Follow Nikki on her Quest for the Crown in the Miss Taiwanese American Pageant

Written by

Pageantry life. Do you really know what goes on behind-the-scenes? What goes on in the mind of a young competitor who knows she will be judged on her appearance, communication skills, and other talents? We recently came upon a personal blog by 22 year-old Miss Nikki DePaola who is competing in this year's Miss Taiwanese American Pageant, which takes place on Saturday, August 6, 2011. It's the 3rd time that the Taiwan Center Foundation of Greater Los Angeles has hosted this competition, and Nikki…

Read More »

On Being Stupid

Written by

The advantage of any European-looking foreigner in Taiwan has over me is they look foreign. I blend into the crowd and maybe my Mandarin is better. Therefore tricksters might not as easily pick me out. But sometimes it backfires. Take, for example, trying to buy some lychees. A very nondescript action, buying fruit. Yet I cannot explain to the man who'd rather be sitting in front of his fan on this scorching hot day at noon that I would like only some, not a bag that would feed three of me for three…

Read More »

Formosa Prix Fixe Menu: An Adventure in Taiwanese Cuisine

Written by

Every once in a while, our readers ask us where to find the best Taiwanese food. Well, we don't have the best answer to that question yet, but today, we offer you the next best thing: Websites and Blogs that explore the finest in Taiwanese cuisine! We sent the interns (and our mascot) of TaiwaneseAmerican.org off on a mission to scour the web and find five websites that piqued their interest and taste buds. Here's what they came back with! Check out some of the website links and decide for yourself.…

Read More »

The Taiwanese American Story: A History in Progress

Written by

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is celebrated nationwide during the month of May to honor the cultures, traditions, and achievements of Asian Pacific Islanders in the United States. Since 1999, Taiwanese American Heritage Week has been celebrated starting each Mother’s Day Weekend during the month of May. It’s as good a time as any to take a look back at how far our community has come in the past half century that we’ve had a significant presence in America. Although our story is…

Read More »

Jenton and Stephanie and a Pop Mashup!

Written by

Here's a fun and fresh pop music mashup brought to you by musicians Jenton Lee and Stephanie Lai! Jenton has been creating original music, fun parodies, and awesome mashups for some time now. Occasionally, cellist Stephanie will join him on some collaborations. She recently returned from Australia where she was one of 100 featured YouTube symphony orchestra folks chosen from around the world! For more musical goodness... Visit Jenton Lee's YouTube site: http://www.youtube.com/user/Jenton Visit…

Read More »

Benjamin Shih – Not Your Ordinary Taiwanese American

Written by

Taiwanese American lawyer and National Guardsman goes to London and ends up learning from one of the best bartenders there. He returns to New York and opens two of his own establishments, the Royal Oak and Sweet Ups, in New York's hipster Williamsburg neighborhood. Now, his third venture is a high-end classic French speak-easy serving drinks such as Whisky Tango, Toussaint Rouge, and... Taiwan Beer. Yep. The one and only, Taiwan Beer. And, that's how Benjamin Shih, co-owner of the…

Read More »

Following Wong Fu to Places They’ve Gone

Written by

*Erica, our PR Director, caught up with Philip Wang from Wong Fu Productions to discuss his recent short film shot in Taiwan. We're very grateful to Phil for taking time out of his busy schedule to talk with us! Read on to learn more!* As many of you may already know, Philip Wang from Wong Fu Productions recently released a short film called “The Places We Should Have Gone.” Wong Fu has come a long way since we first interviewed them back in 2008! I think Ho Chie Tsai was right back then…

Read More »

A Video Recap: “My Taiwan Travelogues”

Written by

Join Ho Chie Tsai, the creator of TaiwaneseAmerican.org, as he wanders Taipei, Taiwan with a video camera in hand during a one week journey and exploration of the city and surrounding area. You'll discover Taiwan through the eyes of a 2nd generation Taiwanese American who is a relative newcomer to this amazing vibrant city filled with delicious food, beautiful culture, and real urban life. This travelogue is presented in a series of eight videos. Enjoy! Part 1: Jetting to & Settling in Taipei Part…

Read More »

Remember 228

Written by

My heart feels heavy this time of year. Thoughts race through my mind as to how best to tackle the topic of “228” – short for February 28, 1947, the date which marked the massacre of an estimated 20,000 Taiwanese and the imprisonment of approximately 140,000 more who were suspected of opposing the newly established Nationalist KMT’s Republic of China government. It would also mark the beginning of the “White Terror” martial law era and foreshadow the mass migration of 2 million people…

Read More »

Not Your Ordinary Sunday

Written by

Article by: Samantha Lai, freshman at UC Berkeley For a group of people who haven’t spent a lot of time together, much less on public transit, we had a remarkably good time getting acquainted with one another and Los Angeles Times writer Rong-Gong “Ron” Lin II on our August 15 trip in Downtown LA. Time seemed to pass by so quickly, but I know I will not soon forget TACL/JIP’s exciting excursion to meet Ron Lin at the LA Times headquarters. Ten interns met our coordinator Emily…

Read More »