The World Cup at DLG

July 6, 2018 Joseph McKeown

Gaby anxiously watching the first half of the Colombia vs. England game.

This week's Colombia vs. England game led to some tense moments for the firm. Gaby, who is from Colombia, watched nervously here in New York as the two teams battled it out. Protima, traveling in England, held her breath as the game went into penalty shootouts. When England won the shootout 4-3, the office consoled Gaby, and Protima joined the massive celebrations in England where everyone was relieved that they had finally won their first World Cup penalty shootout. England will play Sweden this weekend. Good luck to both teams (okay, maybe a little more luck to England)!

My Immigration Story

April 5, 2018 Gabriella Jassir

Immigration has always been a central component to my family’s story, one that can be traced back through several generations. Although my grandparents, parents, and I were all born in Barranquilla, Colombia, my paternal great-grandparents were born in Bethlehem, Palestine. In the early 1900s, seeking better economic opportunities, they immigrated to the port city of Barranquilla, joining the large community of Christian Arabs living in the region. They, like the majority of people in this ethnic group, fully assimilated to Colombia. My grandfather was born there, later meeting my grandmother who is not Arabic, but instead, like many Colombians including my mother, is descended from a mix of European immigrants.

Gabriella Jassir: The DLG-Proust-Actors Studio Questionnaire

December 7, 2017 Joseph McKeown

When Gabriella was seven years old, her family moved from Barranquilla, Colombia, to Tampa, Florida. This experience sparked her first interest in learning about immigration law. As a junior in high school, she attended her naturalization ceremony along with her father and sister at the Tampa Convention Center. “It was really exciting because everyone was so happy,” she says. “The ceremony itself was cool. There was probably around 200 to 300 people, but they called out all the different countries that had people nationalizing: Colombia, Brazil, and many more. It was interesting seeing how diverse everyone was.”