APAICS | Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies

Melanie Abe

Bio

Melanie was a 2010 APAICS fellow, working with the U.S. House of Representative’s Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, and the Pacific and the Global Environment under the direction of Congressman Eni Faleomavaega (AS). She is now the staff assistant for Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (CA-47). 

In 2007, Melanie was an APAICS Summer Intern and worked in the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) in conjunction with the Honorable Elaine Chao Internship program. At the DOL, Melanie worked on issues such as the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), worker’s compensation, and international unemployment rates.  In the summer of 2008, she was selected for an internship with the U.S. Department of State (DOS), working in the Bureau of Verification, Compliance and Implementation of Chemical and Conventional Weapons. At the DOS, she was exposed to issues related to arms control and international defense cooperation. Melanie also studied in Copenhagen, Denmark and Turkey, where she learned, firsthand, the intricacies of the European political system.

Melanie graduated from Whittier with a B.S. in Political Science and Global Cultural Studies and minors in both Chinese and History.