Speakers
Hon. Pamela Chen, Eastern District of New York
Hon. Karen M.C. Cortes, Bronx County Family Court
Hon. Judy Kim, New York State Supreme Court, New York County
Hon. Peggy Kuo, Eastern District of New York
Hon. Karen Lin, New York State Supreme Court
Hon. Soma Syed, Queens County Civil Court
Hon. Lillian Wan, Associate Justice, Appellate Division, Second Department
Hon. Frances Wang, Queens Supreme Court
Hon. Ona T. Wang, Southern District of New York
Vishal Chander, Managing Attorney, The Chander Law Firm
Becky Chen, Assistant Law Clerk, Appellate Division, Second Department
Francis Chin, Senior Systems Engineer, K2 Services
Rose Cuison-Villazor, Professor of Law and Chancellor’s Social Justice Scholar at Rutgers Law School
Gracie Iwersen, Student, Seton Hall University School of Law
Hassan Jamil, Law Clerk, Malapero Prisco & Klauber LLP
Eliana Yuna Jeong, Student, Columbia University
Emily Kam, Student, Columbia University
Charlotte Kim, Student, Fordham School of Law
Mirai Kim, Student, Seton Hall University School of Law
Emily Lai, Student, Albany Law School
Margaret Ling, NYS Agency Underwriting Counsel, Education Director and Agency Business Development, Amtrust Title Insurance Company
Kwok Kei Ng, Court Attorney, New York State Unified Court System
Jameson Xu, Principal, Law Offices of Jameson Xu PLLC
Cecilia Yang, Vice Chair, AABANY Young Lawyers Committee
Gary Yeung, Associate, McDermott Will & Schulte
Ariel Zhang, Student, St. John’s University School of Law
Moderator
Albert Tong, Student, Brooklyn Law School
Description
This program is an AABANY Trial Reenactment of Ozawa v. U.S. (1922) and U.S. v. Bhagat Singh Thind (1923), two landmark Supreme Court cases that denied Asian immigrants the right to naturalized citizenship based on race.
Ozawa and Thind reveal how American citizenship was shaped by racial boundaries rather than equality. Ozawa’s appeal to cultural assimilation and Thind’s reliance on science led to both men being excluded because they were not considered “white.” Their cases underscore how acceptance was based on bias, not reason.
These reenactments highlight the power of community, resilience, and solidarity in the face of exclusion. As birthright citizenship comes under renewed scrutiny today, their stories remind us that inclusion is an ongoing struggle that requires collective action to protect the rights of all who call this country home.
Following the reenactment, a fireside discussion featuring Professor Rose Cuison-Villazor, Professor of Law and Chancellor’s Social Justice Scholar at Rutgers Law School, will explore how the themes from the reenactment connect to contemporary issues.
Approved for 1.5 Diversity and Elimination of Bias credits. (Non-transitional ONLY)