BIO
Jason Tarn is the lead English pastor at Houston Chinese Church and lives in Houston with his wife, Theresa, and two daughters. He took his first job working with youth at HCC before attending seminary and then returning to become the leading pastor at the church. His heritage is Chinese/Taiwanese, and he recalls engaging with a mix of traditional Chinese and more “Americanized” traditions while growing up under parents who contradicted typical stereotypes of Asian American parenting. Part of this interview covers his parents’ focus on a “you have to ask for it” mentality and assimilation into American society. For instance, Mr. Tarn compares their parenting styles with those of others and the fact that he married another Chinese person but never felt unhealthy parental pressure or expectation to do so. He also relates his experiences as a child to his own choices as a parent, such as his decision to enroll one of his daughters in a nontraditional schooling format and his focus on the importance of faith and religion in his daughters’ lives. Importantly, Mr. Tarn talks about considering the church a safe environment for himself throughout his life and the key importance of religion at the center of his identity. He discusses potential points of overlap and conflict between Chinese culture and Christianity across a variety of different values. He finally discusses hopes for his children and the future in general.