Inside NATWA II: An Interview with Co-founder Joann Lo

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Guest contributor Hanna Huang, interviews Joann Lo, one of the two founding co-coordinators of the North American Taiwanese Women's Association 2nd generation group (NATWA II) during their 2011 National Convention, which took place in St. Louis, MO. NATWA II's mission consists of establishing a network for 1.5- and 2nd-generation Taiwanese American and Canadian women in order to cultivate and promote talents among young Taiwanese American and Canadian women and to preserve Taiwanese culture and identity.…

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Words with Poet Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai

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TaiwaneseAmerican.org's Ho Chie Tsai takes a few moments to speak with talented spoken word artist Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai about her life and work as a full-time poet. She's been one of our favorite folks to follow over the years, and in the past we've pointed out her frequent touring schedule across the nation as well as her co-productions with filmmaker Karen Lin. This interview takes place during the 2011 North American Taiwanese Women's Association (NATWA) National Conference, which was held…

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Erin Li Brings Filmmaking and Storytelling to Life

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Guest correspondent Timothy Tau recently met with fellow filmmaker Erin Li at the 2011 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (LAAPFF). Erin’s film, L.A. Coffin School, which stars Elizabeth Sung, Michelle Krusiec, Jerry Ying, Megan Lee Angela Ai and Danni Lang, had the rare honor of being selected as one of the ten films sponsored by a Visual Communications “Armed With A Camera” Fellowship for Emerging Media Artists. All ten films screened as part of the “VC Digital Posse Ver. 2011” Program…

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Ambassadors of Taiwan Tea

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During the Intercollegiate Taiwanese American Students Association 2011 Midwest Conference at Northwestern University, TaiwaneseAmerican.org's Esther Hou speaks with Thomas Shu and Josephine Pan, the ambassadors of Taiwan tea. Shu and Pan share an appreciation of Taiwan through the culture of tea. Together, they bring their knowledge to people of all ages through workshops and even field trips to Taiwan. They are both originally from Hsin Chu, Taiwan, a town that produces Formosa Champagne…

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Meet Christina Yao, Director of “Empire of Silver”

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TaiwaneseAmerican.org guest correspondent Annie Tung interviews Taiwanese American director Christina Yao, director of "Empire of Silver." Set in 1899, "Empire of Silver" follows the story of a carefree young man who must prepare to take over his family's Chinese banking empire. The film stars Aaron Kwok, Jennifer Tilly, and Lantian Chang. It has won 19 prestigious festival awards around the world including "Best Director" at the Shanghai International Film Festival. The film opens nationwide…

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Next Media Animation Brings News to Life

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Imagine that you are a journalist. A bus accident has just happened in your hometown. The bus’ front, left tire popped. Then, the bus hit a pothole and flipped over. From what you gather, scores are dead. You arrive at the scene of the accident with your photographer. You get a few pictures of the ruined bus; you grab some interviews with the victims’ families, the bus company and the police. Your news station breaks the story at five. Twenty-four hours later, your hometown has gone…

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Getting Personal with Lynn Chen

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TaiwaneseAmerican.org's guest correspondent Jessica Kung takes time to chat with actor Lynn Chen, best known for for her role in the 2005 hit indie film Saving Face and who currently plays the love interest in the 2011 film Surrogate Valentine. Lynn gets personal and talks about some her own stories and struggles dealing with body image as it relates to her life in Hollywood. Lynn Chen has managed her own personal blog called "The Actor's Diet" sharing her life as a foodie and thoughts about…

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A Moment with Michelle Krusiec: Reflections on Life as an Actor

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During the Intercollegiate Taiwanese American Students Association 2011 Midwest Conference at Northwestern University, TaiwaneseAmerican.org's newest correspondent Esther Hou caught up with actor Michelle Krusiec to talk about her life path and her seasoned acting career. Michelle was first spotted by at a Chinese restaurant, where her parents had her work as punishment for stealing stationary. "My parents didn't have a lot of money," she said, "and I didn't want to ask them for it. So, I…

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Interview with Bertha Bay-Sa Pan, Director of “Almost Perfect”

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By Timothy Tau, Guest Contributor I am here with Bertha Bay-Sa Pan, whose feature film “Almost Perfect” (2011) (which she wrote and directed), starring Kelly Hu, Edison Chen, Ivan Shaw, Christine Chang, Tina Chen and Roger Rees, will be screening at the 2011 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (LAAPFF) as the Festival Centerpiece Presentation. As a fellow Taiwanese American filmmaker also with a film screening at LAAPFF, I got the opportunity to have Bertha answer some questions about…

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Exploring Untapped Cities with Michelle Young

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Meet Michelle Young. She is a graduate student in urban planning at Columbia University, holds a B.A. from Harvard in the History of Art & Architecture, and is a graduate of the Juilliard School of Music. She can usually be found in New York (where she grew up), Paris, backpacking in South America or Southeast Asia, or in-transit between. She has an obsession with buses, shoots with a Nikon SLR camera, and destroys cellos on stage with her indie rock band. She’s traveled to 35 countries, including…

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