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.

How To Be A Bad Asian: Not Putting Your Kids In a Good School

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Tim

Life is hard enough as an Asian. Not all of us can get perfect SAT  scores, graduate from medical school, or trick out a Honda Civic. The pressure to embrace our culture remains, but sometimes, we just don’t want to. How … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Family, How To Be A Bad Asian, Lifestyles | 9 Comments

“Xinghun”, the Cooperative Marriage in China

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Tim

Being gay and Asian means hiding a part of yourself from many in your life, and this is especially true in Asian countries compared with those of us who are fortunate enough to live in the United States or Canada. … Continue reading →

Posted in Dating, Family, LGBT, Lifestyles | 3 Comments

Asian Americans Most Responsive To Social Media Ads

Posted on December 27, 2012 by Tim

A new study from Nielsen reveals that the influence of ads on social media sites, varies greatly between ethnicities, and it turns out Asian Americans are most likely to respond to ads they see on sites like Facebook. Nielsen rated … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Current Events, Lifestyles | 1 Comment

Christmas In A Chinese Restaurant Or McDonald’s?

Posted on December 20, 2012 by Tim

This time of year, for those who do not celebrate Christmas, and those who do not have family to celebrate Christmas with, there’s always the question of where you can go to eat on Christmas day, and traditionally that answer … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Current Events, Family, Food | 1 Comment

The Boy Versus Girl Debate

Posted on December 4, 2012 by Tim

Anyone familiar with Asian culture already knows about the gender imbalance going on in many Asian countries, that there’s statistically more boys in countries like China and India, than there are girls, where there’s a cultural bias for having boys. … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Lifestyles | 9 Comments

When The (White) Husband Doesn’t Want An Asian Baby

Posted on December 3, 2012 by Tim

There’s an interesting letter circulating the internet on Dear Prudence’s advice column. Dear Prudence is one of those Dear Abby/Ann Landers columns, on manners and morals, and this particular letter comes from a Caucasian husband married to an East Asian … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events, Discrimination, Family, Lifestyles | 29 Comments

Taiwanese To Gain Visa-Free Travel To US

Posted on October 4, 2012 by Tim

Taiwan becomes the 37th country to be allowed visa-free travel to the United States. Taiwanese can now visit the U.S. without having to apply for a visa, after Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced Taiwan’s addition to the U.S. visa-waiver … Continue reading →

Posted in (simple), Current Events | Leave a comment

Sikh Woman With Facial Hair Generates Online Controversy

Posted on October 3, 2012 by Tim

A Ohio State University student posted a picture of a woman with facial hair wearing a turban to Reddit in mid-September of 2012 with the caption “I’m not sure what to conclude from this.” That posting led to varied responses … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events, Discrimination, Lifestyles, Religion | Leave a comment

Asian American Children More Likely To Need Glasses

Posted on August 9, 2012 by Tim

A new study of school-aged children (5 to 16), that covered the period of 1989 to 2009, showed that Asian American children developed myopia (near-sightedness) more often than children of any other race. 27.3 percent of Asians, 21.4 percent of … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Health | 2 Comments

More Asian Americans Moved Home During the Recession

Posted on August 8, 2012 by Tim

News reports have already shown that Asian Americans were hit hardest by the “Great Recession,” but a new report based on census data, showed that among young adults (age 20 to 34) who moved home to live with their parents, … Continue reading →

Posted in (simple), Business, Family | Leave a comment

American “French Fry Brother” In China Goes Viral For Act Of Charity

Posted on June 5, 2012 by Tim

Jason Loose, a 23 year old American living in China recently became an Internet sensation in China, after photos of his act of kindness went viral. It’s estimated there’s over 150,000 posts about him on China’s microblogging sites. Loose was … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events | 29 Comments

Manhood Posters Celebrate Asian American Masculinity

Posted on May 30, 2012 by Tim

A new series of posters from San Francisco artist, Deborah Enrile Lao celebrates Asian American masculinity. The series, titled “Manhood,” consists of screen printed posters of five iconic Asian American men—Richard Aoki, George Takei, Jeremy Lin, Bruce Lee and DJ … Continue reading →

Posted in The Arts | 1 Comment