Celebrating Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month

In celebration of May being Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, Friedman Rubin attorney Rachel Luke contributed to a Trial News article to share her personal story.

Read the full story at Trial News – May 2021 – Celebrating Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month (trialnewsonline.org)

“The AAPI community is not a monolith and has varying experiences. Growing up as a transracial international adoptee, I was introduced to Korean culture in the best way my parents knew how: samplings of kimchi and occasional campouts with other Korean adoptee families. I have always identified as Black, but it took me a while to also understand my Korean heritage. It was not until I went to the “Motherland” in 2009 that I truly began to appreciate Korean history and culture. My story is very different from my friends’ and their families’ immigration stories, struggles, and sacrifices, but we are part of the same diaspora of people who come to the U.S. for various reasons. These stories should be honored. I am proud to stand with the AAPI community in celebrating the diverse and rich cultures within.”

If you are interested in learning more or want to actively participate in stopping hate crimes against Asians, I encourage you to check out https://stopaapihate.org/. A 2017 study published by Yale Law School and the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), A Portrait of Asian Americans in the Law, is a great read. This report is a systemic analysis of how Asian Americans are situated in the legal profession and can be found here: https://www.apaportraitproject.org/.

Reposted with permission from Trial News, a publication from Washington State Association for Justice.