Persis is a champion who has fought her entire career for families like yours.
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About Persis
Persis Yu is running for State Senate because families need a champion who will put people before corporate profits and safeguard our democracy from authoritarian threats.
The daughter of an immigrant who fled fascism, long-time Hyde Park resident Persis knows firsthand the dangers of government corruption, repression, and economic insecurity. She has seen how fear and scarcity are weaponized to divide communities, and she's determined to ensure that Massachusetts remains a beacon of freedom, opportunity, and justice. As a parent of two Boston Public School kids, she'll fight for the families of Boston, Dedham, Norwood, Walpole, and Westwood to secure a future for our children where they will not just survive, but thrive.
For nearly two decades, Persis has been one of the nation’s fiercest advocates for families, workers, and consumers. She has taken on the biggest banks, loan servicers, and even multiple presidential administrations—suing Betsy DeVos, Linda McMahon, Bank of America, and MOHELA when they hurt consumers. Her strategic, bold, and innovative policymaking has already transformed millions of lives: she designed key pieces of the Biden Administration’s SAVE plan, fought for loan forgiveness that has cancelled nearly $200 billion in debts, and won critical protections for veterans, teachers, and working families. Where others have settled for half-measures, Persis has relentlessly pursued the end goal—economic justice and freedom from debt.
Persis is a diplomatic, compassionate, and action-oriented leader. As a social worker and an attorney, she builds unlikely coalitions, brings communities together across differences, and turns bold ideas into real-world solutions. As a working parent active in her children’s school council, she understands the day-to-day challenges families face—whether it’s affording childcare, paying medical bills, or navigating underfunded schools. Her campaign is rooted in the belief that true democracy starts at home. That means affordable housing, universal childcare, strong public schools, environmental justice, reproductive justice, and a fair economy where families—not billionaires—come first. In the State Senate, Persis will be the bold, strategic leader families need to secure a thriving, joyful future for the next generation.
a timeline of
a timeline of
Persis'S Life & Achievements
Persis'S Life & Achievements
Persis's journey to championing working families
2003
Graduated from Mt. Holyoke College with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
2005
Persis was one of six community organizers who created LGBTQ Allyship (now known as Queer Power Alliance), an organization founded to address issues at the intersection of race, class, and sexual orientation
2006
Graduated from the University of Washington with a Masters of Social Work
2009
Graduated from Seattle University
School of Law with a Juris Doctorate
2010
Persis sued Bank of America for predatory practices during the foreclosure crisis
2011
Joined the National Consumer Law Center as a staff attorney
2013
Persis became a mom with the birth of her son, Lennon
2015
Persis had her second child, a daughter named Soraya
2016
Became the director of National Consumer Law Center's Student Loan Borrower Assistance Project
2016
Persis joins with the ACLU to sue the Department of Education for failing to disclose the agency’s debt collection policies and its impact on borrowers of color
2019
Invited by Congresswoman Maxine Waters to testify in front of the United States House of Representatives House Financial Services Committee at the hearing "A $1.5 Trillion Crisis: Protecting Student Borrowers and Holding Student Loan Servicers Accountable"
2020
Persis brought a lawsuit against the Betsy DeVos and the Trump Administration for illegally seizing borrowers' wages during the COVID-19 pandemic after Congress banned it
2021
Invited by Senator Elizabeth Warren to testify in front of a United States Senate Banking Sub-Committee in a hearing on Protecting Student Loan Borrowers and the Economy in Upcoming Transitions
2021
Joined Protect Borrowers (formerly known as the Student Borrower Protection Center) as the Deputy Executive Director and Managing Counsel
2023
Persis sues the cargo airline, Ameriflight, for abusive labor practices that trap pilots into a predatory training debt scheme, forcing them to fly in dangerous conditions or pay tens of thousands of dollars
2024
Persis brought a lawsuit on behalf of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) against MOHELA for deceiving student loan borrowers, and violating their rights
2024
Invited by Senator Elizabeth Warren to testify in front of a United States Senate Banking Sub-Committee at a hearing on MOHELA’s Performance as a Student Loan Servicer
2025
Persis is fighting Linda McMahon and the Trump Administration in court on behalf of AFT and millions of student loan borrowers for blocking access to affordable student loan repayment plans and Public Service Loan Forgiveness
Persis shows up for us
Persis has spent her career fighting to ensure powerful institutions—whether it’s the federal government or national corporations—are accountable to the people. Persis is a social worker and a legal aid attorney; she has over a decade of experience directly representing low-income families in the Greater Boston area. She has spearheaded multiple successful lawsuits against the federal government and big banks to protect working families from exploitation, and led national coalitions of civil rights, labor, veteran, and consumer advocates to drive policy change improving the lives of millions of students and consumers.
Outside the courtroom, Persis is a leader—in her church, in her children’s school, and across her community. Persis makes change with creative energy and a collaborative spirit to build up the organizations that make these neighborhoods our home.
During COVID, Persis steadily carved a path forward for her church, ensuring that members could maintain a sense of community while staying safe.
As a parent council leader, Persis fought to ensure that every student has the resources they need to succeed in the Boston Public School system, from helping to address food insecurity during COVID, to fundraising to ensure students had access to first class science software, to organizing community meetings with school and local officials to give parents an opportunity to learn about our communities’ response to threats from ICE.
As a community organizer, Persis educated voters on the power of ranked choice voting as a means to increase participation and amplify voices in our democracy. Persis continues to fight tirelessly to create opportunities for real people without corporate slush funds to run for office, and to improve our election system to better reflect the will of the people.
Persis doesn’t just talk about participation and inclusion—she embodies it.
Let’s build a government that works for us!