAAD is Washington, DC’s newest cultural institution, offering interactive exhibits and stories about achieving the American Dream. For more information, visit mcaad.org.