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TaiwaneseAmerican.org

  • Home
    • About
      • Community Organizations
      • Donate
      • Submissions
  • Stories
    • Interviews
    • Perspectives
    • Arts & Entertainment
    • Community Orgs
    • Food & Travel
    • Social Issues & Politics
  • Projects
  • Creative Writing Prizes
  • Gift Guides
  • Bookshop
  • Parenting Resources
  • Contact
"Where Every Ghost Has a Name": Kim Liao in conversation with Cosette Wu "Where Every Ghost Has a Name": Kim Liao in conversation with Cosette Wu
 Chop Fry Watch Learn: Fu Pei-mei and the Making of Modern Chinese Food  Chop Fry Watch Learn: Fu Pei-mei and the Making of Modern Chinese Food
Taiwanese Homecoming: Meet Artist Felicia Liang Taiwanese Homecoming: Meet Artist Felicia Liang
A True Family Business: Jessica Wang of Gu Grocery in conversation with Tiffany Ran A True Family Business: Jessica Wang of Gu Grocery in conversation with Tiffany Ran
On Identity, Writing, and Preserving Heritage: Erica Lee Schlaikjer (“Wild Greens, Beautiful Girl”) in conversation with Crystal Z. Lee On Identity, Writing, and Preserving Heritage: Erica Lee Schlaikjer (“Wild Greens, Beautiful Girl”) in conversation with Crystal Z. Lee

Featured Stories

FeaturedPerspectives

Koi Fish: A TAF Story by Brady Nichols

Editor’s Note: The Taiwanese American Foundation’s summer conference has been running for over four decades, cultivating among 3+ generations its vision “for people of Taiwanese heritage to make a profound impact on humankind in unique and compassionate ways.” TAF is also the “ancestral…

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Creative Writing PrizesPerspectives

Homing: Creative Nonfiction by Lenna L. Liu

  Homing  Dedicated to my father  Meet me   along a border, a boundary,  where earth and water meet.  Snow geese fly   tracing coastlines,   salmon leave   salty bay waters for freshwater streams,   grey whales slow  filling their bellies on long…

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Creative Writing Prizes

Luck Girl; Benign City: Fiction by Herbert Chang

"Subtle, restrained, elegant. A moving, poignant reflection of youth, friendship and first love." - Judges' Remarks Grand Prize Winner, Adult Category – 2024 Betty L. Yu and Jin C. Yu Creative Writing Prizes Luck Girl; Benign City  Summer 1989, I met Claire in my hometown Bei-Liao. But…

