Chinese American for Trump? Yes!

I am a multi-generational Chinese American who is endorsing our 45th President of the United States Donald Trump and 48th Vice President Mike Pence this 2020 on their reelection ticket. I had a friend who told me about the situation regarding what China did to Hong Kong, and he was so right about the Hong Kong protests. Outside looking in... that situation was too complex for me to fully grasp nor understand in a "political context" alone.

Wait Jason Tom, what about when President Trump called Covid-19 the "Chinese Virus" or "China Virus?" Is he not being a "racist?" The straight forward answer is, "no." When President Donald Trump called the coronavirus the "Chinese Virus," "Wuhan Virus" and the "China Virus"... he is speaking out to the "Chinese Communist Party." President Trump has not spoken out against the Chinese people nor has he spoken out against Chinese Americans. In fact, President Trump has spoken highly of Chinese Americans and the Chinese people, and have spoken out against hate crimes that have targeted Chinese Americans and Asian Americans. Prejudice against Asian Americans in the United States of America predates the pandemic. This is a fact. President Trump acknowledged that and speaks out against "hate crimes" against all Americans.

For me to grasp the Hong Kong and China situation, I tapped into both the "historical" and "political" context I've scholarly researched and studied regarding China for many years. Especially the Chinese Civil War 1 and Chinese Civil War 2 time period. And I compiled it with overseas Chinese and Chinese American "historical" and "political" context. I also studied about the dynasties. I then combined it with my ability to read and write in both traditional and simplified Chinese characters to be able to connect more of the dots. I was able to gather additional information by conversing in multiple native languages of Chinese with native speakers. 

I combined that with what has been passed down for generations about the history and politics that was not as readily accessible. From then... once I compiled the historical and political context... the China and Hong Kong situation came full circle.

That helped to expose stark parallels to what we've seen with our domestic riots. Except, they are reversed. Hong Kong protesters who are against "Marxism" and "communism" are fighting for liberty. In America, we have a domestic hate group who are for "communism" and are "Marxists." We also have domestic agitators who are "anarchists." 

I am in complete support and in favor of Hong Kong protestors. History is repeating itself and what the Chinese Communist Party of the People's Republic of China have done to neighboring nations and what not, violates international law and human rights. It's not the Chinese people of China, it's the CCP that is "corrupt." The CCP's regime since Mao Zedong's era has been and is "destructive." Mao Zedong was a "Marxist." 

There's been two China nations post Chinese Civil War 2... the Republic of China, and the People's Republic of China. They are not "one and the same." ROC is Taiwan. PRC is the CCP of mainland China.

What CCP did to Hong Kong, they are now attempting to do to Taiwan through intimidation tactics. Keep in mind, that Taiwan is not a "Marxist" nor "communist" nation. Taiwan is an ally to the US. 

ROC was established in mainland China by its founding father Sun Yat-sen. ROC has been an ally to the US since.

ROC predates PRC. ROC relocated from mainland China to Taiwan post Chinese Civil War 2.

PRC remained in mainland China. 

It was National Taiwan Day on Saturday. I am glad that our American president Donald Trump signed the TAIPEI Act early this year. Then Washington declassified the Reagan-era Six Assurances to Taiwan. Under the Trump and Pence administration, the US strengthened ties with Taiwan. During the Bush and Obama administrations, US-Taiwan relations were not as well kept. I am glad our friendship with Taiwan is reestablished. Under the Trump and Pence administration, they've done more in "domestic policy" and "foreign policy" that strengthens the US more than in any of the previous administrations I can think of.

I endorse the Trump and Pence ticket! Let's have four more years!

Best,

September is SUICIDE PREVENTION MONTH. I've honestly had no idea what to write about this month, until today.

This blog is written in tribute and in memory of my friend Beak McFlaps and the many lives he's touched and the community he's impacted.

The mural, street art, and art truck was by my good friend Jay. People knew him as Beak, Beak McFlaps, JayBird McFlaps, Jay, Jason, and JKS. When I and others read his SUICIDE NOTE the first week of this month of September on Instagram, I and many of us were too late to reach him. When I read his suicide note on my feed... it was all too much for me to take. Just a few months prior, I shared with him "OVERWHELMED BY STAGE FRIGHT" and how I even mentioned him in it as one of my sources of inspiration.

I've been in SHOCK since the tremendous and great loss.

Jay was a very good soul and heaven gained an angel. He was so respected and well loved by our community.

Whenever I see your art Jay, you've always brought a smile on my face. You've not failed to amaze me, Jay. You are irreplaceable.

