CA Fwd has named Karin Wang, vice president of programs and communications for the Asian Pacific American Legal Center, a Forward Thinker, for her work fighting for justice and working to improve life for immigrants, the poor, the disenfranchised and others whose voices are not heard.
Wang was born in Michigan and grew up in the American Midwest. As a child of Taiwanese descent, she became aware that she was “kind of different” from other youngsters around her. Then came the 1982 murder case of Vincent Chin in Highland Park, Mich. He was beaten to death by two men who blamed him for losing their autoworker jobs to foreign car competitors. The shocking killing united the Asian American community in the cause of justice and anti-discrimination. The two men, however, never served a day in prison. Wang said, “I realized the legal system is not always just.”
Those early experiences sparked her interest in civil rights and fairness and, ultimately, spurred Wang to earn a law degree and dedicate her life to helping disenfranchised communities.
To read Wang’s full profile, go to our Forward Thinkers page. You may also tell us about a Forward Thinker you know in your community.
