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andrea.brobeil@ropesgray.com

Although many people of mixed ethnicity often report feeling out of place or not really fitting in, my own personal story is quite the opposite. While my father's whiteness is rather unremarkable, my mother, who is ethnically Chinese but born and raised in Thailand, is just as mixed up as me. All this makes the "What are you?" question even more difficult to answer, because I've never really decided what I "am." Although being an ethnicity that's neither here nor there can make it hard to find a place where you really fit in, it can also increase your adaptability and capacity to relate to people who might otherwise be considered different from you.

One of the things that I love about our firm is that Ropes & Gray doesn't make you decide what you are — either professionally or personally. We are all lawyers, but some of us are also mothers, hockey players, or active participants in our communities. Although being a lawyer is part of our identity, it is not what defines our identity. Likewise, the Attorneys of Color (AOC) Group appreciates the idea that diversity comes in all different forms, and all people of color are welcome without having to select a racial identity or justify their authenticity. For me, the AOC Group was a significant part of my summer experience, and many of my best friends at the firm were friends I made through it. I am really encouraged to see that the attorneys of color at the firm continue to be committed to the group and its goals even as their careers progress to be senior associates and partners.

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