I've since had two new Instagram followers that have also been impacted by SUICIDE. Someone who tragically lost her 20 year old niece to SUICIDE in October. Her niece attended college in the Aloha State. Another who attended high school with someone who took his own life years back.

SUICIDE hits home. I was a child when I first lost someone to "SUICIDE." That was my first funeral, I was way young to process the deep impact of "SUICIDE." I knew not then I was in SHOCK.

It took me many years to be able to heal and be released from that SHOCK. My faith and relationship with God has helped me, heaps, leaps and bounds to process and release it all to God. It's not easy, but God has been so helpful in my healing.

Prior to reading Jay's SUICIDE NOTE on my IG feed, I've kept in touch with him and he confided in me that he was going through life challenges. At that point I did not know to what extent. I've continued to reach out. I wished, looking back, that I could've done more even with all the Covid-19 restrictions. Since he took his own life, I've needed time for the grieving process to take its course. 

I will not forget the collaborative projects he and I worked on together. The laughs we've had. I will not forget his laughter. His humor. His creativity. His genius. His wit. His heart, he had such a great heart. And so much more I will not forget. The shows and events he came out to support me in. I will not forget how much of a big supporter Jay was in my life. I remember when Jay had his art showing in the arts district of Chinatown, and how his smile lit up the whole entire room. He was so happy. One of the most passionate artists I've ever gotten to know.

I've since chatted with friends and spoke over the phone with people who knew him. We've lost a good soul. Heaven gained a beautiful angel.

My heart, prayers, thoughts, and condolences go out to all impacted by the news of Jay. My prayers go out to all whose lives were lost to SUICIDE and those impacted by their loss.

I will miss you forever B3@K 03! Rest in love, peace and paradise JKS!

Your friend,
Jason Tom

Math taught me patience and humility. Math taught me we can be perfected with effective approach and solution based strategy. Math taught me to be bold in confronting problems and not be afraid to handle even the most challenging of problems. No matter the headaches.
Especially when working with students and when I am math coaching students. Sometimes a student will understand a mathematics concept in another explanation. Main thing is being patient enough to show the "how to" and demonstrate the foundation. I light up when they light up and get it.

Sometimes a student needs to know when to pick it up. Therefore I learn patience and humility through mathematics. It's because I had coaches in my life that believed in me, pushed me and motivated me to be at my best. 

​Here are some of the results from a student I worked with. In the beginning, I coached this student how to earn those first two 100%'s for MindTap. Then that student's grades teetered from an A+ to a B-. That was when I stepped in as this student's math coach. I did not want this student to barely make it. I did not give up on this student.

I coached this student on the mentality needed to be effective, study strategies, time management, and how to apply them with good study habits. I emphasized having a finishing spirit. How we finish is far greater and more important than how we start. I also coached this student on the ability to yield to correction well. It's trial and error that requires patience and perseverance.

This student completed MindTap with a total of nine 100%'s that bumped that student's overall MindTap grade from a B- to an A-. I challenged this student. Pushed this student. Motivated this student to not settle for anything less than a 100% result to help that student's MindTap grade average our stronger than how it started. With that student's discipline, determination and work ethic combined, that student finished stronger than how that student began. It also bumped up the student's final grade from B+ to an A-.

What are some hurdles in life you currently face, have faced? What are some of your fears or fears you've had? Drop them in the comments, I want to hear from you. For me, some of my biggest fears were writing, public speaking and stage fright. Can you relate?

As an entertainer and in so many ways, I am a late bloomer. My fear of public speaking and being on stage was one of the hardest fears for me to shake. Stage fright. Today, I am a Human Beatbox adventurer in the music, entertainment, and performing arts industry. And I love it. But what was it like for me to go through my hurdles and journey from being overwhelmed and frozen by fear of being on stage and public speaking to loving it today?

I know I did not love it in the beginning. I feared it. I hated being on stage. I feared speaking in front of an audience. I hated the spotlight. How did that all change? I was determined to break through my fears, anxieties, and to get comfortable with the uncomfortable. To grow in confidence in what was not comfortable for me.

I am a fourth- and third- generation Chinese American. Born, raised, and based in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, USA. My early years were also in East Bay California. My adult years in Beijing, New York, San Francisco, and Honolulu.

