This week, we continued to A-Profile the Stir TV hosts, the show for and about Asian America's next generation. This week we profile Stir Star Brian Tong. Born in Mountain View, California, Brian loves sports, technology, and being on television. An avid fan of the Sacramento Kings, he has pursued a career in broadcast journalism since his graduation from San Jose State University, working as an intern for CNN International in Atlanta, GA, and in the Bay Area at Action 36/Cable 6. In his spare time, he plays video games and sings karaoke. Brian says that he "can’t wait to make waves."

Your Site URL
http://www.stirtv.com

Your ethnicity:
Chinese American..but 95% of the time people think I'm filipino.

Siblings:
I have two, my older sister Tina who is an assistant principal and married with a 6 month old baby and my brother Jason who works at Sun Microsystems and is one year younger than me. I'm the middle man, which explains A LOT.

School:
I attended Monta Vista High School in Cupertino...I was way too involved with School Government as President my Sophomore, Junior and ASB President my senior year. I was part of the ensemble music group as well.

I always wanted to be a part of the TV industry even back in my senior year in High School. Three jobs I wanted to be were a TV reporter, teacher or a marine biologist.

Attended San Jose State University where I earned a B.S. in Broadcast journalism, minored in business marketing.

First job:
My first job was at a smoothie shop in Cupertino called Planet Smoothie when I was in high school

How was the audition process?
There were over 400 applicants, they then trimmed that down to 150-200 for on screen tests where they just asked us about who we were and we also performed a little something for them. I pretty much did like an elementary school speech where I took the letter of my name and made them qualities like myself. Pretty lame.

After that it was narrowed down to 15 and they mixed and matched us into groups to end with with the final four, and two correspondents later.

What have you learned from your internships?
Doing all the hard work has payed off in the long run. I was just at the right place at the rite time for an opportunity like this. I worked behind the scenes in production for years and it made it all worth it because I finally got the job I always wanted. More than anything I learned that you just got to keep working hard, plug away, take criticism constructively and use it to become better at what you do. Develop a thick skin and work your butt off. Take every opportunity and maximize it because you never know what can happen out of it.

Which broadcast journalist do you admire the most?
I don't have any favorites because some of them aren't the nicest of people, but I admire and Asian American male broadcaster because they are a rare breed. There are so few in the industry. Was lucky enough to grow up seeing faces like Robert Handa, Lloyd LaCuesta in the Bay Area, they inspired me and let me know that I could get to the same level that they were at, and even higher. So they inspired me to keep pursuing the job that I love.

What types of songs do you sing?
Well I love karaoking, I just sing for fun on the side and tear up karaoke places with my friends. I love singing the slow jams, Boyz 2 Men, Babyface, Brian McKnight, stuff like that to get to the ladies. I actually did try out for American Idol 2 in 2002. I got past the first round and into the second but got cut by Nigel, one of the executive producers. It was a great experience and something that I will always remember. Plus, there were hella hot chicks all over the place.

Kings fan?
Anyone who knows me knows im a DIE HARD Chris Webber fan back in the Michigan days with the Fab Five through all of his career. He just is an exciting passionate player and thats why he's hands down my favorite player. I would want to follow him around just cause, damn, he's my favorite player of all-time. If I had to choose a second player? Hook me up with Yao Ming and let me get a piggy back ride from him because I wanna see how the world looks like from Yao's point of view.

Who would play you in a movie about your life?
Thats a good one. Now a lot of my friends and people I have met call me "Asian Usher" because of my look, when I sing, stuff like that. So if I had to pick someone just for kicks, yeah Usher can play me. And the theme song would most definitely be "Nice n' Slow" from Usher and please include candles, roses, wine and whatever else ya need for the whole effect.

Where do you see yourself in the future?
I've always set goals for myself and in 5 years, I would love to be part of a show on a major network. Baby steps ya know? But more than anything, doing what I love to do as long as I have that passion and drive for it.

10 years from now? Sippin' on Mai Tai's at my crib in front of my Olympic size pool with a waterfall, buddies playing basketball in my indoor gym behind me and hearing my Mortal Kombat 2 arcade machine in the background tearing it up. Oh yeah, there would be some fanning and grape feeding involved in there somehow.

A you single? Significant other?
As of this moment I am flying solo. You know there are pluses and minuses of being in a relationship and the three things I look for in a girl are:

1) An independent woman who can do her thing and will let me do mine
2) Someone who I can make fun of, and they can make fun of me right back
3) A lady with a true heart

So if they fall under that, then its good to go!

I'm ridiculously happy where I'm at in life right now and if someone can be a part of it and make it that much better then let's do this.

Random tidbit:
I was also the "poster boy" for Apple Computers retail when they were launching their store in Japan. I was featured in their print ads and on their website. That was sah-weeeet.

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This issue of A-Profiler is brought to you by the gracious and dedicated
Cynthia Cheng.

Images used with permission of Stir TV. Copyright retained by original copyright holder.