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“In 1947, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek tried to “In 1947, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek tried to kill my family. In 2010, I traveled to Taiwan to find out why.”⁠ So begins Kim Liao’s sweeping and meticulously researched memoir, “Where Every Ghost Has a Name: A Memoir of Taiwanese Independence,” published today by Rowman & Littlefield. ⁠ ⁠ We are pleased to introduce this important contribution to #TaiwaneseAmerican literature with an author Q&A by Cosette Wu, who has also researched and written a book about a direct ancestor who dedicated his life to, and was eventually killed for his role in, the Taiwanese Independence movement.⁠ ⁠ This conversation is a powerful meeting of minds and denotes an inspiring moment in Taiwanese American history and literature; we are grateful to be in community with them and you all. ⁠ ⁠ “Where Every Ghost Has a Name” is out now and available wherever books are sold. ⁠ ⁠ Read the full Q&A, linked here and in bio: https://www.taiwaneseamerican.org/2024/09/kim-liao-interview/
NEW on @taiwaneseam_org - Food Editor Tiffany Ran NEW on @taiwaneseam_org - Food Editor Tiffany Ran @bb6twpopup interviews Jessica Wang @chinesebeancurd of Gu Grocery @gu_grocery -- a family-run, community-centered neighborhood market concept set to open its brick and mortar shop in Fall 2024.⁠ ⁠ "I’m super excited about offering prepared food for people to purchase that’s ready to go. One of the core missions of our little shop is to offer food that you can buy using EBT. That’s just, you know, with the people of Chinatown in mind. ⁠ ⁠ I want to sell produce from some of my former farmers market neighbors. Once we are established and have the routine down, I want to invite friends to do pop-ups after hours. The plan is to have friends get involved and share our space with our community. We eventually want to host produce distributions for free food. That is something I’m going to set up with my friends who run a non-profit. And we’ll have a takeout window feature. ⁠ ⁠ We will have our black sesame noodles with pickles and we’ll be able to offer more protein options, whether it’s pork meatballs or braised tofu. We’ll have our rainbow zhou (congee) with various toppings. We’ll also have pre-packed cold dish sides. There’ll be a wood ear mushroom side, which we haven’t sold before. We’ll have a bunch of different, wonderful sides and pickled things that I’m excited about. My mom is the snack queen and I’m sure she’ll want to do things like peanuts and anchovies. She’s also very wild and hard to plan with sometimes so we’ll have Peggy’s Specials here and there. Working with our strengths and weaknesses, right?"⁠ ⁠ Read the full Q&A, linked here and in bio: https://www.taiwaneseamerican.org/2024/08/gu-grocery-feature/
When we met up with award-winning food writer and When we met up with award-winning food writer and author Cathy Erway in New York a few months ago, she raved about Michelle T. King's "Chop Fry Watch Learn: Fu Pei-Mei and the Making of Modern Chinese Food." ⁠ ⁠ We are so pleased to share an excerpt from King's book, with a special introduction written by Erway for @taiwaneseam_org. ⁠ ⁠ "In her new book on Fu Pei-Mei, Chop Fry Watch Learn: Fu Pei-Mei and the Making of Modern Chinese Food, Michelle T. King offers an accounting of the immense scope of the cookbook author’s influence. Even though I’d had an inkling about Fu’s life and legacy thanks to a few articles on her in recent years, I was blown away by how much King was able to report on her. And how much, through the lens of Fu, King was able to illuminate the lives of Taiwanese people—perhaps including some of your family’s history, too."⁠ ⁠ Read the piece, linked here and in bio: https://www.taiwaneseamerican.org/2024/08/chop-fry-watch-learn-michelle-t-king/⁠ ⁠ Michelle T. King @michtking is an associate professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she specializes in modern Chinese gender and food history. A 2020–21 National Endowment for the Humanities Public Scholar, she lives in Chapel Hill with her family.⁠ ⁠ Cathy Erway @cathyerway is a James Beard Award-winning food writer and author based in New York City. Her cookbooks include The Food of Taiwan: Recipes From the Beautiful Island and Win Son Presents: A Taiwanese American Cookbook.
