Chanchanit Martorell (born in Bangkok, Thailand), is an activist,[1] educator, urban planner, and a community development practitioner.
[3] Born in Thailand and raised in Los Angeles, Martorell studied political science and public law at UCLA where she received her B.A.
[12] Her tireless advocacy on behalf of the victims and the success of each case has made her a leading expert and sought-after spokesperson on the serious issue of modern-day slavery.
For Martorell, the designation of Thai Town was the first step of a multi-faceted, economic development strategy to revitalize a depressed section of Hollywood while enriching the City's cultural and social fiber.
[19] Dedicated to social and economic justice, she actively serves in a variety of capacities in a number of community/immigrant/labor rights organizations with local, national, and global concerns, including the California Community Foundation Council on Immigrant Integration,[20] Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law,[21] the Labor Community Services Program,[22] and the former Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs.
[29] Formerly a member of the Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination Against Women Task Force, she was part of a campaign that succeeded in the performance of a gender analysis by the City of Los Angeles of its personnel.
[33] She is also the co-author and contributing author for two important pieces on human trafficking: "The Importance of Ethnic Competency: The Thai Case of Labor Trafficking and Temporary Worker Visa Immigration/Migrations"[34] and "Exploitation and Abuse in the Garment Industry: The Case of the Thai Slave Labor Compound in El Monte".