For a Better Life, Move to Taiwan: My Taiwanese American Story

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When my mom was twenty, she moved from Taiwan to the United States. Now I’m twenty, and I’m doing everything I can to get back.  There are practical reasons for this, of course. I applied for dual citizenship in high school, and since coronavirus has pushed everything, including my college classes, into the virtual world, Taiwan has become my fabled “land of opportunity.”  But there’s something deeper going on. I’ve spent my whole life trying to prove my “Americanness,”…

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Introducing Taiwan Mixed: An Aggregator for English-Language Taiwan News

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L: Hi Salina! Thanks for taking the time to chat. Tell us about this aggregator project.  S: Taiwan Mixed is a platform that aggregates English content on Taiwan. In particular, the aggregator seeks to support Taiwan-based independent media outlets that release English articles related to developments on the island and beyond. It also seeks to support organizations that share the same mission of sharing Taiwanese culture with an international audience and disseminating information about Taiwan…

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2020 Taiwanese American Holiday Gift Guide: Shop small, shop early!

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TAIWANESEAMERICAN.ORG DISCOUNT CODES & AFFILIATE LINKS: Save 10% at The Formosa Coffee with code "TAORG" Save 10% on Formosa Chocolates with code "TAORG" + 'Formosa' cooler as free gift with purchase on all orders with a dozen or more bonbons Shop Miss Modi's "Taiwan Street Food Collection" (10% of net proceeds benefit TaiwaneseAmerican.org at no additional cost to you) Support independent bookstores and TaiwaneseAmerican.org by purchasing print books from Bookshop. COZY DRINKS:…

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Taiwanese and Taiwanese American Film Festival Guide: Fall 2020

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FEATURE IMAGE: HELLO FROM TAIWAN, dir. TIFFANY FRANCES We are beaming with Taiwanese American pride as our stories come to life and are being projected across the country! A global pandemic may have paused in-person film festivals and gatherings in America, but that hasn't stopped organizers from creating virtual film festivals accessible to a wider audience. Lucky for us because there are more than a handful of excellent Taiwanese and Taiwanese American films being showcased by several organizations…

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Our Dad Invented the N95 Mask: Our Taiwanese American Story

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Editor’s Note: Taiwanese American Peter Tsai has been in the news a lot lately as “the man behind the mask.”  “The retired inventor of N95 masks is back at work to fight Covid-19,” reads a Washington Post headline; “scientist-inventor a humble national hero,” another news agency chirps. But the depth and vibrance of Tsai’s living legacy is best known by his two daughters, who have not only borne witness to the N95 mask’s far-reaching impact during a global pandemic, but…

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[中英版] An Open Letter to the Taiwanese American Community: Securing Taiwan’s Democracy 給台美人的一封公開信：守護台灣民主

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An Open Letter to the Taiwanese American Community: Securing Taiwan’s Democracy 給台美人的一封公開信：守護台灣民主 A strong United States is crucial for a more secure and democratic Taiwan. Contrary to popular perception among the first generation in the Taiwanese American community, the Trump administration has weakened the United States’ economic, diplomatic, and moral standing in the world. This is detrimental to Taiwan’s long-term security and democracy. The authoritarian…

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Austin Asian American Film Festival Announces “Prismatic Taiwan,” A Queer Film Series

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[PRESS RELEASE FROM THE AUSTIN ASIAN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL] Co-presented by Taiwan Academy Houston, OFTaiwan, Taiwanese American Citizens League, and Asian Cinevision; Sponsored by the Taiwan Ministry of Culture AUSTIN, TX – The Austin Asian American Film Festival (AAAFF) is thrilled to co-present a virtual, six-film series celebrating the past and present of queer Taiwanese cinema. The viewing period for all films--including exclusive filmmaker Q&As--will be September 4-13, 2020. Access…

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Meet High Schooler-Founded Social Impact Small Business ‘Formosa’

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IMAGE CREDITS: FORMOSA Many high school students who are of Taiwanese ethnicity spend a summer teaching English in Taiwan. Through programs such as Vox Nativa (Vox) and Connexpedition, these students have the opportunity to create connections with the native Taiwanese community. However, for Bay Area rising high school seniors and best friends, Marianne and Serena, they took their treasured memories from their summer teaching Indigenous Taiwanese children with Vox and launched a small business…

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[中英版] At Home in the Library: My Taiwanese American Story / 圖書館裡的家

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Twenty years after we moved from Ohio to California, my parents received a letter from the children’s librarian in our old town. She had addressed it to “Resident,” not knowing if she had the right address for our family. “The other day while uncluttering a box in my basement,” she wrote, “I discovered a letter written by a girl named Cindy Lee. It was dated 12/30/00.” She asked for news of us, wished us well, and closed by noting, “The fear of the virus has kept us all close…

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Taiwan ‘Zhiguang’: Taiwanese & Taiwanese American Athletes to Root For

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The term “Taiwan zhiguang,” or “the pride and glory of Taiwan,” has been used to describe the likes of Chien-Ming Wang, Yani Tseng, and Jeremy Lin, among other Taiwanese and Taiwanese American athletes. Their accomplishments range from World Series titles to Olympic gold medals, and in addition to playing their respective sports, these athletes have also become cultural ambassadors for Taiwanese and Taiwanese Americans throughout the world. With professional sports beginning to resume under…

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