Diversity & Inclusion Newsletter December 2015 2015 DIVERSITY NEWSLETTER FENWICK & WEST LLP Relevant News Stephen Graham is listed as one of the most influential people in D.C. who can affect your small business. To read more, please click here. Jennifer Fuller and Larissa Neumann are nominated for the Tax Analysts inaugural Top Women in Tax Award. To read more about the award, please click here.
Pro Bono News
A hearty note of appreciation to Deborah Kang, Priscila Bastazin, Akshay Panchavati and Chris King for volunteering at the Citizenship Workshop in Redwood City on December 8. Many thanks to Kelly Yang and Victoria Wong for volunteering at Project Homeless Connect at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium on December 16. Thank you to Nam Kim, Christine Chen, Carly Bittman and Priscila Bastazin for volunteering at the Legal Advice and Referral Clinic at UC Hastings on December 19.
Diversity Events Charity Bike Build: The Fenwick team had an amazing time building bicycles for children from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Silicon Valley. UPCOMING EVENT: On January 27 th, Zahra Billoo, executive director of CAIR San Francisco Bay Area, will be speaking about bias, civil rights issues in the Muslim community and concrete actions that everyone can do to help. More details will come as the event date approaches. Did You Know? December 10 is Human Rights Day, when United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a document establishing a common standard for human achievement for all peoples and nations, rotted in the values of freedom, equality, solidarity, tolerance, respect and shared responsibility. Created by Maulana Karenga in 1965, Kwanzaa is a week long celebration, known to be the first specifically African American holiday in the U.S. Kwanzaa in Swahili means the harvest. The purpose of the holiday was for African Americans to reconnect with their Pan African roots and celebrate seven core principles such as unity, creativity, and faith. The holiday is observed from December 26th to January 1st. Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem during the Maccaban Revolt against the Seleucid Empire. Hanukkah in Hebrew means to dedicate. The
Hebrew calendar is used to observe this holiday from the 25th day of Kislev. The dates may fall anywhere from late November to late December. It is observed for eight nights and days. Some of the festivities may include lighting a nine branch menorah (one per each holiday night), playing dreidel, and eating oil based foods. Las Posadas is a nine day celebration that begins on December 16. Posada in Spanish means lodging or accommodation, in which Mary and Joseph seek shelter in Bethlehem. Catholics originated it in Spain; Mexico adapted it since it overlapped with the birth of an Aztec God in December. Las Posadas has now been a Mexican tradition for over 400 years. A play of Mary and Joseph searching shelter is reenacted outside the local neighborhood and community members sing carols. A house is chosen as the designated innkeeper. A festivity is hosted with atole (warm corn starch drink), hot tamales and a piñata filled with candy for children. Mexican American families have popularized this festivity in the last few decades. Pancha Ganapati is a modern Hindu festival celebrated from December 21st to the 25th. It was created in Hawaii in 1985 as an alternative to the December holidays. During these five days, families practice spiritual discipline known as Sadhana. A shrine is created with pine boughs or banana leaves to honor Lord Ganesha to commemorate the future and forget past mistakes. Each day different sweets and gifts are given to children to place on the shrine as offerings, and cannot be open until the fifth day. It s also tradition for children to decorate or dress in the color that represents that day (i.e. golden yellow on December 21, next day royal blue, then ruby red, followed by emerald green, and finally brilliant orange). Source Parting Thought Yassmin Abdel-Magied: What does my headscarf mean to you? What do you think when you look at this speaker? Well, think again. (And then again.) In this funny, honest, empathetic talk, Yassmin Abdel Magied challenges us to look beyond our initial perceptions,
and to open doors to new ways of supporting others. To view the video, please click here. Questions or comments regarding the newsletter? Email Diversity Events