Vancredits his involvement in the labor movement to two key factors: the influenceof his older sister Tam Nguyen and his participation in the Asian PacificAmerican Labor Alliance -Organizing Institute. Van is a lead organizer for theCommittee of Interns and Residents/SEIU, the oldest and largest housestaff unionthat represents over 13,000 interns and residents nationally. In his capacityat CIR/SEIU, he works with residents across the country to fight for improvedworking conditions and better quality of care provided to patients.

Previously, Van worked in Washington,DC immediately following theinauguration of President Obama on the Healthcare Equality Project, a campaignthat works with national and community based coalition partners to ensure thatissues of healthcare disparities among communities of color are integratedwithin healthcare reform. As a student at the Universityof California, Berkeley, he was involved in studentorganizing on a local and statewide level around access to higher education andyoung voter participation. Van served as the first ever Vietnamese-Americanstudent body president.