Why She’s Interesting: Before moving to Akron, Sharma spent 20 years representing undocumented workers, refugees and asylum seekers in California. Today, she’s a go-to resource and support system for communities facing U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement raids and the threat of deportation in Ohio, as well as a welcoming face for Akron’s only refugee resettlement community.
Pass Fail: The worst grade Sharma ever received was in her immigration law class. She’d already moved to Los Angeles and started looking for work in immigration law when she got her results: about a C. “I ended up calling my professor and asking, ‘Should I really be doing this for a living?’ I think if I had pursued any other area of law I would have hated it.”
Safe Passage: Sharma was drawn to immigration law, in part, because she was an immigrant. Her family moved from Punjab, India, to Cincinnati when Sharma was a baby. “In India, at that time, and even today, there’s a culture where getting out was considered succeeding.”
Home Front: Before working at the International Institute of Akron, Sharma traveled to India in 2013 to meet some of her extended family for the first time. The experience made her even more grateful for her parents’ decision to immigrate to America. “I’m single. I don’t have children. I’ve poured my heart and passion into relationships in my life that aren’t necessarily defined by a matriarchal connection. I don’t think I could be that type of person if I had been raised as a woman in India.”
Helping Hand: In 2011, Sharma was awarded the Congressional Certificate of Honor for her work representing undocumented people who had been smuggled illegally across the U.S. border and then held hostage. As a result of her work, the victims were awarded visas in exchange for testifying against the smugglers. “It was a time when local homeland security investigators were really ready to work with us and not just deport and incarcerate victims.”
Written Word: In her spare time, Sharma writes short stories and poetry. “Writing replenishes me. As an introvert, it helps get those things that are inside of me outside.”
Self Care: Ten years ago, the stories of the refugees and asylum seekers Sharma was trying to help would wake her in the middle of the night. She sought therapy for secondary trauma, and now spends a lot of time urging other activists to do the same. “In order to do this sort of work, you need to find a space where you connect to the trauma, while also finding a way to recognize it as separate from you.”
Interesting Fact:
Sharma bought a plane ticket to Burma for her 40th birthday. It was the first time in her adult life that she had ever taken more than a two-week vacation.
Most Interesting People 2020: Madhu Sharma
The International Institute of Akron's executive director offers safe haven for Akron's only refugee resettlement community.