Felicia Liang's @byfelicialiang self-published tra Felicia Liang's @byfelicialiang self-published travel sketchbook, "Taiwanese Homecoming," is filled with vibrant illustrations of Taiwanese food and is the latest in a dazzling collection of Taiwanese and Asian American inspired work. ⁠ ⁠ Our Food editor, Tiffany Ran, caught up with Felicia to learn more about stylizing "goopy, beige" (but delicious) foods and how she would spend 24 hours in Taiwan. ⁠ ⁠ Read the full interview and find how you can purchase a copy of "Taiwanese Homecoming" linked here and in bio: https://www.taiwaneseamerican.org/2024/08/felicia-liang-interview/⁠ ⁠ Felicia Liang is a Taiwanese American artist, illustrator, and printmaker. Her work is a constant exploration of her identity and emotions, and how the communities and cultures she’s around uniquely shape them. She loves making colorful food, still life, and cityscape illustrations and seeing her art on walls around people’s homes, on menus, on merchandise, and sometimes in the newspaper.⁠ ⁠ Tiffany Ran @bb6twpopup is a chef and writer based in Seattle, Washington. Her writing has been featured in Seattle Magazine, Vice Munchies, Goldthread, Seattle Weekly, Lucky Peach, and more. She runs a Taiwanese pop-up called Babalio Taiwanese Pop Up, showcasing lesser known dishes and aspects of Taiwanese cuisine. She is very passionate about tracing and contributing to the growing recognition of Taiwanese cuisine in the U.S.⁠
OUT TODAY: Erica Lee Schlaikjer's “Wild Greens, OUT TODAY: Erica Lee Schlaikjer's “Wild Greens, Beautiful Girl” (illustrated by Cinyee Chiu) is an Own Voices, Own Stories award winner and Junior Library Guild Selection.⁠ ⁠ We are so pleased to share this conversation between picture book author and novelist Crystal Z. Lee and Erica Lee Schlaikjer.⁠ ⁠ "The challenges [Amis] face is similar to those that indigenous people have endured worldwide because of the destructive forces of colonization, political marginalization, and economic exploitation. The big ones: Land dispossession. Forced assimilation. Loss of language, customs, and traditional knowledge. Violence and discrimination. Stereotyping and microaggressions.⁠ Despite challenges, my family survived, like our indigenous brothers and sisters around the planet. I have a few lines in my book to honor this resilience: 'Like roots, we are strong. Like leaves, we are full of life. Like seeds, we can grow anywhere. No matter how far we go, we always belong to this place.' These words have become positive affirmations, which give me a sense of pride."⁠ ⁠ The full Q&A, with a link to purchase "Wild Greens, Beautiful Girl" is linked here and in bio: : https://www.taiwaneseamerican.org/2024/08/wild-greens-beautiful-girl/⁠
The Taiwanese American Foundation’s @tafagram su The Taiwanese American Foundation’s @tafagram summer conference has been running for over four decades, cultivating among 3+ generations its vision “for people of Taiwanese heritage to make a profound impact on humankind in unique and compassionate ways.”⁠ ⁠ We’re grateful to share the perspective of Brady Nichols @bradyniichols who has served on TAF’s Youth (high school) program staff for four years now. We know it will resonate with anyone who has ever struggled to see themselves as whole and distinct from the scrutiny of others.⁠ ⁠ “KOI FISH” has been adapted from his TAF Talk, delivered in Summer of 2024 and lightly edited for clarity.⁠ ⁠ 🔗 Linked here and in bio: https://www.taiwaneseamerican.org/2024/08/koi-fish-a-taf-story-by-brady-nichols/
In observance of the 79th anniversary of the Hiros In observance of the 79th anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing, we are sharing this honorable mention selection from the 2024 Betty L. Yu and Jin C. Yu Creative Writing Prizes.⁠ Liu's piece, "Homing," opens with a poem dedicated to her late father, a well-respected Hakka doctor whose wish was to buried in the Liu family gravesite with his parents back in Taiwan. ⁠ The problem is - no one knows where it is. ⁠ ⁠ As Liu endeavors to fulfill her father's wish, each discovery reveals her family's resilience and the path that led to their eventual immigration to the United States. In tracing the footsteps of her father, she not only finds a physical and emotional reconstruction of the burial site but also discovers a deeper understanding of her heritage, which spans the Hakka emigration from China to Taiwan; Japan's colonization of Taiwan, during which many Taiwanese were sent to Japan during WWII; and the 921 earthquake. ⁠ ⁠ "In the years since my father died, I have continued to try to learn more about Hiroshima and the hibakusha, the Japanese name given to atomic bomb survivors. Most of the survivors who are still living were children during the time of the atomic bombing. They are now all in their eighties or nineties and will soon die. When they do, all that will be left remains on paper, in history books, in museums. History does not feel real, feel tangible—until that history is your own family’s, your father’s. Then it is in your cells—trauma that impacts one’s DNA, called epigenetics, its effects passed down through genes to generations. I wanted to know of his experience in my body, to feel it, to digest the aftershocks one generation later."⁠ ⁠ Read the full piece, linked here and in bio: https://www.taiwaneseamerican.org/2024/08/homing-creative-nonfiction-by-lenna-liu/⁠ ⁠ Lenna L Liu is an emerging Taiwanese-American writer and retired University of Washington emeritus professor and pediatrician who cared for children and families at Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic in Seattle, WA for over thirty years.
