[It's the Interns] Meet Claire Shin

It is time to meet our AMAZING Interns!

Advancing Justice-Atlanta Interns are here and "It's the Interns" series goes in-depth about who is working behind and in front of the scene to Build Power for Good in the South!

·    Hello! Tell us little about yourself

Hi! I'm Claire Shin, and I'm a Korean-American living in Savannah, Georgia. I'm a rising junior studying Political Science and Asian American Studies at Wellesley College. I am part of the executive team of the college's Asian Alliance, which strives to empower Asians in America through advocacy and political awareness while forming inter-minority coalitions with other students groups.  My hobbies include gaming, watching movies, and cosplaying. I'm also an enthusiast of music and Shakespeare.

·    What made you decide to apply for this internship?

I first heard of Asian Americans Advancing Justice after attending a Korean American Medical Association conference where Executive Director, Helen Ho was the keynote speaker. Listening to her keynote speech sparked my interest in the affairs of the Asian American community. Since then, I have studied Asian American history alongside with Political Science, taking an avid interest in Asian American politics and legal affairs. 

·    What is your expectation and what would you like to get out of the internship experience?

I applied for this internship as I wanted to gain experience and learn as much as I can as this is the work I will pursue in the future; I also desired to work in the office founded by my inspirational figure. Despite Asian Americans featuring prominently in the title of this organization, I have learned that it also assists in immigration issues pertaining to other people of color, such as Latinos(/as/x). I want to learn more about not just immigration, but about immigrant life and how to empower these communities. I hope to learn more about people whose voices are silenced in mainstream media and how to help bring about positive change to their lives.

·    Tell us your personal narrative on being Asian in America

I was born and raised in the South, and I wasn't able to interact with Koreans or other Asian Americans due to the surfeit of them in the small Georgia town where I lived. As such, I always felt like an outsider to Asian American culture and affairs, and I was determined to learn not only about my own culture but also that of others like me in college. The more I learned about Asian American history, I also learned of the struggles our community still faces, and was inspired to help empower the Asian American community and to promote our voices.

·    What role would you like to play in Asian American Community in the future?

At the moment, I don't have a concrete role I would like to fill in the Asian American community, but I know I want to be a part of promoting Asian Americans in the political sphere or through popular media, whether it's assisting with voter registration or producing a television show with prominent roles of color that go beyond the media stereotypes. Maybe both.

·    What is your song of the year?

My choice for song of the year would be "I Really Like You" by Carly Rae Jepsen. It's less annoying than "Call Me Maybe" and there's an awesome Vine by a Korean user named 햄튜브 ("hamtube" woah when did my font change) who emulates this song as an ode to her cat, which I strongly identify with. Here, I'll link it, it's very important: https://vine.co/v/eWggmLLxhp0

·    Any Last words???

I'm honestly so excited to get to work here after dreaming about this internship since high school, and I'm so grateful I get to work with amazingly talented, wonderfully kind people!