Lawyers Respond to “My Dad, The Illegal Immigrant”

To readers of this blog—thank you for encouraging me to share my Dad’s story more widely. Your responses truly made a difference here.

Law360 published my op-ed piece today. Here are responses (redacted).

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Dear Mr. LeRoy:

I enjoyed reading your article in today’s Law360 report.  As an immigrant myself, I appreciate your willingness to stand up for the less fortunate and for principles that transcend political affiliations.   Hopefully the silent majority have learned the lessons of the past and will not make the same mistakes again. 

It sounds like your father was a very honorable and decent man, qualities that we could do with at this point in our nation’s history.  This morning, I think he would be very proud of you.

Best regards,

Princeton, NJ

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You’ve probably gotten a lot of email thanking you for that article. I want to add my name to the list. The Orsini family came to America from Italy in 1939 after the Fascists knocked on the door and ordered my grandfather to join the party.  They were treated well. My grandmother was completely illiterate, my aunt the eldest child had to quit school to work in the family restaurant restaurant. My grandfather had an elementary school education, my father graduated from high school. Five of the seven first generation cousins are college graduates, all of our children are. My son was accepted into Yale last year (he turned them down). That’s America.

Trump and his supporters have given me insight into Hitler and his, a “charismatic” bully who gives the economically distressed a scapegoat to pin their hatred and frustrations on  in a time of titanic historical shift too complicated to comprehend. Monstrous evil, although I don’t think of Hitler as a moron.

Sacramento, CA

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Professor LeRoy,

I truly appreciated your article, “OPINION: My Dad, The Illegal Refugee Who Hired Americans,” run in Law360.  Thank you for using your personal story and insight to make an extremely important point.  Based on the narrative you shared, your father was a wonderful man, and I enjoyed reading about him.

All best,

San Antonio, TX

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Dear Professor LeRoy,

I’m a labor attorney in Miami and subscribe to Employment Law 360.  I really enjoyed reading your article about your father.  It was very inspiring.

All the best,

Lisa

Miami, FL