Judge Jefferson is Englewood’s current Presiding Municipal Judge. He is a proud Chinese American from the City of Englewood, growing up within his family’s Chinese restaurant. He later earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Science from Cornell University and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Denver. After founding his own law firm, Judge Jefferson represented Englewood as the first Chinese American mayor in Colorado history (2015-2018) and was elected as Presiding Municipal Judge after his term, where he serves to this day. Besides serving the public, Judge Jefferson has worked extensively with organizations such as the International Leadership Foundation to promote Asian American engagement in civics and law.

Q: What was your experience being half Caucasian and half Chinese growing up, and why have you identified as an Asian American for most of your life?

“My father is a multi-generational American with Western European roots, and my mother is one hundred percent Chinese. Growing up, I saw myself as wholly American, and I viewed my racial identity as Chinese. However, I found that my Chinese friends viewed me as American Caucasian, while my American friends viewed me as Chinese. I struggled a bit with that identity issue and had to find a balance between my two identities. Knowing that I’m part of such a unique Chinese culture helps me reconcile the differences between my identities. I view myself as Chinese more than anything else. But ultimately, I see myself as wholly American and wholly Chinese if that makes sense.”

Q: How has your experience as being Asian American impacted your career?

“It has had both positive and negative impacts: Young Asian American professionals have unique challenges— they need to acquire networking skills. One of the challenges Asian Americans face in networking is dealing with stereotypes, which usually have both negative and positive effects. For example, the stereotype that Asian Americans are “hard working and good at math” could work favorably. However, negative stereotypes about Asian Americans’ aptitude in leadership, civics and law could hold us back. For that reason, my mission is to encourage future generations in the direction of leadership, civics, and law, because Asian Americans have much to offer to those categories.”

Q: What inspired you to go into law?

“Growing up in a non-English speaking household forced me to take responsibility for those around me; I had to help my mother navigate legal systems at an early age. I quickly realized that legal systems are overly complicated, and I realized that I had a duty to help people navigate such systems. In order to help others, I had to understand and study civics and law. By going into law, I was able to empower myself to help people help themselves.”
 

Q: During your tenures as mayor and judge, have you had any memorable experiences that have really impacted you? What were they?

“Being the mayor empowered me by allowing me to have meaningful conversations with stakeholders in the community. Now that I’m the presiding judge, I have a really unique opportunity to impact lives in a different manner. Sometimes, I have the opportunity to see previous work come full circle. For example, when I was a municipal judge, I saw a homeless veteran prosecuted under municipal ordinance for drinking in public. I encouraged him to look for housing resources and counseling for his drinking problem, and restore his relationships with his family. A few months later, the veteran was receiving counseling service and was able to acquire housing at an affordable housing complex that I had the privilege of approving. Helping one of our veterans “connect the dots” through our services and seeing his success was a memorable experience. As I saw him transform his life, I could see his sense of self-worth and pride blossom in front of me: This is the true reward of my job.”

Q: According to one public policy survey, approximately one-fourth of Americans (26%) can correctly name all three branches of government. How can we get Americans in general more involved in fulfilling their civic duty?

“I like to try to understand impact on an individual level. Whether you like it or not, you are engaged in a social contract that requires the presence of law and civics in your life. When you realize that, you can either be an active or passive participant in law and civics. Soon, you realize that it’s in your best interest to take some responsibility in these processes, and it’s even a moral obligation to do so in order to contribute to your community. It’s a part of cultural identity too. For example, we Asian Americans consider ourselves to be part of this larger community even though we live states away from each other, and that’s one of the reasons we’re talking about law and civics here today.”

Q: What influences throughout your life helped you develop your “civic mentality”?

“My mother was born in North Korea. Later, during the Korean War, my grandfather fled North Korea in the middle of the night, relocating the whole family farm below the 38th parallel. Shortly after, Taiwan came to recruit foreign Chinese to help build their new country, and my mother and uncle were able to relocate and receive free education in Taiwan. These events opened up the opportunity for my mother to arrive in America and live the American dream. She opened a Chinese restaurant in Englewood and was accepted by the rest of the community. 

I realized that we needed to pass on the opportunity of the American Dream to future generations. My mother lived that American dream due to the system of law and civics, which allowed her to freely seek happiness. Recently, I’ve also come to realize that the American dream is somewhat fragile— things are dynamic and can change easily. Within one generation, this wonderful thing that we’ve built over hundreds of years could be squandered or lost. It’s up to the next generation to protect this beacon of hope that is the American dream.”

Q: How did you get involved with the International Leadership Foundation, and what is your role as a Honorary National Advisor?

“My mother helped found the Colorado chapter of ILF. We have lots of family friends engaged in ILF, so I was happy to be engaged when Chiling Tong and other ILF leaders reached out. As an Honorary National Advisor, my role centers around civics and law. I help brainstorm with ILF leadership to create youth programs that focus on law and civics, and I also advise ILF leadership where they might need additional expertise.” 

Q: Lastly, you were interested in a business career before transitioning to law. Given the current situation, what advice would you give young Asian Americans who are looking to apply to college but are unsure of what path to take?

“As a young person, time is on your side. During your undergrad years, you have the opportunity to determine your strengths and weaknesses, as well as discover opportunities that you want to pursue. Even if your goals aren’t mapped out, you can use the undergrad experience to plan your next step after college. I know people with very generalized degrees, such as business or liberal arts, that ended up going into specialized careers. As such, you aren’t really painting yourself into a corner with your degree. I’d suggest a basic business background or any technical skill for your degree: Law, political science or business will keep doors open for you after you graduate.”