AABA Hosts Guided Tour of Japanese Internment Exhibit
By AABA Staff

Last month, AABA was proud to welcome community members to the Presidio to view the "And Then They Came For Us" exhibit on the Japanese Internment. Don Tamaki shared remarks and then led a guided tour of and the alarming relevance that the experience holds today.

Don, whose parents were held at the makeshift detention center at Tanforan in San Bruno before being transferred to Utah, shared his experience as a member of the legal team that re-opened and reversed the federal conviction of Fred Korematsu. Don also discussed the similarities in rhetoric and tactics of the internment and the modern issues involving civil rights and immigrant communities.

As part of the event, Don led a guided tour through the exhibit, offering his context and experience. Attendees were also offered the opportunity to be part of AABA's #NationOfImmigrants project, where we show our support for immigrants, and stand united to demonstrate that America remains a nation of immigrants. 

You can view the entire video of Don's remarks on our Youtube page. Please take a moment to subscribe to AABA's Youtube page so you can always get AABA's video content.

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Statement By Crystal Kim  (AABA and Salle Yoo & Jeff Gray Judicial Externship Grant Recipient – 2018)

Asian Americans thrive economically, attain high levels of educational achievements, and enjoy a great degree of family stability, or at least that is what media tells us. However, growing up in Southern California surrounded by Asian American families with various experiences, I quickly realized this was far from the truth. Although several factors such as working with the wrongfully convicted contributed to my decision to apply to law school, seeing the struggles of undocumented Asians in Southern California first inspired me to even consider law as a potential career opportunity. The documentation status of individuals directly influenced the economic stability (or instability) of the family and the physical well-being of these individuals. I wanted to help, but I did not know where to begin.

During my first year of law school, I regularly volunteered at the East Bay Dreamers Clinic providing direct legal services to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival eligible youth and other community members seeking legal advice. This opportunity allowed me to gain exposure to the different types of visas available and the basics of immigration law. Additionally, I am an editor of Berkeley Law’s Asian American Law Journal (AALJ), one of only two journals that focus on legal scholarship regarding Asian American issues. Working as an editor helped me realize the dire need for students, scholars, and practitioners to research, write, and invest in our community’s issues. I too hope to contribute to the existing legal scholarship of Asian American issues one day. Finally, I am a member of the Asian Pacific American Law Student Association at Berkeley Law where I help mentor first year law students.

This past summer, I worked as an extern for Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye of the California Supreme Court. As the first Asian-American and the second woman to serve as Chief Justice, the Chief Justice has been a role model of mine. Throughout the summer, I was constantly in awe of how she wonderfully balanced her many roles. Furthermore, the Chief Justice and the staff attorneys trusted the externs and gave us a plethora of opportunities to research complex legal issues, review appellate briefs, and even contribute in the weekly meetings. I would not have spent my 1L summer any other way. 

I hope to continue to build on this experience in becoming a lawyer who is constantly aware of the issues that her community faces and gives back with the knowledge she had the privilege of attaining. Thank you AABA and the Salle Yoo and Jeff Gray Fund for the Judicial Externship Grant. In addition to the grant, I am incredibly privileged to have gained access to a community of AAPI attorneys I can look up to.

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May 25 - We Belong: “Then They Came For Me” Presidio Exhibit Tour

June 1 - AABA Wellness Comm/Nakayoshi/KABANC/ABL-SF June Hike

June 12 - Law Student Committee's Summer Resume & Interview Workshop