One of my earliest memories is from when I was four years old, when my mom asked me if I wanted to play piano. All her friends were signing up their kids for either violin or piano lessons, and it seemed like it would be a good idea for me to do it as well. I said yes. Asian “tiger” parents forcing their kids to play an instrument is a well-known stereotype, and … [Read more...] about Universities’ Problem with “Asianness”
Politics
Vietnamese History Through Pho
As popular as pho is today, restaurant-goers have little idea about its complex history, which almost directly reflects Vietnamese history during the last century. However, pho tells a story of fierce Vietnamese survival with three distinct chapters, specifically French colonization, civil war, and globalization. Before French colonization, Vietnamese people ate … [Read more...] about Vietnamese History Through Pho
LOTL: Who’s the Boss? International Law and American Legal Norms
Each and every day it becomes more and more apparent that countries don’t exist in isolation. Disputes between countries and international incidents touch the lives of ordinary citizens due to the widespread access and rapid exchange of information in the digital age. The intersection between international affairs and relations and national governments has certainly become more … [Read more...] about LOTL: Who’s the Boss? International Law and American Legal Norms
LOTL: Unwritten, Inalienable Rights
The idea of natural rights has been a prominent current throughout the history of the American legal system. A number of the so called founding documents of the United States even explicitly reference natural, or inalienable rights that belong to every person simply due to their status as a human being. This idea raises an interesting question as to the status of those natural … [Read more...] about LOTL: Unwritten, Inalienable Rights
LOTL: Donald Trump’s Travel Ban and Principles of Justiciability
In late January of this year Donald Trump signed an executive order that caused massive nationwide protests, and sparked a dialogue surrounding the issues of executive authority, race and ethnicity, and foreign relations. The decision to ban the immigration of individuals from specific countries, despite its shaky judicial foundation, raises an important question … [Read more...] about LOTL: Donald Trump’s Travel Ban and Principles of Justiciability