Growing up in Medford
Justin Tseng is a first-generation Taiwanese American, a proud product of the Medford Public Schools, and an enthusiastic member of the Medford community. When Justin was two years old, his parents moved to Medford to build their family and pursue careers in science. The Tsengs were embraced by the Wellington community and have been proud to call Medford home ever since. Justin spent his childhood playing in Harris Park, reading at the Medford Public Library, and spending time with his parents at their home on Wellington Road. He loves this city and is excited to energize Medford with a bold, progressive vision and a commitment to justice.
Standing up for our community
As a Vice President of his class at Medford High, member of Site Council and a Student Representative to the School Committee, Justin worked to bring equity, justice, and opportunity to his classmates. He collaborated with administrators, teachers, and other community stakeholders to pass two school improvement plans. He contributed to action plans for addressing the vaping epidemic, needed infrastructure repairs, and a review of school policies that laid the groundwork for more transparency in classrooms. He also successfully negotiated for more affordable class activities and is proud to say he helped select Medford’s first School Superintendent of color.
After graduating as the Valedictorian of the Class of 2018, Justin continued his studies at Harvard College where he graduated in 2022 with an honors degree in Social Studies (politics, economics, and history) and East Asian Studies. At Harvard’s Institute of Politics, Justin worked on several policy commissions, addressing national security concerns, gun violence and trauma in education, and rising tuition costs. Justin also served as the Chair of the Harvard Public Opinion Project, America’s premier youth public opinion research group, where he advocated for young Americans on the national stage.
Recent Work
After being elected as the first Asian-American City Councilor in 2021, Justin got right to work, advocating for an increased focus on addressing disparities in Medford’s COVID-19 response, proposing new ways in which our city could improve inclusiveness, and negotiating more money for our new Library and our public schools.
In his first term, Justin and his colleagues on the Council passed Medford’s first zoning reform in 60 years, which has brought more life science jobs and development to Medford and cut red tape for new affordable housing. He plans to continue to fight to increase housing, lower rents, and make Medford more vibrant and walkable. Justin has also led efforts on the City Council to successfully bring back bus routes that were originally cut in the MBTA Bus Network Redesign, take action on the new Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, explore ways to revitalize the city’s squares, and move forward on social justice and equity.
Justin is now running for re-election to continue building on the bold, progressive foundation he and his progressive partners have laid in place and to commit to a better, more just future for us all.
Now living on College Ave., Justin makes sure to visit his parents in Wellington often. In his free time, Justin enjoys hiking in the Fells, playing cello for fun, and grabbing a burrito from Tenoch. He’s excited to check out the new businesses coming to Medford this year!
Elections are expensive – Would you like to help Justin out?
