Diversity Journal Profiles Alison Chen and Arshi Siddiqui as Asian Leaders Worth Watching

Diversity Journal has profiled Akin Gump corporate partner Alison Chen and public law and policy partner Arshi Siddiqui as part of its inaugural “Asian Leaders Worth Watching” series.

As part of her profile, Chen spoke about the importance of having a diverse group of mentors. As a first-generation immigrant, she said, she relied heavily on her teachers and professors to guide her throughout her schooling career and then found mentors at work to be her “pillars of support.” Chen said she now spends “a great amount of time mentoring junior attorneys and law students, especially those that are diverse.”

The pandemic has not prevented Chen from providing mentorship to others, she noted, having recently participated in Akin Gump-sponsored panels as well as programs held by the University of Houston Law Center, her alma mater. Mentorship is powerful, she added, and she hopes to continue to “pave the way for the future generation of young lawyers.” (To read the full profile of her, please click here.)

Siddiqui spoke about the spirit and importance of doing more during the pandemic and this time of change, observing that the past year has “amplified so many of the societal challenges we are facing, driving home the need to rebuild for the future.” She sees some glimmers of hope, she said, “whether in the nationwide protests in the wake of [George Floyd] or gestures of solidarity in response to a dangerous increase in hate crimes against the [Asian American and Pacific Islanders] community.”

While some of the values—hard work, public service and reverence for elders, among others—that were ingrained in her when she was younger feel somewhat under attack, Siddiqui said the acts of violence “have also brought people together based on shared values, underscoring lessons of [her] childhood and the responsibility to do more.” As a result, she is now devoting a greater amount of time to diversity initiatives and continuing to leverage her skill set “to do [her] small part during this time of change.” (To read the full profile of her, please click here.)