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.

Cooperation: Another Reason For A Bamboo Ceiling?

Posted on May 30, 2011 by Tim

A new study in Organization Science found some interesting differences in the way Americans and Chinese perceive what is considered cooperation. In many cases the American respondents and Chinese respondents selected exactly opposite actions as examples of “cooperation.” On one … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Observations | Tagged | 10 Comments

How Culture Affects Our Perception In The Face Of Death

Posted on May 26, 2011 by Tim

Like anything else, it turns out the way we respond to our mortality is influenced by our culture. A new study in Psychological Science reveals the differences between European Americans and Asian Americans in the way they react to their … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Health, Lifestyles, Observations | 10 Comments

Mother’s Day with 8Asians: Mourning Comes Too Early

Posted on May 5, 2011 by Tim

8Asians is celebrating Mother’s Day all week (Pssst…Don’t forget, it’s May 8th!) by doing what we do best: writing about the women who raised us, nurtured us, taught us, spoiled us, protected us and occasionally for some, drove us up … Continue reading →

Posted in Family | Leave a comment

Fatting In: Asian Immigrants Gaining Weight To Fit In

Posted on May 4, 2011 by Tim

A new study is showing that immigrants are choosing American foods and American portion sizes, part of something they call “fatting in,” where immigrant groups eat high-calorie American meals to fit in with American culture. From the press release: Immigrants … Continue reading →

Posted in Discrimination, Family, Food & Drink, Health | 8 Comments

Being Bilingual May Boost Brain Power

Posted on April 19, 2011 by Tim

The latest study on the brain and the ability to speak multiple languages, shows that even when a bilingual person is speaking one language, the portion of the brain that processes the other language remains active, From the NPR article … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Lifestyles | Tagged | 12 Comments

Finding Science in Acupuncture

Posted on April 18, 2011 by Tim

My sister is a doctor and like me, she grew up in the United States, speaks primarily English, went to a prominent medical school, and today is part of a private practice. On the other hand my mom was an … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Health | 4 Comments

Why Is My Daughter Fascinated with Blonde Hair?

Posted on April 14, 2011 by Tim

There’s a pretty common expression, and I’m sure you’ve heard it as well, “Kids say the darndest things”. It was also the name of a 90’s TV show hosted by Bill Cosby. The general idea is that out of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Fashion, Lifestyles, Observations | 60 Comments

Asians, Blacks Still Hurt More In A Mixed Economy

Posted on April 12, 2011 by Tim

New unemployment numbers continue to show that Asians and Black Americans continue to lose ground, while whites and Hispanics are making up lost ground as the economy added 216,000 jobs in March. While the government claims America is in recovery, … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Current Events | 9 Comments

Finding & Understanding Asian Masculinity

Posted on April 5, 2011 by Tim

There’s been a number of recent discussions and blog posts on Asian manliness and masculinity in the blogosphere. It’s a topic that’s been covered on 8Asians as well, and one of the main drivers of this discussion topic has been … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Health, LGBT, Lifestyles, Observations | 25 Comments

Chinese Anchor Baby & Maternity Tourist Industry Come To Light

Posted on March 31, 2011 by Tim

I wasn’t born in the United States, but came here the way most Asian immigrants did in the late sixties and early seventies. We were part of the official pool of immigrants that the U.S. government let emigrate to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Discrimination, Family, Southern California | 6 Comments

When Being Half Asian Isn’t Asian Enough

Posted on March 30, 2011 by Tim

Having a 5 year old daughter of mixed race (Chinese and Caucasian), I’ve often worried she wouldn’t be accepted as Chinese by other Chinese or Caucasian by Caucasians, and living in some in-between land. So far we’ve been lucky; there’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Discrimination, Family, Local, Southern California, Sports | 50 Comments

A Guide To A Buddhist/Chinese/American Funeral

Posted on March 29, 2011 by Tim

Author’s Note: I wrote the following blog post after my mom passed away in 2009. It continues to be one of the more frequently visited articles on my personal blog, and one that I thought deserved a broader audience here … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Lifestyles | 3 Comments