WSJ: Tiger mother’s child-rearing method draws response

Letter to the Wall Street Journal (January 14, 2011) Although the way Ms. Chua raised her children may be typical of many high-achieving Chinese families, there are many Chinese families who live quite the opposite life.  According to recent Census data, the majority of Chinese people grow up in low-income households, and within this group children typically do not play musical instruments or devote many hours to homework. I grew up in a very poor Chinese family in which none of my siblings completed post-secondary schooling.  I was arrested twice as a teenager and dropped out of high school before eventually finishing at age 20.  However, I did go on to earn a doctorate. Because the "superior Chinese mother" stereotype is so ingrained into society, few outreach programs target at-risk Chinese youths.  Some of my childhood Chinese friends are now in jail or are drug addicts because people in authority always thought our households resembled Ms. Chua's. Kai L. Chan New York Letter as it appeared in the WSJ Copyright ©2011 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved

G&M: Tiger moms

Letter to the Globe & Mail (January 12, 2011) Amy Chua’s book highlights one segment of Chinese parenting in the West to the detriment of another swath of the community.  According to recent census data, the majority of Chinese-Canadians grow up in low-income households, and within this group children typically do not play musical instruments or devote many hours to homework. Many Chinese-Canadian youths from low-income backgrounds face problems of underachievement and criminality.  I grew up in a very poor Chinese family where none of my siblings completed post secondary schooling.  I was arrested twice as a teenager and dropped out of high school before eventually finishing at age 20.  However, I did go on to get degrees from the University of Toronto and Princeton, where I faced a cultural shock when meeting Chinese students there who conformed to Ms. Chua’s background. Because the Chinese tiger mom stereotype is so ingrained, few, if any, outreach programs target at-risk Chinese youths.  Some of my childhood Chinese friends are now in jail or drug addicts because people in authority always thought our households resembled Ms. Chua’s. Kai L. Chan, New York The Globe and Mail © Copyright 2011 CTVglobemedia Publishing Inc.  All…

U of T Magazine: In response to Less Starin’, More Sharin’

U of T Magazine, Autumn 2010 I read Andrew Murphy’s column and recalled the days when I was an undergraduate at U of T.  Looking back, I wish I made more lasting connections when I had the chance.  Somebody once told me (after I graduated) that the most important thing that you pick up at university is your friends — you will lean on them for the rest of your life.  So Murphy is spot on when he says students need to be more confident to meet new faces and make the university experience fun. Since graduating I’ve picked up a talent for befriending new people. Some of this confidence comes with age, but a lot can be fostered by the university.  I know this because I served as an assistant master (akin to an assistant dean) at Princeton when I was a graduate student.  At Princeton I was surprised by how many students would stop me and thank me because I had once joined them for a meal when they were alone in the cafeteria, or said hi to them on campus. These were simple gestures, yet they meant so much because everybody comes into university nervous and yearning for…

9th Annual Canada Cup of Investment Management

Slides presented by me at the 9th Annual Canada Cup of Investment held in Toronto on June 18, 2010.  This was part of the Investing in BRICs and emerging markets panel moderated by David Walker (West-Can Consultant, Ltd).  Along with Richard Kang (Emerging Global Advisors, LLC), we spoke of the risks and returns of adding emerging markets exposure to institutional portfolios. [caption id="attachment_618" align="alignleft" width="260"] 10 year history of global bourses - normalised[/caption] [caption id="attachment_619" align="alignleft" width="260"] Global equity adjusted volatility[/caption] [caption id="attachment_620" align="alignleft" width="260"] Global equity values in 2010 vs 2000[/caption] [caption id="attachment_621" align="alignleft" width="260"] Correlations of equity markets vis-a-vis TSX[/caption]

Paul Krugman

Paul Krugman was my PhD advisor when I was a graduate student at Princeton. I first got to know him (in person) when he taught me the PhD course on international trade. I had many lively conversations with him in class, which inspired me to seek him out as my thesis supervisor. He accepted my request. However, given his status as a columnist for the New York Times and public intellectual, he was scarce on time. People often ask me what it was like having him as an advisor. Although he has a reputation in the profession as someone that can be abrasive and confrontational (especially with people with whom he disagrees), he was always nice to me. It was a routine when we met at his office for him to rifle through the many books sent to him for his critique and comments, and he would pass many of them on to me -- including copies of his own books. As a mind, he was amazingly brilliant and able to offer insights and solutions to problems in a matter of seconds, when I had struggled for days or weeks on them. Regardless of anyone’s opinions about his politics, the…

Preface regarding articles from Princeton

During my six years at Princeton (1999-2005) I had the pleasure of penning quite a few articles for the Daily Princetonian, the school newspaper, and oftentimes also known simply as the ‘Prince’ — actually, all the writings came in the latter half of my time at Princeton.  Anyhow, writing for the Daily Princetonian (and other forums) was an apt continuation of a long held personal tradition: I had written for the school newspaper as far back as grades 7 and 8 (at Earl Grey Senior School in Toronto, Canada); I also wrote some stuff for Riverdale Collegiate’s (Toronto, Canada) school newspaper in my last year of high school.  This anthology constitutes a collection of all the writings that I did while at Princeton which were published in some way, shape or form. (Although, looking back, I shudder at the thought that such hastily written pieces had made it to print!) In hindsight — which is always 20/20 — I cringe at how I wrote some of my pieces in such sloppy format or with lack of focus.  For others, my views may have even changed since I first offered my public opinion.  But some, even in retrospect, still ring true…

Acknowledgment from PhD dissertation

First of all, I want to thank Paul Krugman for inspiration, many free books and fun conversations.  I often pinch myself, as a reality check, when noting that such a preeminent economist — and definite future Nobel laureate — is supervising my work.  I guess this is what makes Princeton so special.  Many thanks to all who have read this thesis, including (and especially) Alan Blinder, Hyun Song Shin, Gene Grossman, Nobuhiro Kiyotaki, and Lars Svensson, as well as classmates and friends.  Also, much appreciation to Thijs van Rens and Vasco Cúrdia for help with SWP, and to Gene Grossman, who helped me secure funding when I was post-enrolled (the bane of the graduate student).  The usual caveat applies: All remaining errors in this dissertation are my own. The many years spent at Princeton have been unbelievable, eliciting from me a myriad of emotions.  I will cherish my experiences and especially my friends, who added much delight to times spent in Princeton.  There are too many people to thank individually for all the camaraderie that I have enjoyed, so I will instead begin by thanking groups that are dear to me.  Foremost, I must thank colleagues, faculty and staff from…

The Price of Admission

I was interviewed by Mr Golden for a chapter ("The New Jews") in his book , "The Price of Admission", and can be found in pages 206-207. [Quote]