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

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:…

The Formosa Coffee Brings Taiwan-grown Beans to US

During the past decade, Taiwan's burgeoning coffee scene has gained more attention, but the stories from news articles have tended towards the creative cafes and talented baristas who import quality beans from other major producers in the world. Rarely told is the story of Taiwan's own home-grown coffee bean. For connoisseurs of fine coffee, many do know that some of the best beans are grown in the high mountain regions around Yunlin county--a perfect altitude for production. In fact, if one visits…

These Youtubers are vlogging their mandatory quarantine in Taiwan

"Some people suggested [that I] not eat on the plane... but I just love food." Highly relatable and informative content from Taiwanese Americans and diasporic Taiwanese who have returned to Taiwan during the pandemic. Taiwan requires all arrivals who have traveled to certain countries and territories affected by COVID-19 pandemic to undergo 14-day home or hotel quarantine. | Featuring videos from Jimmy Wang (@jimmywang17), Jolie Chi (@joliechi), Alexander Tseng, Lisin Chen (@chenskiii.lisin),…

Being in Taiwan During COVID-19: A Taiwanese American Student Perspective

    Editor's Note: Joyce was already living in Taiwan when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. If you are fleeing the states and traveling to Taiwan, or have recently done so, please practice self-isolation for at least 14 days - no matter how much you want to go out! Tricky Taipei has a great guide on life in Taipei during COVID-19, as well as an archive of coronavirus home quarantine stories. As I write this on April 28, Taiwan has announced its third day in a row of no reported new…

From Ilha Formosa to Passport to Taiwan: Comparing the 2006 and 2018 Taiwanese Tourism Bureau Campaigns

Editor’s Note: There are so many ways to advocate for Taiwan: on the streets with Keep Taiwan Free, in DC with organizations like the Formosan Association for Public Affairs, and, like Washington University in St. Louis freshman Vivienne Chang shows, in the classroom by incorporating thoughtful research and analysis on Taiwan into open-topic schoolwork. We were so moved by her decision to, in her words, “write every optional paper I get for each class about something that is related to Taiwan.”…

Summer Language Camps in Taiwan: Five Firsthand Accounts

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…

Tricky Taipei Debuts Children’s Book Set in Taipei

Kathy is a communications consultant and the writer behind Tricky Taipei. After 7 years working at design agencies VSA Partners in Chicago and Smart Design in New York, she moved back to Taipei in 2014 and now writes Tricky Taipei and hosts Tricky Talks, an event series for international professionals based in the city. In 2018, she published Hey Taipei, the first English-language picture book about Taipei. A couple of years ago I had the idea to write a cute rhyming picture book about…

Grateful for Family & Friends #TaiwaneseThanksgiving

WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR YOU! And for what our Taiwanese American heritage and culture have given us... especially how it influences our American holiday traditions and food experiences. We asked for your photos showing how you celebrate #TaiwaneseThanksgiving, and we were impressed! Check out some of the submissions below. #TaiwaneseThanksgiving This American holiday is all about spending time with and appreciating family, and when you get together, you've got to take a photo... It's a given…

9 Beef Noodle Soup Restaurants to Try While Your Child is at Summer Camp in Taipei

When your kids are at Mandarin Daily News (國語日報) or NTNU (師大) learning Chinese all day, and you are craving a good bowl of beef noodle soup, where will you go? Here’s a list of nine beef noodle soup restaurants located within walking distance of these camps (on the border of Taipei’s Zhongzheng and Da'an districts). Our reviewer doesn’t claim to be an expert, but beef noodle soup is his favorite food! Prices current as of July 2017. Be sure to check out the companion…

Taipei Guide: An Illustrated Exploration

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…