Mia, myself and I - the secret I kept until 60
It was only when she was 60 that Japanese-American lawyer Mia Yamamoto felt ready to begin her transition.
Mia Yamamoto was born during World War Two in an internment camp in Arizona and, as a Japanese-American, spent her early life facing racial prejudice. She followed her father into the legal profession and soon had a successful career, often representing people who were on death row. This made it all the more difficult to be open and honest about who she really was, because Mia had been born Michael. Mia was so worried about how transitioning might affect her clients that it wasn't until she was 60 that she felt able to finally come out. She was to become California’s first trans trial lawyer
Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Katy Takatsuki & Lina Chang
Get in touch: [email protected]
Photo: Mia Yamamoto. Credit: Ken Fong
Last on
Broadcasts
- Mon 3 Apr 202311:06GMTBBC World Service
- Mon 3 Apr 202317:06GMTBBC World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
- Mon 3 Apr 202321:06GMTBBC World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
- Tue 4 Apr 202302:06GMTBBC World Service
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