Introducing the OFTaiwan Award: New funding for Taiwanese American student programs

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FEATURE IMAGE: ITASA MIDWEST NATIONAL CONFERENCE Seven years ago, my friend Jenny Wang and I graduated from Rutgers University and began our professional lives in New York City. However, we both missed our time back at TASA (Taiwanese American Students Association). Of course one part was the being part of “TASA fam,” but we also couldn’t let go of our passion for creating awareness of Taiwanese culture and community. After years in the Taiwanese and Taiwanese American community, we found…

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19 Things That Happened in Taiwan & Taiwanese America in 2019

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As the decade draws to a close, we’re sharing just 19 of the many things that happened in Taiwan and Taiwanese America in 2019. PODCASTS & MUSIC (1) Emily Wu launched Ghost Island Media in Taipei Ghost Island Media is a podcasting startup based in Taipei that (1) grows the Mandarin podcasting market in Taiwan, and (2) increases the presence of English content coming from Taiwan. Their first show, Waste Not Why Not, is an English-language science show on environmental policies and…

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Census Day is April 1, 2020: “Write in ‘Taiwanese'”

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[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvKaDOwMzpg&feature=youtu.be[/embed] Every 10 years, the United States counts every person living in the United States -- citizens and non-citizens. The census shapes public policy and funding towards our communities. Counting everyone ensures fair and equal representation. We are calling all who identify as Taiwanese and Taiwanese American to check "Other Asian" and write in "Taiwanese" on the 2020 Census.  Please support the Write In Taiwanese Census Campaign…

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Where to Watch LOVE BOAT: TAIWAN

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LOVE BOAT: TAIWAN examines one of the longest-running summer programs in the world. This feature-length documentary revisits the program's participants and explores the history and popularity of this well-known trip, sponsored by the Republic of China (Taiwan) government, which takes place every summer in Taiwan.  Despite its high-minded aspirations that include classes in Mandarin-language study, martial arts, and brush painting, the program’s popularity stems from another source: its…

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Taiwanese American Summer Camp: Does the 3rd Gen Need It?

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At the beginning of the summer, I received a Facebook reminder that the early-bird registration discount for TAF (Taiwanese American Foundation—the largest and longest-running summer camp for children and teens of Taiwanese descent in the US and Canada), was ending in just a week. Always a sucker for a good deal, I brought up the idea with my husband about sending our daughter. We both had attended the camp as teenagers and young adults, and considered it an essential part of our formative…

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Summer Language Camps in Taiwan: Five Firsthand Accounts

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Thinking of bringing your children to Taiwan for the summer to improve their Mandarin Chinese? A refresh of our article from two years ago, “Summer Language Camps in Taiwan: Five Firsthand Accounts,” this time we profile five Taiwanese American families* who enrolled in camps, some a little off the main path, to assist in their children’s Mandarin Chinese learning. Information current as of July 2019. *Some names have been changed Seeking A Cultural Experience - Karen Karen was…

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Sharing Spaces: Taiwanese Indigenous Art Connects Tradition with New Audiences

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Djanav Zengror’s greeting flies through the air, and then the rest of the Ayi-Yanga troupe fills the cozy lounge of the Hearst Museum of Anthropology with harmonies. Within the intimate room, the music transports us to a wide-open space and readily calls to mind the verdant mountains of Taiwan. Their song, “Home Direction” (指路), starts with the hunter’s call. When his people hear him, they run to welcome him home. Through the interpreter, UC Berkeley student Cynthia Ji, Zengror explains…

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STEP Taiwan: The Taiwanese American Experience

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     I grew up in the land of apple pie, Friday-night football games, and white picket fences. Some weekends, I would drive up to D.C. and see tourists decked out in their new Washington D.C. souvenir T-shirts, posing along the National Mall – all while munching on their great American hot dogs. Whether intentional or not, in my distinctly American neighborhood, I was fully immersed in its popular culture, traditions, and the overall lifestyle. At home, however, I was…

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Balancing the Trifecta: Growing up Taiwanese, Korean, and American

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  There are 27 picture frames on the wall next to our staircase, each chronicling flashes of the life I know. Pictures of my mom and dad on a vacation to Italy while they were dating, pictures of my brother and me in Mexico, pictures of my brother as a toddler in a pumpkin patch. Pictures of my grandpa’s 60th birthday party, of my parents playing golf with their friends, of my late grandfather with my cousins, of my brother and me sitting on a swing set in Korea. My parents immigrated…

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Register for Taiwanese American Summer Camps

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Summer camp season is quickly approaching! If you’re unfamiliar with the many non-profit Taiwanese American community organizations that host these excellent home-away-from-home youth summer camps, be sure to explore the ones below. They all have talented and committed counselors and staff with a strong sense of personal identity and leadership skills. They are on a mission to help grade school through high school-aged youth grow as individuals and as part of a strongly networked community. Read…

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