For Jingjing Zhang, this work isn’t about money. She’s never chased contingency fees or the kind of fame some crusading lawyers seek. Her rewards are quieter: a nonprofit salary, the trust of community partners, fragile progress. “I believe every case is a step forward,” she said during a recent interview. “Even if we lose, we show people that the law can be a tool for them — that they have rights.”

My parents are from Taiwan, but I was born and raised in the U.S. and am an American passport holder. Not that it mattered. In these situations, there is nothing one can do to reshape rooted perceptions.