BAY AREA!! Don’t miss these upcoming screenings BAY AREA!! Don’t miss these upcoming screenings for Vanessa Hope’s timely, powerful film, INVISIBLE NATION. ⁠ With unprecedented access to Taiwan’s then-head of state, director Vanessa Hope investigates the election and tenure of Tsai Ing-wen, the first female president of Taiwan. Thorough, incisive and bristling with tension, Invisible Nation... brings punctual focus to the struggle of Taiwan as it fights for autonomy and freedom from fear.⁠ ⁠ Vanessa Hope’s “Invisible Nation” offers an affecting portrait of Taiwan through an impressive lineup of interviews, not just with President Tsai Ing-wen, though she’s the most prominently featured, but with an array of historians, activists, academics, and politicians, thoughtfully interspersed with archive footage. Together, they offer a comprehensive narrative about Taiwan’s many paradoxes: being globally influential but systematically excluded, existing in de facto independence but threatened with war if it declares itself such, being of strategic importance but denied diplomatic alliances. In all of these, a common threat looms – that of the People’s Republic of China.⁠ ⁠ Please visit the listed theater’s website to purchase tickets directly. ⁠
We are pleased to share the Grand Prize Winner of We are pleased to share the Grand Prize Winner of the 2024 Betty L. Yu and Jin C. Yu Creative Writing Prizes, Adult category.⁠ The judging panel describe Herbert Chang’s short story, “Luck Girl; Benign City” as “subtle, restrained, elegant. A moving, poignant reflection of youth, friendship and first love.”⁠ ⁠ Read the beautiful piece, linked here and in bio: https://www.taiwaneseamerican.org/2024/06/luck-girl-benign-city-fiction-by-herbert-chang/⁠ ⁠ Herbert Chang is an assistant professor at Dartmouth College who studies social networks, politics, and how technology shapes human behavior. His research covered the 2020 and 2024 Taiwanese and United States Presidential Elections, the George Floyd protests, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. His work has been featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Scientific American, and Forbes 30 Under 30. His group combines computational, investigative, and journalistic approaches to tell compelling human stories. He writes about Taiwan and designs music systems.⁠ He can be found at: ⁠ Twitter: @herbschang⁠ Instagram: @herbert.chang⁠ www.herbert-chang.com
Photos of our academic/organizer-activist hangout Photos of our academic/organizer-activist hangout tonight! 🍽️ We’re feeling so inspired by the presentations at @natsa_twstudies this week and the opportunity we @taiwaneseam_org have to be more thoughtful, critically engaged, and intellectually vigorous about the depth and diversity of the Taiwanese American stories we source or amplify. Our field trip this week has illuminated so many ways of living out and exploring our heritage. We hope to continue building & empowering a community rooted in our shared identity but driven by curiosity about our unique experiences and interests. Your stories - personal and scholarly - continue to move and teach us. We are so proud to be Taiwanese American because of what you all have done to make this identity meaningful. What we mean to say is— we are so proud of you. ❣️ Check out some Taiwan Studies recaps in our IG stories, archived in highlights!
@taiwaneseamerican_org IRL Field Trip Day 1!⁠ We @taiwaneseamerican_org IRL Field Trip Day 1!⁠ We were so grateful to spend some time with some of our friends here in NYC before we head to @natsa_twstudies later this week. There's nothing quite like hearing about the side quests, setbacks, and hopes each has navigated in their unique journeys amplifying Taiwanese heritage. We are so proud of the ways they shine, support each other, and serve the broader community. ⁠ ⁠ Pictured:⁠ Cathy Erway, author of THE FOOD OF TAIWAN⁠ Lisa Cheng Smith, founder of Yun Hai Taiwanese Pantry 雲海嚴選⁠ Trigg Brown, chef/partner of Win Son Bakery & Restaurant⁠ --⁠ Ho Chie Tsai (founder, TaiwaneseAmerican.org)⁠ Janet Hsieh (TV personality, actress, model, violinist)⁠ George Young (TV personality, actor, model)⁠ Kevin Tinhua Hsia (designer/creative strategist)⁠ Lisa Cheng Smith, founder of Yun Hai Taiwanese Pantry 雲海嚴選⁠ Michelle Hsu (founder, Ilha Candles)⁠ Jocelyn Hu (fashion designer)⁠ Thomas Duh (co-founder, Dae Tea)⁠ Peter Lin (jazz musician, producer)⁠ Anne Hu (filmmaker/director)⁠ Leona Chen (EIC, TaiwaneseAmerican.org)⁠ Sasha Chou (founder, Mumu Bath)⁠
