Checking in with Dawen (王大文)

It’s an unbearably hot summer day as I trek through the streets of Taipei, eager to enter an air conditioned building. I search for Eslite Bookstore. That’s where Dawen Wang and I are meeting. The last time we chatted was some five years ago at my alma mater, UIUC. "Back when I had a shaved head and was 20lbs heavier," Dawen would tell me later, as we settled outside a coffee shop. “I was [...] really, really struggling," he reminisced, "Now, I struggle in different ways. But back then, wow…

Q&A with Dmae Roberts, Author of The Letting Go Trilogies

Dmae Roberts is the author of The Letting Go Trilogies: Stories of A Mixed-Race Family. TaiwaneseAmerican.org's editorial director Anna Wu chatted briefly with Dmae about the powerful, beautifully vulnerable memoirs. * * * Anna Wu: Hi Dmae. Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us. Could you tell us a little bit about the process of writing these memoirs? How did you come to structure the book as a series of trilogies? Dmae Roberts: Through the decades, I've written…

Priska Working on Debut EP

One of our favorite LA-based Taiwanese American musicians, Priska, is finally working on her debut EP. (What? She didn't have one before?). We introduced Priscilla Liang to our audiences back in 2012 with this personal interview and footage from a performance at the Factory Tea Bar in the heart of San Gabriel Valley: Revisit the 2012 Interview: http://www.taiwaneseamerican.org/2012/05/introducing-singer-songwriter-priska/ We've been a big fan of her since the beginning. She's got a beautiful,…

Through the Glass Ceiling: A Contemporary Ballet Collaboration

As the founder of TaiwaneseAmerican.org, I often meet really talented people in our community doing awesome work in their respective fields and industries. When my friend, ballerina and choreographer Ivy Chow, contacted me one day asking if I knew any composers of Taiwanese heritage that might collaborate with her on a new performance project about "breaking glass ceilings," I immediately thought of another friend, composer George Shaw, known for his many compositions and scores for popular YouTube…

The Lintet: A Taiwanese American Trombonist Shows That Jazz Has No Boundaries

Taiwanese American trombonist Peter Lin talks to us about his jazz band The Lintet, how the Taiwanese community has shaped his life, the importance of connecting to the audience and community and being true to oneself—and why he incorporates Taiwanese folk songs into their repertoire. Talk a little bit about The Lintet. How did you start? The Lintet is a band led by yours truly for the past four years; dedicated towards providing quality jazz and soul music for all communities. I often…

Introducing the TaiwaneseAmerican.org Newsletter!

We are excited to introduce our first ever TaiwaneseAmerican.org newsletter! The Summer 2016 edition will be releasing soon. Sign up and join us every month for fun, interesting & remarkable events, happenings and people from around Taiwanese America! *Email and Location required. All information is kept confidential and used solely to develop newsletter content for readers. #mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; } /* Add your own…

Perspective to Empower: Isa Ho’s “Girls Falling” at Taiwan Academy L.A.

Taiwanese artist Isa Ho opened her first photo exhibition “Girls Falling” at Taiwan Academy in Los Angeles from May 18th to June 30th. This photo exhibit goes beyond the usual perspectives and into a fantastical introspection of the self, with the discussion uniquely immersed in contemporary Taiwanese sensibility. The “Girls” series is referred to by many as the “Falling Down” series. The girls in the photographs along with the girls whom have been transformed into animals are all…

For the Love of the Band: Taiwanese Fans bring British Thrash Metal Onslaught to Taipei!

By Darice Chang Introduction When legendary British thrash metal band Onslaught announced their Asia tour, Taiwan was missing from the list. Undeterred, one diehard fan recruited another and together three Taiwanese decided to bring the band to Taipei themselves. With no previous experience in event organization and driven purely by passion, the three fans - under the pseudonyms Somebody, Nobody, and Everybody - pooled their money and resources to make their dream a reality. Aside…

Intersection of Poetry and Movements: An Interview with Author Kenji Liu

As we celebrate Taiwanese American Heritage Week and Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, TaiwaneseAmerican.org is pleased to feature accomplished individuals of Taiwanese descent who have used their voices and talents to highlight the histories and legacies of our community. Kenji C. Liu is author of Map of an Onion, national winner of the 2015 Hillary Gravendyk Poetry Prize. His poetry is in, among other places, American Poetry Review, Action Yes!, Split This Rock’s poem of the week series,…

Taiwanese 7-Eleven to Open in Four U.S. Cities Early 2017

The Taiwanese American Dream ... is Coming True First, Din Tai Fung launches in the Bay Area this May. Then, Taiwanese-influenced supermarket 99 Ranch opens its first East Coast locations end of this year. And now, Taiwanese 7-Eleven open their first U.S. locations early next year!!! Right now, news is still early and only being reported in Taiwanese newspapers but confirmed cities include Los Angeles and NYC with a yet undetermined location in the Bay Area. Seattle, Chicago and Houston have…