Author Archives: Tim

About Tim

I'm a Chinese/Taiwanese-American, born in Taiwan, raised on Long Island, went to college in Philadelphia, tried Wall Street and then moved to the California Bay Area to work in high tech in 1990. I'm a recent dad and husband. Other adjectives that describe me include: son, brother, geek, DIYer, manager, teacher, tinkerer, amateur horologist, gay, and occasional couch potato. I write for about 5 different blogs including 8Asians. When not doing anything else, I like to challenge people's preconceived notions of who I should be.

Asian American Lawmakers Push For Asian Themed Stamps

Posted on July 7, 2010 by Tim

If you’re a stamp collector like I am, you’re familiar with the terms commemorative and definitive. Commemorative stamps are typically limited issue, and typically honor or celebrate a certain theme, individual, event or object. Definitive stamps are the ones issued … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events, Politics | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Daniel Inouye Now Highest Ranking Asian American in U.S.

Posted on July 2, 2010 by Tim

After Senator Robert Byrd (D-West Virginia) passed away, Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, was sworn in as the Senate president pro tempore last Wednesday. The position, customarily reserved for the most senior senator in the majority, puts Inouye as third in … Continue reading →

Posted in (simple), Current Events, Politics | 1 Comment

Chinese More Likely to Be Nearsighted

Posted on June 18, 2010 by Tim

Embedded in this week’s news on a new study on Chinese children who need glasses (it’s estimated as much as 60% of rural Chinese children need glasses, but many don’t get them), was this quote from an Oxford researcher: “People … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Family, Health | 5 Comments

Smell of Chinese Herbs Mistaken for “Toxic Chemicals,” Stops SFO Flight

Posted on June 7, 2010 by Tim

Anyone who grew up a child of Chinese immigrants can probably relate to the embarrassment of having to use medicines that aren’t commonplace in American society, especially those that leave an unmistakable odor. Just this week, the smell from Chinese … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events, Family, Health | 11 Comments

A Reminder About Our Not So Distant Past

Posted on May 28, 2010 by Tim

As Asian American Heritage month draws to a close, I discovered a great article about the recent history of Asian Americans. It’s a history lesson provided by Jenn Fang on some of the recent discriminatory laws and events that have … Continue reading →

Posted in Discrimination, Education, History | Leave a comment

The Chopstick Story

Posted on May 26, 2010 by Tim

Some time around my thirtieth birthday, my parents sat me down and gave me some of the treasured family heirlooms. Within the cache were two pairs of silver chopsticks, they were made with a round barrel, carved on the far … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Food & Drink, History | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

Why the Arizona Immigration Law Affects Asians

Posted on May 6, 2010 by Tim

Living in the SF Bay Area, where it’s obviously more liberal than other parts of the country, it’s not hard to find opposition to Arizona’s new law on immigration SB1070. Dig a little deeper and you’ll usually find there’s not … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events, Discrimination, Politics | Tagged , , | 16 Comments

When One Stereotype Begets Another

Posted on April 23, 2010 by Tim

As a member of one race or ethnicity you may sometimes think there’s no harm in perpetuating stereotypes of other races or ethnicities besides your own. That’s where you may be surprised to find out you’d be wrong. A recent … Continue reading →

Posted in Discrimination, Education, Observations | Tagged , | 13 Comments

Spate of Violence Against Asians in DC, Oakland Prompt Concern

Posted on April 20, 2010 by Tim

There was unfortunately a couple of prominent news articles highlighting violence against Asians this week. Most recently comes the news that actor Kal Penn was mugged at gun point in Washington D.C. Penn is in DC working in the Office … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events, Discrimination, Local, San Francisco Bay Area | Tagged | 9 Comments

Asian Responsibility: Giving Back To Your Parents

Posted on April 9, 2010 by Tim

The practice of giving your parents money is probably much more common in Asian-American immigrant families than in any other sub-culture. As an Asian-American son of immigrants I felt the pressure of having to give back to my parents my … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Observations | Tagged , | 13 Comments

When Is It Stereotype and When Is It Just You?

Posted on March 11, 2010 by Tim

I was intrigued when I first read Jennifer’s post over at Mixed Race America on things we avoid just to avoid perpetuating a stereotype. For example, when you’re at the food court in the mall, do you avoid going to … Continue reading →

Posted in (featured), Discrimination, Lifestyles, Observations | 12 Comments

$110 For A Bowl Of Ramen

Posted on February 18, 2010 by Tim

Food is a common topic on 8asians, especially ramen noodles. So when a news article comes out on a bowl of noodles that costs $110 a bowl, of course we have to let you know about it. The “Five-Taste Blend … Continue reading →

Posted in (simple), Food & Drink | 1 Comment