In celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Stark & Stark’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee are shining a spotlight on some of our AAPI employees.
We sat down with Chinsu Shajan, a personal injury attorney in our Hamilton office, to discuss her favorite cultural traditions, and what AAPI Heritage Month means to her.
Stark & Stark (S&S): What is your cultural identity?
Chinsu Shajan (CS): Indian American (Malayalee)
S&S: What is your favorite cultural tradition?
CS: One of my favorite cultural traditions is Onam. Onam is the biggest festival of the year in Kerala, which is where my family is from. The purpose of the festival is to celebrate the end of the monsoon season and welcome the harvest season. Onam is celebrated during August and September for 10 days full of festivities including prayers, cultural programs, boat races, dance performances, and the creation of floral designs called pookkalam. The main food eaten during the celebration is the Onam Sadhya, a meal that traditionally includes several vegetarian dishes served on a banana leaf!
S&S: What does AAPI Heritage Month mean to you?
CS: AAPI Heritage Month is the time to highlight all of the positive contributions that our culture has given to the world. Asian-American and Pacific Islander encompasses so many diverse groups of peoples and cultures which provides society with so many to learn about and explore during this month. For me personally, I take this month as an opportunity to share and expose our culture to others through food and educating people on our history.
S&S: The theme for Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month this year is advancing leaders through opportunity. How do you think we can all work to achieve this goal?
CS: The way to work to advance leaders through opportunity is to make sure there is always a seat at the table for AAPI individuals. Making sure that the table is full of diverse individuals will provide a unique group of strengths and perspectives that help make programs or policies more effective. It is also important to make sure that different leaders are given the same opportunities instead of just one individual because the perception may be then seen that company is taking a tokenistic approach versus an inclusive approach.
S&S: How do you think your culture has influenced you in your professional life?
CS: As my culture has influenced my views and values, I think it also has definitely influenced my professional life. Being a first generation Indian American, my parents immigrated to the United States so that their children could have access to better education and opportunities. My parents taught me two things that have impacted my life and career. The first is my work ethic. My parents worked tirelessly to make ends meet without any complaints and so they instilled in me to work hard for whatever I wanted, because nothing will ever be handed to me. The second thing is to always be kind and respectful to everyone regardless of status because you never know what someone went through or is going through. These attributes have helped me in my professional life and especially with my clients by being able to give them a different perspective based on my upbringing and the values that were instilled in me.
S&S: What do you hope to see for the AAPI community in the future?
CS: I would like to see more AAPI representation in all facets of the legal community.
