We’re talking about underrepresented and marginalized communities that span across gender, across race and ethnicity, and also include the disability community and the LGBTQ+ community, which are en the forgotten minorities in the law. So through the power of allyship, I think it’s really important that we all think about getting outside of our own particular lane and standing up for other communities.

I see that here at JANM, the Japanese American National Museum is dedicated to preserving our story, the story of our parents and grandparents, but using it as the lens through which we view what’s happening today with civil rights and social justice. And I’m very proud that our community was, for instance, the very first to speak out after 9/11 on behalf of the Muslim community. And we said, never again, we’re going to resist, having happened to Muslim young men the same thing that happened to our parents and grandparents. And that’s another example of allyship.

So we see it more than ever today in 2025, when the executive orders that are being issued by the current administration are putting all marginalized communities at great risk. And I like to think that JANM, as the beacon of democracy and civil rights and social justice, is going to continue in its role to fight on behalf of all underserved communities.

And that’s what I’m trying to do in the work that I do with the Bar Association and diversity, equity, and inclusion. So if I had to boil it down to a single word, I would say that we need to continue to be strong allies for all communities in standing up for the rule of law and the preservation of democracy.