The Queens County Women’s Bar Association, in conjunction with the Equal Justice in the Courts Committee of the Queens Supreme Court, celebrated Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month by examining landmark United States Supreme Court decisions that have shaped the rights of Asian Americans throughout U.S. history. The panel featured judges, practitioners, and scholars who analyzed three pivotal cases: Korematsu, Thind, and Lum. The discussion highlighted the struggles faced by AAPI residents in their fight for equal protection under the law—including the right to citizenship, access to education, and freedom from government-imposed internment based solely on one’s background.
As President of the Queens County Women’s Bar Association and the daughter of immigrant parents from India, Preet Gill aimed to raise awareness of the history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States. Her goal was to highlight that the rights we often take for granted today were secured through the resilience and determination of individuals like Thind, Korematsu, and Lum—even when their legal battles ended in defeat. The constitutional rights we cherish were not freely given, but earned through persistent struggle and advocacy over generations.