From the President

 
 
 

 Dear Fellow Alumni:

As we move into 2024—an election year, the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, and the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education—we wanted to wish you good health, great happiness, and time to enjoy them. It also seems an appropriate time to exercise greater mindfulness about our own responsibilities, both as individuals and as part of the legal profession, in shaping the future of our country.

 

Our HLS degrees open many doors for us and confer privileges not as readily available to or accessible by other lawyers, and certainly not many in the broader Asian Pacific American community. By virtue of those advantages, we are called upon to be leaders for our community. In doing so, we will be asked to shoulder more work and sometimes step outside our comfort zones by speaking up and doing things that we might only talk about or do amongst ourselves. Who, better than we, is positioned to dismantle and put aside the stereotypes that are the foundation to so many barriers to Asian Pacific American advancement?

 

This means that we need to be prepared to be vocal and active in:

  • Defending our community against anti-Asian hate.
  • Challenging law firms and other employers in our profession who recruit our younger members for entry level positions but seem less willing to give them the opportunities and support to rise to and thrive in more senior positions.
  • Preparing the future generations of Asian Pacific Americans to understand and appreciate their responsibilities and obligations to both the Asian Pacific American community and the broader society.
  • Supporting those among us who are women, LGBTQ+, or have disabilities.
  • Being better allies to our Black, Hispanic, Native American, Jewish, and Muslim friends and colleagues. 
  • Consciously seeking out opportunities to help and support each other.

As Asian Pacific American alumni of HLS, we are uniquely positioned to find strength in and enjoy our collective camaraderie. Let’s make that meaningful. 

 

With warmest regards,
 

Sandra Yamate '84

Chair, Harvard Law School Association Asian Pacific American Alumni Network

 

 
 
 
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