Echopedia

Ethan Yang (楊正光)

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Ethan Yang (楊正光)

Ethan Yang (楊正光) is a third-generation Taiwanese American political scientist and economist based in Washington, D.C. He is a research fellow at the American Institute for Economic Research (AIER) and is pursuing a law degree (JD) at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School.

Identity Snapshot

  • English: Ethan Yang
  • Also seen: Yang Zhengxiang — pinyin. The 2023 profile and the family pages use Ethan Yang.
  • Chinese: 楊正光
  • Born: Third-generation Taiwanese American
  • Core roles: Political scientist, economist, research fellow
  • Geography: Washington, D.C.
  • Education: Trinity College, Hartford (BA in Political Science); George Mason University (PhD, Antonin Scalia Law School)
  • Awards: 2023 Vernon Smith Prize (13th Annual International Vernon Smith Prize)
  • Family (owner-stated 2026-08-02): Grandparents |Charles Yang (楊嘉猷) and |Becky Yang

Family

Per owner verification in the TAHS LINE community (2026-08-02), Ethan’s grandparents are Charles Yang (TAHS founding president) and Becky Yang. Parent generation details are not yet recorded on Echopedia.

Overview

Ethan Yang represents the third generation of Taiwanese Americans profiled in the |2023 TAHS Publication. As a research fellow at the American Institute for Economic Research and a PhD candidate at George Mason University, he is actively engaged in political economy and free-market advocacy.

Education and Career

  • Trinity College, Hartford: BA in Political Science, majoring in International Relations, with minors in Legal Studies and Formal Organizations
  • George Mason University: JD candidate at the Antonin Scalia Law School (antitrust/competition law focus)
  • Research Fellow: American Institute for Economic Research (AIER), managing the AIER Standard blog
  • Director: Mark Leffinger Human Freedom Research Center at Trinity College
  • Previous roles: Research positions at Cato Institute, Connecticut State Senate, Cause of Action Institute, and other organizations

Research Interests

Ethan’s research focuses on diplomatic policy, free markets versus socialism, and economic development. He is a strong advocate for free-market principles and believes that free-market ideas can help build a better society. His work has been featured in various media outlets.

Community Engagement

Beyond his academic work, Ethan is active in Washington D.C.’s workshops and seminars. He participates in Students for Liberty and was one of the co-chairs of the East Coast Asian American Coalition. He encourages Asian Americans to participate in political summer camps, not necessarily for political career development, but for networking and personal growth.

Timeline & Milestones

  • Childhood: Grew up hearing his grandfather |Charles Yang (楊嘉猷) discuss cross-strait relations, business, and history; Ethan cites his grandfather as the person who influenced him most.
  • Trinity College, Hartford: BA in Political Science, majoring in International Relations (主修國際關係), with minors in Legal Studies and Formal Organizations; Professor Ed Stringham’s course on alternative economic systems sparked his interest in comparing free and unfree societies; directed the Mark Leffinger Human Freedom Research Center and joined Students for Liberty. After graduating he helped launch a speaker series on entrepreneurship, good government, and economics.
  • 2012: Summer visit to Taiwan — night markets, natural scenery; reflects with pride on his Taiwanese heritage as “Asia’s beacon of a free society.”
  • 2018: Attended the Charles Koch Institute two-month summer camp in Washington, D.C. (umbrella body of ~150 libertarian organizations); admitted via essay and interview as one of 4 Asian Americans among 100 participants; trained on FOIA compliance audits and private-rights cases, plus coursework on free markets, tolerance, and free speech.
  • AIER: Joined through the editorial team writing and planning articles, then transitioned to a research role; founded the AIER Standard podcast to fill an institute gap, combining research, public speaking, and promotion. Research focus: China, foreign relations, political economy.
  • George Mason University: JD candidate at the Antonin Scalia Law School, concentrating on antitrust/competition law — protecting market competition and consumer welfare.
  • 2023: 13th Annual International Vernon Smith Prize (Austrian Economics Center, Vienna); one of the East Coast Asian American Coalition’s co-chairs.

Awards

  • 2023 Vernon Smith Prize: 13th Annual International Vernon Smith Prize, awarded by the Austrian Economics Center in Vienna, Austria

Legacy

As a third-generation Taiwanese American, Ethan represents the evolving identity of the Taiwanese American community. His work in political economy and free-market advocacy continues to shape discussions about the role of government and individual liberty in society.

Source Notes and Confidence

  • Content priority B: 2023 TAHS Publication (profile, Section 3, ~937 lines)
  • Hub: 2023 TAHS Publication (sources/2023-tahs-publication pending restore if missing)
  • Archive: knowledge/web-archives/2023-tahs-publication-part2.md (Tier-2)
  • Family link: Owner statement LINE 2026-08-02 (grandparents Charles + Becky Yang) — high confidence for relationship label; not from 2023 profile text alone

Connected in the Vault

Revision History

  • 2026-07-23: Initial page from 2023 TAHS publication
  • 2026-08-02: Restored content MD; family links to Charles Yang and Becky Yang (owner-stated grandparents)
  • 2026-09-10: Deepened from the cited Tier-2 full text (2023 TAHS Publication part2, Ethan Yang profile, pp.127–129): Koch Institute camp, Ed Stringham influence, AIER editorial→research path, AIER Standard podcast founding, JD/antitrust focus, 2012 Taiwan visit

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