We had so much fun gathering this remarkable group We had so much fun gathering this remarkable group of food & beverage storytellers to celebrate James Beard finalist Clarissa Wei, her cookbook "Made in Taiwan," and the compounding gifts of community. For those in the Bay Area, you might see the faces behind some of your favorite dishes!⁠ (Bottom photo, left to right) Marcelle Yang (Piglet & Co) @pigletco.sf Angie Lin (Good to Eat) @goodtoeatdumplings Clarissa Wei (MADE IN TAIWAN) @dearclarissa Tony Tung (Good to Eat) Chris Yang (Piglet & Co) Jessica Liang (Mama Liang’s) @mamaliangs — Also pictured: - Felicia Liang, (food) artist/illustrator - Stacy Tang & Willy Wang of Taiwan Bento - Henry Hsu of Oramasamadumplings - Kimberly Yang of Formosa Chocolates - Wenter Shyu of Third Culture Bakery - Olivia Chen, co-founder of Twrl Milk Tea - Anna Wu, host of Taiwanese American cookbook clubs - Vince Huang, one of the founders of Taiwanese Home Cooking group on Fb - Tammy Chang, The Nourished Belly - Karen Lin, Taiwanese American Foundation @tafagran president - Pamela Hung, TAF Executive Director - Leona Chen, @taiwaneseam_org EIC - Ho Chie Tsai, @taiwaneseam_org founder
We're pleased to share another feature on how Taiw We're pleased to share another feature on how Taiwanese Americans are interrogating and wielding language.⁠ ⁠ In "The Translator's Daughter," writer @graceprasad unfurls themes of memory, dislocation, language, and loss to tell a unique story about reclaiming one's heritage while living in a diaspora. ⁠ For @taiwaneseam_org, Prasad was interviewed by Jami Nakamura Lin, a Japanese Taiwanese Okinawan American writer and author of the highly-acclaimed speculative memoir, "The Night Parade." ⁠ ⁠ Read the full conversation here: https://www.taiwaneseamerican.org/2024/06/grace-loh-prasad-interview/⁠
We were so inspired by our recent chat with @realy We were so inspired by our recent chat with @realyoumandarin co-founder Angela Lin on why she and her Taiwan-based language instructor launched an online Mandarin course for American-born Taiwanese. ⁠ ⁠ "Empowerment is at the core of it," she says. "A huge part of what we realized in developing this course was having to overcome cultural gaps, not just pure word-for-word translation. Language is not 100% translatable – all the people who tell us to just 'watch Chinese shows on Netflix' don’t realize that learning how to speak fluently in Mandarin does not [necessarily] help us express things that only other people who grew up in the west care about – things like how meaningful seeing true media representation in 'Everything Everywhere All At Once' was, or why growing up as a minority has shaped our world-view in so many ways, or why seeking individual passions and pursuits is not selfish, despite what the tenets of filial piety might dictate."⁠ ⁠ Part One of the course is titled "Expressing Your Opinion," with modules like Dating & Relationships, Religion & Spirituality, Politics, and Current Events. The forthcoming Part Two will help ABTs engage in conversations about mental health, growing up as a minority, and pressures around marriage & children.⁠ ⁠ Read the full Q&A here: https://www.taiwaneseamerican.org/2024/06/real-you-mandarin/⁠ ⁠ Plus, readers can use code taiwaneseamerican10 for 10% off the Early Bird Pricing ($80 with promo code applied, regular price $120). ⁠ ⁠ #taiwaneseamerican⁠
New on @taiwaneseam_org: Author Nicole Chen @nchen New on @taiwaneseam_org: Author Nicole Chen @ncheny on how LILY XIAO SPEAKS OUT positions a young Taiwanese American protagonist to step into bravery in ways that are surprising to her family - but not necessarily unprecedented.⁠ ⁠ "The history of Taiwan and my own experience as a child of multilingual immigrants hold powerful lessons to teach us here in the US... I wanted to feature a Taiwanese American kid who fought, who spoke up, who was bold, brave, and vocal. I wanted to craft a story that actively challenged the status quo, that explicitly broke down stereotypes with cultural nuance, and that, of course, would invite kids to pick it up, fall in love with the story, then engage in dialogue about its themes." ⁠ ⁠ Read Nicole's full article, linked here and in bio: https://www.taiwaneseamerican.org/2024/06/beyond-boba-nicole-chen/
About

Founded in 2006, TaiwaneseAmerican.org is a web portal site highlighting many of the interesting people, events and organizations that make up Taiwanese America. It is both a volunteer-driven website and a non-profit organization that intends to connect and promote those who identify with the Taiwanese identity, heritage, or culture. By establishing our niche within the broader Asian Pacific American and mainstream communities, we hope to collectively contribute to the wonderful and diverse mosaic that America represents.

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