My first experience of stage fright was during my academic journey. I failed the first grade at Liholiho Elementary. Who does that, right? Well, I did. That season, I did not know my ABC's, and I did not know how to spell, read or write. I also experienced stage fright and failed the first grade at Sui Wah Chinese School, not once, not twice, but multiple times. I dropped out of Sui Wah Chinese School after multiple failures. My years at Sui Wah Chinese School were my earliest of stage frights speaking Cantonese into a microphone, on a podium, on stage, and in front of the whole school in a gymnasium. Stage fright, anxiety and fear of public speaking took me a long time to shake.

From the 1980s through 1990s, I taped myself doing podcasts of me talking, reading books, and beatboxing on an audio cassette for fun. 

I thought I'd be Stan Lee. During the late 1980s to the early 2000s, my years at Kauluwela Elementary, Kawananakoa Middle, and McKinley High School, I self-published home made comic books. That was the start of my publishing and story telling through illustration and words. I also wrote scripts for my comic books at Kauluwela Elementary for fun. I did this so I could practice my drawing, writing, spelling, and story telling.
At Kawananakoa Middle School, I froze in cold sweat when I read from paper or did a speech presentation in front of class.

1999 was the year I got my first computer. It was also my first year experience with the Internet. I got into web publishing and I built my first website. 

Prior to 1999, I typed out my school paper reports with a typewriter. I had met Charlie and Lucy Wedemeyer, and they signed my copy of "Charlie's Victory" with reference to Philippians chapter 4 verse 19. It was that encounter with them that I knew I wanted to be a public speaker and author.
I then shattered an Asian American stereotype of not being on an honor roll. In high school, I hustled by doing summer school, correspondence, and sports to keep my grades up.
My athletic journey, I was a two-year letterman in soccer and judo at McKinley High School. I was nominated as "Mr. Aloha" at my senior prom, and I was recipient of McKinley Tigers' Soccer "Mr. Hustle" Award. 

Post high school, I won gold medals at judo tournaments hosted by San Jose State University, and City College of San Francisco.

My final judo win was a Third Place Trophy at the Salt Lake District Park Judo Tournament. The end of that same month, I collided with a SUV as a pedestrian at a crosswalk near Shobukan Judo Club, Pizza Hut, Walgreens, and Liliha Bakery. I was knocked unconscious. Driver rendered help. She called first responders and prayed over me. 

By God's grace, no broken bones, but a serious concussion and trauma. God's hand of protection over my life, that driver who rendered help, and my judo kicked in that night. The next morning, a family member took me to see the Passion of the Christ. Following the movie, I noticed I got startled by parked and incoming cars at the movie theatre parking lot. That was the turning point of my life.

I took care of unfinished business. 

I shattered doubt and failure. I went back to college, pursued my beatboxing career, and I judo flipped my college transcript from a 1.0 to a 4.0 grade point average. My first live performance? I experienced stage fright. It was that one fear I could not break.

I overcame my academic hurdles when I completed my Freeman Foundation scholarship program at Beijing Foreign Studies University. At the University of Hawaiʻi at Kapiʻolani Community College, I got inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, was on the student Dean's List, and earned my general degree. Then I took some music business and audio engineering courses through the partnership of Belmont University's Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business, and Honolulu Community College.
Within those years, I confronted my stage fright by hitting up open mics throughout the state of Hawaiʻi, took voice and music classes taught by professor Lina Doo. I took private voice lessons from Cat Wong of Cat Wong Studios.

I pursued my beatboxing career, overcame stage fright, worked as a Supplemental Math Instructor, college peer-mentor in mathematics, math tutor, and math note taker. In recent years, I got back into helping math students while beatboxing throughout the state of Hawaiʻi prior to Covid-19. 

Beatboxing wise, I've done performances in cities of the Hawaiian island of Oʻahu, Kauaʻi, and Hilo of Hawaiʻi Island, China, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and Australia. I've also been proposed for appearances in Lānaʻi Island, Kona of Hawaiʻi Island, Maui, Israel, India, Philippines, Costa Rica, Peru, Columbia, Canada, Nevada, Texas, Boston, Taiwan, Japan, Germany, and China.

Today, I am fluent in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese. For Mandarin, I converse in Pǔtōnghuà, and for fun Běijīnghuà of Guóyǔ. For Cantonese, I converse in Hēunggóng wá and Jūngsāan wá of Gwóngdūng wá. I was fluent in my reading and writing in Chinese characters at one point, but still strong in my writing. Reading is rusty. 

Currently, I am working on the rough draft of my book. I also have goals to get more involved in music, entertainment, performing arts, public speaking, voice over work, productions, commercial work, film, and publishing. 

