Across the United States, few high schools attract as much national controversy as Lowell High School. This elite magnet school in San Francisco is famous for its academic rigor, competitive culture, and demographically skewed student body (57% Asian as of this writing). "This is what alumni get to brag about" -- Ian Wang Throughout California, … Continue reading The Tragedy of Lowell High School
Politics
Flame-worthy posts
A Treatise on Meritocracy
On paper, I could be a poster child for the class mobility promised under a truly meritocratic society. I was born to freshly immigrated parents with minimal financial resources and no ability to speak English. For most of my childhood, we were essentially in continuous poverty – bouncing between cities where my parents could find … Continue reading A Treatise on Meritocracy
The Flaws of Universal Basic Income
Given that Andrew Yang is now running for Mayor in New York City, it seems like an appropriate time to revisit his signature (only?) policy issue from the U.S. Presidential campaign: Universal Basic Income (UBI). Credit to him for making this concept go mainstream in 2020, and it’s great to see he’s evolved his policy … Continue reading The Flaws of Universal Basic Income
SF Voter Guide – November 2020
It's that time again... For those living in California (and San Francisco in particular), this year's election ballot is a doozy. In addition to all the elected officials, there are up to 25 (!) propositions to vote on. This is a consequence of the love of "direct democracy" and local control that defines California politics. … Continue reading SF Voter Guide – November 2020
When Social Justice is Misused
Can attempts to correct for equity in planning go too far? Of all the crucial conversations we are having as a society in 2020, perhaps none is more salient than the ongoing one about social justice in our cities. I've learned so much about this topic over the past year due to the recent stream … Continue reading When Social Justice is Misused
30-Minute Essays
My alacrity to vitiate these books has become fugacious I've been studying for the GRE and realized that the Analytical Writing section has forced me to develop an odd skill: composing deep, nuanced takes on issues within an extremely compressed time frame. If you're not familiar with the exam, you can actually see a full … Continue reading 30-Minute Essays
Class Warfare (in Cape Town)
I recently took my first trip to South Africa. It’s an astoundingly beautiful country, with an astoundingly sad history. After returning to San Francisco, I wanted to reflect on what I had seen through the lens of the current situation in the Bay Area. Heads up - this isn’t your average travel blog post. South … Continue reading Class Warfare (in Cape Town)
Talking Past Each Other 1: Guns
This is the first in a (hopefully) series of posts called "Talking Past Each Other" - where I attempt to distill both sides of a political argument to make it easier to empathise with people you disagree with. For more background, see this introduction. Yet another mass shooting happened in Las Vegas recently. And as … Continue reading Talking Past Each Other 1: Guns
Talking Past Each Other: Intro
Ever since I came back to the United States from abroad and witnessed the most divisive presidential election of my lifetime in 2016, I have noticed myself paying a lot more attention to politics than I used to. I became more "woke" (as the teens say nowadays). It's certainly not the healthiest habit to pick … Continue reading Talking Past Each Other: Intro
Addressing Income Inequality
Given the recent interest in income inequality around the web, I thought I would string together a few articles and research I've encountered to come up with my own little theory. Note that you may reach different conclusion(s) from the ideas or from your own findings - and I would love to hear them! Let's keep … Continue reading Addressing Income Inequality