Honoring Juju Lien and Her Legacy of Community Devotion

In celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, The Chicago Community Trust is proud to honor Juju Lien, a visionary leader whose lifelong commitment to service and community power has shaped Chicago’s Asian American communities.

Juju’s story is shared through reflections from AGC members Serena Moy and Jennifer Tani, as well as her daughter, Amy. Together they offer an intimate portrait of Juju not only as a public figure, but as a mentor, connector, and a tireless advocate whose influence shaped Asian Giving Circle and continues to ripple through Chicago’s Asian American community. By sharing Juju’s story, Serena, Jennifer and Amy celebrate Juju’s legacy and hope to inspire future generations.

A Force of Nature Dedicated to Her Community

Juju Lien was, in her daughter Amy’s words, a “force of nature in a five-foot frame.” Tough, witty, empathetic, and endlessly energetic, Juju was first and foremost a people person. She loved learning others’ stories and bringing people together, an instinct shaped by her own experiences as an immigrant, an Asian American woman, and someone who knew hardship firsthand. She grew up with family instability, later built a life in the United States, and navigated the world as an Asian American woman confronting exclusion and inequity. Those experiences deepened her empathy and fueled a lifelong commitment to giving back to her community.

From the moment she arrived in Chicago in the 1970s, Juju was deeply embedded in her community. After early work resettling refugees through Travelers & Immigrants Aid (later Heartland Alliance), she spent years supporting immigrant and refugee families from Cambodia, Vietnam, Ethiopia, and China. She went on to serve as executive director of the Chinese Mutual Aid Association on Argyle Street and later led the Asian American Institute, helping revive the organization from her home basement and setting the foundation for what is now Asian Americans Advancing Justice Chicago, the only progressive pan-Asian power-building organization in Illinois.

Helping Shape the Asian Giving Circle

When organizers first began imagining what would become the Asian Giving Circle (AGC), Juju Lien was among the very first people they consulted. Founded in 2002, AGC has since become one of the Chicago region’s oldest giving circles supporting Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, and in those early days, Juju helped shape its foundation. She asked tough questions, sharpened early thinking, and grounded the effort in lived immigrant experience. Her vision closely aligned with AGC’s core principles, collective giving, shared power, and the belief that we are stronger together. These principles continue to guide the circle’s work as an affinity fund at The Chicago Community Trust, pooling donor resources to strengthen AAPI-serving organizations.

In AGC’s early years, Juju supported the work in the most “Juju” way possible: she opened her home. She generously hosted meetings, cooked memorable meals, and created space for honest conversations about strategy, messaging, and growth. She attended countless AGC events and brought others with her, from potential grant partners and donors to someone she had just met and believed belonged in the room. Her enthusiasm was contagious, and her belief in AGC’s mission was unwavering.

Stronger as a Community

AGC held deep meaning for Juju because it reflected how she understood the world. She believed in unity because she practiced it. Juju knew that while Asian American communities are vast and diverse, collective effort makes lasting change possible. For Juju, giving was about time, presence, wisdom, food, honesty, and relationships. As Amy reflects, Juju knew how small acts of generosity could translate into dignity and opportunity for people arriving in the United States with little support.

A Legacy That Lives On

Juju Lien lived with urgency and purpose until the very end, co-hosting fundraisers for emerging Asian American political leaders, honoring community elders on Argyle Street, and mentoring the next generation whenever possible. She truly had “no quit.”

Her legacy continues in the organizations she strengthened, the leaders she mentored, and the relationships she stitched together across Chicago’s AAPI communities. Memorial gifts made to AGC in Juju’s honor carry this meaning forward, transforming remembrance into continued impact for immigrant and refugee communities she cared for so deeply. 

Her legacy also lives on in her daughter, Amy, whose own career in community organizing, public defense, and policy advocacy was shaped by watching her mother lead with courage and care. And it lives on in the Asian Giving Circle, who’s foundation is engrained in the belief Juju held dear: that power is meant to be shared, and that we are always stronger together.