Victor Jih
Encyclopedia
Victor Hao-jan Jih is an American
lawyer
and contestant on the 14th season
of The Amazing Race
, a reality television game show produced by CBS
. He and his sister, Tammy Jih
, were the winners of the competition and one million dollar grand prize.
along with two younger siblings. He graduated from Leigh High School
, Stanford University
with a B.A. in Political Science
in 1993, and Harvard Law School
in 1996.
Fluent in Mandarin Chinese, he is the eldest of three children born to immigrant parents from Taipei
, Taiwan
.
Jih currently resides in Los Angeles
, California
.
A writer for the Chinese language newspaper, World Journal
, based in North America
, praised the team as "Glory of Taiwan", "famous product of Taiwan" 台灣之光 台灣名產 for representing Taiwanese Americans in the media spotlight. They were portrayed as humble, gracious and friendly, but also extremely competitive.
As three legs of the second half of the race were spent in China
where the siblings could speak the local language, a blogger for the Chicago Sun Times and many detractors questioned whether the team had an unfair advantage. Both of them disagreed and Victor explained that every team brings to the game different skills and strengths, and their ability to speak Mandarin balances out against other teams' advantages e.g. choreography, athleticism, swimming, physical strength, life experiences, etc. They explained how their mother would fight with them to get them to attend Chinese school and force them to speak the language at home. Both were extremely thankful for their parents' well-intentions and not giving up on them when they were young. In previous seasons of the race, there were also teams that spoke the local language of the countries they visited.
, specializing in entertainment and media litigation.
An avid debater since high school, Jih holds the position of debating coach at Brentwood School
, and is the founder and CEO of Victory Briefs based in Los Angeles.
He currently co-teaches the Ninth Circuit Appellate Practice Clinic at UCLA.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and contestant on the 14th season
The Amazing Race 14
The Amazing Race 14 is the fourteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 14 featured 11 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world....
of The Amazing Race
The Amazing Race
The Amazing Race is a reality television game show in which teams of two people, who have some form of a preexisting personal relationship, race around the world in competition with other teams...
, a reality television game show produced by CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
. He and his sister, Tammy Jih
Tammy Jih
Tamara Tien-Jan "Tammy" Jih is an American lawyer and contestant on the 14th season of The Amazing Race, an American reality television game show. She and her brother, Victor Jih, were the winners of the competition.-Early life and career:...
, were the winners of the competition and one million dollar grand prize.
Early and personal life
Victor Jih was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay AreaSan Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
along with two younger siblings. He graduated from Leigh High School
Leigh High School
Leigh High School is a secondary school located in San Jose, California. Opening in September 1962, it was the fifth school to be established within the Campbell Union High School District. The school has twice been awarded the California Distinguished School award, in 1999 and 2003. , the...
, Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
with a B.A. in Political Science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
in 1993, and Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
in 1996.
Fluent in Mandarin Chinese, he is the eldest of three children born to immigrant parents from Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
.
Jih currently resides in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
The Amazing Race
Victor and his sister, Tammy, were selected for the race after she had pushed for them to apply, although he had been the longer fan of the show. According to Victor, the siblings had led a very structured life growing up. Their parents taught them to do everything to the best of their ability and to obey all rules in an orderly manner. As a result, the siblings studied hard at school, obtained good grades, and graduated from the world's top universities with law degrees. Even after graduation, they took no break and immediately ventured into the workforce. It was because of such a structured upbringing and the fact that both of them had not taken any major risks in life that made them decide to apply for the show. They wanted to step outside of their normal routine as lawyers and take an adventure of a lifetime. After twelve grueling legs spanning 40,000 miles, they were declared the winners of the race after narrowly avoiding elimination during the third leg in Romania. As a result, they made history by becoming the first Asian-American team to win the competition. Jih has written blogs and commentaries for further seasons of the show.A writer for the Chinese language newspaper, World Journal
World Journal
World Journal is a daily Chinese language newspaper serving overseas Chinese in North America. The newspaper has its headquarters in Whitestone, Queens, New York City....
, based in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, praised the team as "Glory of Taiwan", "famous product of Taiwan" 台灣之光 台灣名產 for representing Taiwanese Americans in the media spotlight. They were portrayed as humble, gracious and friendly, but also extremely competitive.
As three legs of the second half of the race were spent in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
where the siblings could speak the local language, a blogger for the Chicago Sun Times and many detractors questioned whether the team had an unfair advantage. Both of them disagreed and Victor explained that every team brings to the game different skills and strengths, and their ability to speak Mandarin balances out against other teams' advantages e.g. choreography, athleticism, swimming, physical strength, life experiences, etc. They explained how their mother would fight with them to get them to attend Chinese school and force them to speak the language at home. Both were extremely thankful for their parents' well-intentions and not giving up on them when they were young. In previous seasons of the race, there were also teams that spoke the local language of the countries they visited.
Career
Jih is a partner at Century City office of O'Melveny & Myers LLPO'Melveny & Myers LLP
O’Melveny & Myers LLP is an international law firm founded in Los Angeles, California. The firm is 29th largest law firm in the world and has been lauded by Vault as one of America's top 25 most prestigious law firms....
, specializing in entertainment and media litigation.
An avid debater since high school, Jih holds the position of debating coach at Brentwood School
Brentwood School
Brentwood School is the name of some notable schools:*Brentwood College School, Mill Bay, British Columbia, Canada*Brentwood School , UK*Brentwood School *Brentwood School , U.S....
, and is the founder and CEO of Victory Briefs based in Los Angeles.
He currently co-teaches the Ninth Circuit Appellate Practice Clinic at UCLA.