Draft 5?? I think

As a Vietnamese-American with immigrant parents, I learned the value of an education and the necessity of knowing English well at a very young age. English may not be the official language of the United States, but it is clear that those who cannot speak or write it well are marginalized in this society. They are misunderstood and all too often passed off as unintelligent.

I have been my family's translator since the age of five. I would go to the bank with my mother and father, who came to the United States by way of a small fishing boat, a six month stint at a Malaysian refugee camp, an asylum rejection from Australia, and finally a flight sponsored by a small Boston organization that helped refugees of the Vietnam War. I would explain to the bank teller that the address on our checks was wrong, or that my mother wanted to deposit fifty dollars of her check and cash twenty-five for groceries. When I was thirteen, my mother had lost her job and I had helped her fill out job applications and wrote her resume. Sometimes I would go with my parents to the Hospital to help fill out all the administrative forms and explain to them the Doctor's advice.  Even at a young age, I realized the service we received in restaurants, in grocery stores and retail stores was inadequate due to language barriers and misunderstandings.

 

From those experiences, I had learned that ability and education were equalizers, and so in High School, I focused my attention on social studies and took Advanced Placement courses in English and US History. With the support and encouragement of my family, I choose a major in English at The George Washington University. In my pursuit to learn the language well, I grew to love it. I took a number of creative writing classes to learn how to express the intangible, and tutored disadvantaged children in the District of Columbia to learn how to teach the process of reading the language. In my senior year, I won an award for a play I wrote from George Washington University's English Department. English became more then just a means of communication. It became expression.

 

SInce graduating from The George Washington University, I have been working at T-W as a Legal Assistant. I have learned a great deal in my exploration of a career in the field of law. What we do for our clients is something I feel I have done all my life for my biggest client, my family. We answer questions about policies, procedures and the regulations for our clients. For my Father, I once went to town hall to find out out what the rules are for putting up a fence. For T-W, I'll research state banking laws for an attorney. For my family, I looked into what forms we needed to have my grandfather come visit for six months.

 

Now in the middle of my second year at T-W, I have also learned the value of interpretation, the work involved in offering opinions, and the impact that one can have as an attorney.  I have also learned that our society is made civil by having written law, and if we are to move forward to a more civil society, all the citizens of the society must be able to take part in its dialogue either as an individual or by representation. It is a dialogue I wish to take part, to understand and to continuing interpreting.