Do I know diversity?

As the first member of my family born in America, I have always been aware of a certain "otherness." My voice and interests are purely American, but my heart and beliefs remain overseas.  Although I haven't personally experienced as much hardship as my parents (dealing with a cultural barrier, speaking with heavily-accented English, and being the only Muslims in the community), I've learned from them that discrimination only occurs when you let others ignorantly treat you that way. Rather than feed into the misconceptions of being foreign, my parents taught me to break through the stereotypes and allow people to form their judgment of me by showing that I was just as normal as they were. With my family often moving between small logging towns in Oregon where we were the minority among mostly Christian Caucasian middle-class families, I have been able to share the similarities in the faiths and traditions of those around me.  

An unforeseen effect of these interactions included the significant impact my family and I have had teaching about our Islamic religion and African culture to others around us. Not only will this carry on throughout my life but as an attorney, I can extend this type of empathetic influence further to effect a greater capacity. As a law student, I can contribute to diversity by continuing to engage in meaningful discussion about my religion and culture, sharing a relatable point-of-view between underrepresented and misunderstood segments of society, as I have while working for the Law Office of Stephanie Shin, P.C.

Working for the Korean attorney whose office I am currently managing allows me to experience first-hand how to be a part of a distinctively ethnic approach to the law. While the majority of our cases deal with business, commercial, and family law, Ms. Shin facilitates the exchange with our clients in her native language, acting as the cultural bridge between the Korean community and the American system of law. From my own family's background, I've learned that while immigrants have the desire to improve their lives they may not be familiar with assimilating to American society. As a paralegal for Ms. Shin, I have since become inspired to perform a similar legal advocacy role within my own cultural community.  Like her, I have remained between both worlds and can offer unique perspectives on my traditional and American cultural backgrounds.