-
American Like Me: A Book Review
On one of my first days of school in the U.S. a young boy approached me and asked: What color are you? I had never been asked this before and remember showing him my arm, confused that this poor boy didn’t know his colors and answered: I’m tan. Later when I told my mom what happened, she laughed and said if someone asks you that again just say you’re Mexican. Easy enough. However, as I grew up, I realized the complexities of race in the U.S. I grappled with my own cultural identity and picking the right “label.” It’s all so complicated and made more so by the fact that…
-
Goals: Making your way to Law School as an Undocumented Student
We are so lucky to have a guest post today by Brenda, a current undergrad student with law school on the horizon. She is also undocumented and has overcome the obstacles many of us or our family members have experienced. It is always so inspiring to see people in our community working so hard on their goals in spite of these huge obstacles. It helps put things in perspective for me and motivates me to push harder for true immigration reform. Here is Brenda’s story on her journey through higher Ed: Hello my loves! My name is Brenda and I am 23 years old. I was born in Guanajuato but raised…
-
Summer Series: Learning & Growing, the difference in your summers
Our Summer Series continues! This series highlights different Latina students and law grads as they embark in their summer jobs and/or bar prep all across the country. We hope to provide a variety of work experiences, options for a healthy work-life balance, and general motivation through different guest contributors to help you to take charge of your summer and professional goals! Today we hear from Celina, a rising 3L, who shares her unique summer experience as a Fellow working on Trans Asylum cases: My name is Maria Celina Marquez and I am a rising 3L at The George Washington University School of Law in Washington, DC. This summer, I am interning in…
-
Summer Series: Advocating for Immigrants
Our Summer Series continues! This series highlights different Latina students and law grads as they embark in their summer jobs and/or bar prep all across the country. We hope to provide a variety of work experiences, options for a healthy work-life balance, and general motivation through different guest contributors to help you to take charge of your summer and professional goals! Today we hear from Selene, a rising 2L, who has spent her summer with a nonprofit doing frontline work with immigrants: This summer I have been interning with Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project, a non-profit law office located in downtown Los Angeles, which serves especially vulnerable immigrants, in particular children and those in…
-
In the Country We Love, a book review
Confession time–I have never watched Orange is the New Black, but Diane Guerrero’s character, Lina, on Jane the Virgin is one of my faves. I was excited to receive Diane Guerrero’s new book In the Country We Love: My Family Divided* to review because, at minimum I like supporting Latina authors and knew it would touch on immigration. But I was pleasantly sucker-punched-surprised when I read this book. I read it in one sitting–it is that good and necessary. First, my preconception of this book was that it would be bubble-gum lite in regards to immigration. I had heard of Diane’s story, but I’ve read some quickie memoirs before that just…
-
Law Student Transformation: Exposing Yourself to a Calling
It’s time for our Summer Series! We’re calling for Contributors for this summer and to give a preview of the really awesome voices of Latina lawyers, we wanted to share a piece by Roxanne. We last heard from her as a rising 3L and now she’s set to graduate in a month! Read about her exposure to direct client counseling and how impactful a law degree can be to both the student and community: I’m about a month away from graduating from Southwestern Law School. Looking back on the last three years of my life is hard, it makes me cry, because I’m so proud of myself for how…