Who We Are
Matilija Lending Library was co-founded by Amy J. Wong and Andrew Fung Yip. We opened our doors on March 19, 2022.
As lifelong San Gabriel Valley residents, we have always wanted a community space in the SGV region where people can connect to books, art, history, and each other. Through the library, we hope to reflect and uplift the lives of people of color in El Monte and the SGV.
On June 4, 2025, Matilija Collective, registered as a fiscally sponsored 501c3.
This library would not be possible without Chris and Nellie Tran, friends, family, community, and supporters like you. Thank you!
Our Mission
Our mission is to celebrate the diversity of our El Monte and San Gabriel Valley community by uplifting stories by Black, Indigenous, People of Color. We aim to create a space to reflect our people of color communities in the San Gabriel Valley, and build multi-racial solidarity together.
We chose to name our library after the Matilija Poppy, a native plant in Southern California. Even after experiencing fire, matilija seeds are able to germinate and flourish. We hope to carry that transformative spirit at our library.
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Amy Wong
FOUNDER
Amy J. Wong is a community organizer and climate justice advocate from El Monte, California. A UC Berkeley graduate, she serves as Program Director at Active San Gabriel Valley and co-founded the Matilija Lending Library, a nonprofit uplifting BIPOC literature and culture. She also served on the El Monte Planning Commission from 2018 to 2023. Her work centers collective care, public health, and environmental equity in the San Gabriel Valley.
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Andrew Yip
FOUNDER
Andrew Yip is a U.S. Army veteran, community organizer, and conservation advocate from Hacienda Heights. He co-founded the Matilija Lending Library in El Monte and served on the board of the Puente Hills Habitat Preservation Authority. He now serves on Metro’s Community Advisory Council and works with the National Parks Conservation Association, advancing equity and environmental protection across Southern California.
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Carolyn Huynh
ADVISORY MEMBER
Carolyn Huynh is a Vietnamese-American author based in Los Angeles. Her debut novel, The Fortunes of Jaded Women, was a Good Morning America Book Club pick and is being adapted for television. Her second novel, The Family Recipe, blends Vietnamese diasporic history with humor and heart. Huynh’s work centers complex Vietnamese-American women and draws from her background in journalism and human-centered design.
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Nina Dinh
ADVISORY MEMBER
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Seleny Rodriguez
VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR
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Sydney Cheung
ADVISORY MEMBER