For my references of influence and inspiration... 
Song and dance in film: Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Michael Jackson 

Voice over work: Fred Newman, Bobby McFerrin, Michael Winslow, Rahzel, Jim & Pat Banks, Cindy Trimm, John Eckhart 

Music: MC Jin, Bobby McFerrin, Michael Jackson, Rahzel, John Tussey, Cheryl Salem, Two Steps From Hell, Jake Shimabukuro 

Books from: Stan Lee, Charlie & Lucy Wedemeyer, Jim & Pat Banks, Harry & Cheryl Salem, Art Sepulveda, Wally Matanza, Casey Treat, Tim Storey, Nick Vujicic, Laura Numeroff, Felicia Bond, Dale Keown, Peter David

Public speakers: Charlie & Lucy Wedemeyer, Art & Kuna Sepulveda, Wally & Patti Matanza, Branson & Nicole Silva, Chauncey & Donalee Pang, Terry & Vicky Wong, Malcolm & Deneen Quartero, Shawn & Desaree Kurihara, Devin & Cindy Lau, Marques & Nicole Farmer, Allan Silva, John Bevere, Jentezen Franklin, Tim Storey, Nick Vujicic, Marc Mero 

More sources of inspiration: you, my blog readers, my family and friends, my Word of Life ohana, my former teachers, Asian Hustle Network, Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Nicole Lam, Kelly Cooper, Adolph Samuels, Clinton Sunada, Emilio Agustine, Dan Augustine, Gayle Oura, Leigh Dooley, Mark Alexander, Lina Doo, Cat Wong, Elaine Chao, BloomingGales, Joe Marquez, Akiane Kramarik, Paulskeee, Jimmy Pedro, Taylor Tanaka, Duke & Kiki King, Angela Keen, Traci Toguchi, Lyanne Brooks, Kavet the Catalyst, Devon Marlink, Olivia Thai, Fat Boys, Doug E. Fresh, Far East Movement, Kari Jobe, Kim Walker-Smith, Big Daddy Weave, Chris Tomlin, Michael Jordan, Brandi Chastain, Kiana Tom, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Todd McFarlane, Tony Hawk, Kutmaster Spaz, East 3, Beak, Tom Thum, Afra, and this ever evolving list.

I want to close with this: what are some hurdles in life you currently face, have faced? What are some of your fears or fears you've had? Drop them in the comments, I want to hear from you.

I've learned and grown during my 16 years of being in the music and entertainment industry. I learned who are there for me, but I also learned who are not. I am grateful that God has graced me of my career peaks and valleys. It was through my career valleys I grew and matured the most. It was through my valleys that I was tested and challenged the most in life.

I've also learned that the profession as a professional beatboxer can be a field of work of high stress and demand when I do not put God first in my life. With that said, I would not trade my profession for another. I am humbled, honored and grateful that my work is bigger than who I am and what I do to impact our communities in greater ways I cannot do on my own.

As an entertainer, I've received fan mail and hate mail. Among the hate mail are not the kindest of messages anyone ought to read. I've shared just a couple of "hate mail" to a close friend. My friend was "shocked." It's not an uncommon side that entertainers will occasionally have to deal with on the receiving end, behind the scenes.

As an entertainer, I've also received threats via my voice mail on my mobile phone. For a season, I've stopped having a mobile phone altogether.

In those trying seasons, I could relate with Job of the Old Testament of the Holy Bible. How the devil tormented Job day and night. Not a single friend could help Job. Not even the believers he knew could help him. Job endured through the end, and Job continued to put his trust in God. Ultimately, Job persevered.

In the gospel book of John chapter 10 verse 10, Jesus said, "the devil comes only to kill, and to steal, and to destroy, but I have come to give you life and life to the full." Those words from Jesus helped me tremendously.

For seasons, the adversary tormented me day and night in attempts only to kill, and to steal, and to destroy....
my joy,
my peace, 
my love, 
my life,
my memory,
my personhood, 
my career,
my talent,
my identity,
my faith,
my family,
my character, 
my reputation, 
my dreams,
my goals,
and my health.

The Word of God says that the adversary prowls like a lion to seek who he may devour. When the enemy comes. In like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him. I am grateful that Jesus has become my rare guard and flooded the enemy on my behalf.

I am grateful that God has graced me with my peaks and valleys with his grace, mercy and unfailing love. And God is faithful. He will not allow the test to be more than we can stand.

To my brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, be encouraged that Jesus is our fortress. Redeemer. Deliverer. We daily have on the whole armor of Light. We are the head, not the tail. We are above, not beneath. Thank You Jesus for becoming our rare guard, and going before us on this day that you have made. We give you praise, honor and glory.