The immigration lawyer who hid her undocumented past

Available for over a year

Qian Julie Wang arrived in the United States from China at the age of 7. Her family didn’t have permission to be in the country and so she always told people she’d been born there. But after fulfilling her ambition to become a lawyer, her secret became harder to bear. She was often working on immigration and deportation cases, and found it painful and conflicting to make judgements when she’d been in a similar situation. She then faced an agonising dilemma: to keep her secret or come clean. She knew that either decision could potentially mean the end of her career. Beautiful Country is by Qian Julie Wang. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Emily Webb Producer: Katy Takatsuki Picture: Qian Julie Wang Credit: Ryan Muir