I was born “Simon Hsiao Tam” on March 31, 1981…at least according to my parents. Growing up, I had a couple of different middle names. My paper trail through the public school system will sometimes list it as “Hong,” like my father’s, and sometimes “Hsiao,” from my mother’s side of the family. I didn’t really … Continue reading What’s in a Name?
Controversy and news erupted this week over a tweet sent by Whole Foods promoting their new partnership with a new, independent restaurant chain called "Yellow Fever." It's an Asian themed restaurant that operates with the tagline "Asian bowls for your soul" and run by a Korean American restauranteur. Understandably, the name gave many people pause … Continue reading On That Whole Yellow Fever Thing…
Finally back in Nashville after a whirlwind trip to NYC and DC. It concluded with an awards show from the American Bar Association in our country's capitol...just miles away from the Supreme Court where we were victorious. I was deeply humbled to receive the Mark T. Banner award though all recognition should have just went … Continue reading On Trophies and Recognition
"If you'd like to find a job where you have no boss, you will probably end up having a lousy boss - you - to do the work. We have to be really careful when we're deciding to act like the boss...then we need to do it as a professional. The fact that we have … Continue reading Passion isn’t enough
This weekend, I'll be sharing my newest TEDx talk titled Once Upon an App: An Online Dating Fairy Tale. TEDx Education events traditionally explore thinking around teachers, parents, and kids on how to build a better school. While many of the talks can take a broader view of what constitutes as learning and education, it's … Continue reading New TEDx Talk Coming: Once Upon an App
I recently sat down with Ken White of the Make No Law podcast to provide an inside look at my journey to the Supreme Court. While this is geared towards First Amendment geeks, this is probably one of the better features on the story and is one of the few that actually explores what the … Continue reading Disparagement, Contempt, and Disrepute
A few days ago, I was speaking at UC Davis School of Law for an event that highlighted some moments from my journey to the Supreme Court. After the presentation, I spent some time with student leaders of APALSA, the Asian Pacific American Law Student Association, where we casually spoke about music, Joss Whedon's Firefly, … Continue reading You Are Enough to Make a Difference
Senator Rubio, along with the FBI Director, are targeting Chinese students, saying they've infiltrated "naive" colleges and universities, especially those in "math and science," and part of a "whole-of-society" threat to the United States despite not having any evidence. Yet, they aren't talking about the FBI's own evidence that white supremacist groups have infiltrated … Continue reading Negative Stereotypes and Fear of the Chinese are Still Very Present
I've been thinking about the South Pacific song, "You've Got to be Carefully Taught," which is partially responsible for spreading the idea that hate is taught. You've got to be taught To hate and fear, you've got to be taught from year to year It's got to be drummed in your dear little ear You've … Continue reading We’re Taught to Hate
Conflict relies on a record of wrongs: recalling how/when someone has crossed us, the personnel file tracks infractions from an employee, uncollected debts are recounted. As such, we're inherently taught to avoid certain people, to label them as unreliable or assume the worst of intentions, and to withhold generosity, forgiveness, or compassion. It's reasonable: we … Continue reading Record of Wrongs
