Hsu as a Frat Member
At Ken's funeral, Hsu discovers that the program referred to him as a “member of Sigma Alpha Mu, something Ken would have found hilarious" (p. 128). This is comically ironic because Hsu was never a member of the fraternity, and instead considered himself independent and alternative.
Ken's Dream of Becoming a Lawyer
After initially wanting to become an architect, Ken decides that he wants to study law in Boston after graduating from Berkeley. In a turn of tragic irony, he is unable to pursue this career in law because of the very injustice of him being killed. Indeed, while he might have become a prosecutor fighting to defend those who have been wronged, he ends up becoming a victim himself.
The Freedom of the Automobile
Stay True opens with a description of the car rides Hsu used to take with his friends. As he writes, “we would have driven anywhere so long as we were together" (p. 10). For Hsu and his friends, their cars are a place in which they can come together and pursue a sense of freedom. Yet in a tragically ironic turn, Ken is killed when his car is stolen by a group of three strangers. After they force him into the trunk of the car, they later kill him in an alley. So, whereas the car was originally a place for Hsu and his friends to explore life, it was also in a car where Ken's life effectively ends.
Affirmative Action at Berkeley
During Hsu's time at Berkeley, a number of protests arise in defense of the practice of affirmative action. Hsu supports affirmative action and participates in the protests. In one scene, however, a group of protestors gather at the gates to the Berkeley campus. As Hsu and Ken pass by, they notice that one of the protestors holds a sign that says “White Males Only" (p. 84). This is ironic because not only are Ken and Hsu not white males, but Hsu also reveals that at the time around 40% of the Berkeley student population was Asian. Moreover, while these protestors seemingly want to make students like Ken and Hsu feel more welcome in places like Berkeley, they are effectively doing the opposite.
