October 25, 2022
October 2022: Robert Landicho
Robert Landicho (he/him)
Robert Landicho, Counsel, Vinson & Elkins LLP; Board Member, Houston ACS Lawyer Chapter
On Pilipino-American Heritage Month
I am the son of two Pilipino immigrants, who migrated in the early 1980s. I have learned that being Pilipino anywhere in the world means that your identity is complex. Pilipinos are everywhere and nowhere all at the same time.
Pilipinos are the people that take care of other people's children.
Pilipinos are the ones that clean your hotel room.
Pilipinos are the nurses that care for you in the hospital when you are sick.
The Pilipino-American community has some of the warmest and kindest personalities you will ever meet. This is especially the case amongst Pilipino attorneys in America, who are more than willing to go above and beyond to help.
But we are not seen as leaders of law firms. We are not seen as political leaders in America. It is a fight to ensure that we are not invisible or taken advantage of. Being Pilipino-American and an attorney is therefore a huge privilege and responsibility. But always something to be proud and thankful for. For Pilipino-American Heritage Month, I am grateful to all the Pilipino-American trailblazers that have come before me and who continue to lift us up, share our stories, and inspire the next generation of changemakers.