Memories of my Yaba Great Aunt

Written by

by James Y. Shih When I was 3, my ahgong (grandpa) brought me to Taiwan from California to visit our old family home in the historic town of Lukang (鹿港). The home was and still is a narrow, two story, brick and wood building off the main road. There, my great aunt, whom I affectionately called “yaba,” lived with my ahma (grandma). At that age, I didn’t know calling her just yaba (啞吧), which means “deaf mute”, was rude (it is). I thought it was her name. Those early memories…

Read More »

Finding Meaning in Taiwanese America: An Open Letter

Written by

  Editor Note: Gloria Hu is a High School Program Director at TANG (Taiwanese American Next Generation). TANG is a four-day summer conference for Taiwanese Americans and their allies. In contemplating meaningful programming and our engagement with issues of identity formation and community-building, the author expresses the importance of Taiwanese heritage to her own convictions and hopes for the community. A Letter to My TANG High Schoolers To my beloved TANG campers, I am so lucky…

Read More »

Chris Pang: Upcoming Crazy Rich Asian and Certified Haiku Hottie

Written by

When actor Chris Pang was a kid growing up in Melbourne, Australia, he remembers he and his mother would act out wuxia stories in their backyard. His mom would be the Grandmaster, and he would be her student, but inevitably then the bad guys would poison the Grandmaster, and he'd have to fight to avenge her. "I loved that," he says. "That's probably how I learned how to tell stories, not just on the page but through action and role-play." Pang, who will soon be seen in the highly-anticipated…

Read More »

Five Ways I Understand my Parents Differently Since Becoming a Mom

Written by

By Evita Wong Reprinted with permission from her blog: Mom, Take One I’ve pretty much always been close with my mom and my dad. I never really went through a notable rebellious phase in my teen years, and my mom has always described my personality as a kid as “xi nai,” or “adorably affectionate” in Taiwanese (I may be adding the “adorably” part). So, of course, I’ve always known that they love my sister and me. But, since having Emmy and experiencing how my heart comes close…

Read More »

Taiwanese Music and the World: Interview with FireEX

Written by

By Darice Dan Chang Reprinted by permission of author and Ketagalan Media One of the challenges of writing about musicians from another country is that you have to feel each other out a little, figure out how much you know, or don’t know, about each other. For example, they don’t understand that you haven’t experienced them, that you can’t just Google.tw their names and have lived every nook and cranny their 10+ year career through the power of the internet. They don’t know that…

Read More »

Taiwan Float in NY Pride Parade Celebrates LGBTQ Movement in Taiwan

Written by

The New York Taiwanese Community Crowdfunds to Celebrate the Recent Ruling on Same-sex Marriage by Taiwan’s Constitutional Court To celebrate this historic ruling, Mr. Chi Chia-Wei, the gay activist who filed the lawsuit that Taiwan’s Constitutional Court recently ruled on, has been invited to New York to participate in this year’s Gay Pride Parade, which will take place on June 25th. A crowdfunding campaign is now underway to raise funds to cover all fees and expenses for 1) Mr. Chi’s…

Read More »

Taipei Guide: An Illustrated Exploration

Written by

Welcome to Taipei, Taiwan / Every year, I pick a month or two between November and February to spend in Taipei. These long trips are made possible by working remotely as a freelance illustrator. But once each day’s work is done, I’m free to grab my sketchbook and explore. This annual trip is my chance to conveniently miss a chunk of Chicago winter and to enjoy daily life in Asia, surrounded by mochi and savory buns. It’s an eating paradise. With vendors hawking sweet and savory treats…

Read More »

End of an Era: Farewell to the Formosa Foundation

Written by

As observers and partners of the many active organizations in support of Taiwan and the Taiwanese American community, the staff of TaiwaneseAmerican.org has had the privilege of working with leaders, organizers, and activists throughout our extensive network. One of those esteemed organizations is the Formosa Foundation, based in Los Angeles. Their mission, like many other "1st generation" organizations, has been a noble one--promoting and supporting the Taiwanese people's right to self-determination…

Read More »

A Rose By Any Other

Written by

My Chinese name is 陳克聞. Seven strokes for the first character of my given name, fourteen for the second, because the fortuneteller told my grandmother that this mathematics of words was auspicious. I write my name with one stroke fewer than the prescribed number, so perhaps all my misfortunes are a result of bad penmanship. No one uses 陳克聞. At home, I am 哥哥, “older brother,” except when my mother, in exasperation, calls out all three syllables of my name for dramatic effect.…

Read More »

The Slants go to Taiwan for new music video!

Written by

The Slants—the world's first and only all Asian American dance rock band—filmed their new music video "Heartbeat is Heaven" during a long-awaited tour to Taiwan, where they also performed at Taiwan's legendary outdoor music festival Spring Scream! The Slants have been featured on Conan O'Brien, NPR, BBC, CBS, TIME, and 1500+ radio stations, tv shows, magazines and websites in over 80+ countries. Check out thoughts on their Taiwan adventures below! How did everyone get involved with The…

Read More »