In 2013, Chew founded the Asian Australian Alliance (AAA) focussing on empowering, advancing and advocating for the Asian Australian community on common issues. With Chew’s leadership, AAA has been leading the conversation on issues of racism and representation, Asian Australian LGBTIQ issues, issues around domestic violence against Asian Australian women and mentoring Asian Australian youth.

The AAA now has conveners based across Australia, with Chew acting as its National Convenor. Most recently, the AAA, in collaboration with progressive thinktank Per Capita, launched the “COVID-19 Racism Incident Report Survey”, the first of its kind in Australian history to record instances of COVID-19-related racism in Australia.

AAA has collaborated with a number of anti-racism organisations domestically and abroad in fighting anti-Asian racism. As part of this campaign, via the AAA, Erin has created the #stopasianhate Australia campaign and organised three #stopasianhate vigils in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

In 2017, Erin received the Edna Ryan Award for “advocacy and activism” and in 2021 was part of the Australian Leadership Summit “40 Under 40 Most Influential Asian Australians” for the community and advocacy category.

Professionally, Erin is a freelance writer focusing on issues of racism and representation and her writing has been featured in both Australian and American media outlets. She also gets called on by Australian and international mainstream media outlets to comment on political and social issues.

Erin runs a number of social enterprises with her business partners, expanding the scope of international student education experience and running her own media company/website, Being Asian Australian. 

Erin holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business from the University of Technology Sydney, and is finishing off her Masters in Human Rights through Curtin University. Chew is passionate about what she does, and her goal is to share her knowledge and networks in developing a platform for Asian Australian voices, which often remain silent.

Erin currently sits on the Expert Advisory Group (EAG) for the Australian Human Rights Commission and on the board for Western Sydney University’s anti-racism project. She is also currently an Executive Producer for Maria Tran’s film “Echo 8”.

Erin speaks fluent Mandarin and conversational Cantonese and Hokkien. 

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