Letter from RAI staff in response to recent article

March 4, 2026 

To whom it may concern: 

We are writing in response to the Northwest Asian Weekly article on January 23, 2026 and Julie Kang’s op-ed regarding the departure of Ming-Ming Tung-Edelman from Refugee Artisan Initiative (RAI). Because the article directly references RAI and its leadership transition, we believe it is important to share perspective from those of us currently working within RAI to provide clarity and address misinformation. 

RAI is a Seattle nonprofit that serves and supports refugee and immigrant women. We are a team of majority BIPOC staff—five first-generation immigrants, one second-generation immigrant, and two refugee women from diverse countries, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Many of us share lived experiences of migration and displacement, and we are deeply committed to the organization and its mission. 

One message we want to make clear is that RAI is more than one individual. It is an organization sustained and operated by many talented and caring people, including staff and a committed Board of Directors. Together, we work daily to serve our community and uphold the mission. 

We acknowledge and thank Ming-Ming’s role as a founder and the vision that helped to establish RAI. Our organization’s strength comes from the collective—the artisans, staff, volunteers, and leadership who carry the work forward every day. 

Because this situation has become public, we believe it is vital to share additional context from those of us working within the organization to help the community better understand what led to the leadership transition and Ming-Ming’s subsequent departure from the executive director role and to combat any misinformation. 

Workplace Concerns and HR Investigation

Over the course of many months, multiple staff members experienced ongoing workplace challenges related to leadership interactions and decision-making. These concerns were not rooted in a single incident, but in a pattern that included abrupt reactions, daily or weekly hostility, inconsistent direction, frequent monitoring that felt disruptive, and limited autonomy in carrying out assigned responsibilities. Many of us felt unable to move work forward confidently, uncertain whether decisions would later be reversed or criticized. Over time, this created an environment where staff felt frozen in their roles and fearful that disagreement, even when mission-driven, could jeopardize their positions. 

In September 2025, a particularly serious workplace conflict occurred between Ming-Ming and an employee in which Ming-Ming responded in a hostile manner and intensified concerns. Following that incident, the employee formally filed a complaint and requested an HR investigation. Other staff members also shared their concerns to the Board of Directors to ensure appropriate oversight and adherence to proper governance.

An external HR professional was engaged to conduct a confidential investigation. During individual interviews, we expressed how the work environment had become increasingly difficult, and how it impacted our well-being. Concerns included frequent monitoring while excluding managers from decision making and delivering feedback in a manner that felt punitive rather than constructive or professional. Over time, these patterns left us as the staff feeling like the work we are doing was never enough, and offering alternative professional perspectives was unsafe. 

This leadership transition followed a formal process that included the HR investigation and review of its findings. We share this context to clarify that the decision was the result of structured review and not sudden or reactionary action. 

Importantly, Ming-Ming was offered a role to remain at RAI in a substantive outreach-focused role, with the same pay and benefits. This was designed to leverage her strengths in community engagement, fundraising, public advocacy, while shifting direct staff supervision to other leadership. It was not a symbolic or ceremonial position, but an active role intended to support the organization’s growth and sustainability. She declined this option. 

The Board chose not to publicly release details of the investigation to protect our (staff) confidentiality and maintain professionalism. While intended to safeguard employees, this confidentiality has contributed to misunderstandings about the process and the Board’s intentions. 

Accountability and Community Impact

Between 2020 and 2025, RAI hired 39 employees. During that same period, 26 employees departed the organization with a turnover rate of approximately 67%. The average tenure of those who left was 10 months. While transitions can occur in any nonprofit, this level and frequency of turnover signaled a systemic challenge that affected continuity, morale, and long-term sustainability of the organization. 

For many of us, these patterns contributed to broader concerns about workplace stability and staff well-being. The leadership transition must be understood within this larger context, rather than as an isolated or reactionary decision. 

Since the transition, public narratives have suggested that the decision was racially motivated and have criticized members of the Board. As a majority BIPOC staff—many of whom are immigrant and refugee women—these allegations feel both untrue and deeply painful. 

We want to be clear: our concerns were about workplace impact and leadership behavior

There is a distinction between strong, assertive leadership and behavior that creates fear and instability. Our experiences were not about cultural misunderstanding; they were about how actions affected staff well-being, autonomy, and organizational stability. To characterize these

concerns as racially motivated diminishes our lived experiences and dismisses the courage it took for immigrant and refugee women to speak up honestly about their work environment. 

Every leader, regardless of identity, must be accountable for the impact of their actions. Our intention in sharing this information is not to attack Ming-Ming’s character, but to clarify that this decision arose from responsibility to the organization and its mission. 

Moving forward

We understand that many in the community feel connected to Ming-Ming and to the founding story of RAI. Our commitment to this organization is rooted in the same care. We believe it is important to center RAI as a collective—the artisans, staff, volunteers, and partners who sustain this work every day. 

When the focus narrows to one individual, it can unintentionally overshadow the broader community whose livelihoods and stability depend on this organization. RAI’s mission is larger than any one person, and protecting that mission requires shared accountability. 

Throughout this process, we felt heard and supported by the Board of Directors. We are grateful for the attentiveness shown to staff well–being and the integrity of the organization. This support has allowed us to continue our work with stability and renewed collaboration. 

Today, RAI continues to operate with stability under its current leadership structure. Staff, artisans, and leadership are working collaboratively, with clear accountability and renewed focus on the mission. We look forward to welcoming permanent executive leadership that will represent the community we serve and continue strengthening the organization for the long term. 

As a staff, we respectfully ask for the community’s understanding and continued support as we move forward together. 

Sincerely, 

The perspectives shared here reflect the experiences and observations of staff listed above and do not represent the views of the Board of Directors or the organization as a whole.