History is complicated. As Asian-Americans, we are well aware of our mythological status as a so-called model minority. But, simply because of the way we look—even when our ancestors were born here decades ago—we are branded consciously or subconsciously as foreigners. As lawyers and judges, our competency as advocates and English fluency are not rebuttable presumptions, but rather things that must be proven 24/7. So too must our right to live and work in the United States our loyalty to the United States be substantiated time and time again. How do we respond?

The Legacy of Judge William Marutani

For inspiration, we can turn to the legacy of the late Judge William Marutani, the distinguished and courageous jurist who served on the Court of Common Pleas in Philadelphia, after a brilliant career as a lawyer and civil rights advocate. Judge Marutani was a second-generation American teenager studying pre-law at the University of Washington when World War II broke out. The U.S. government ordered Japanese-Americans, including Judge Marutani and his family, to relocate to a camp in Tule Lake in northern California where he was incarcerated for six months until government officials released him to attend college.