Stephanie Chuang on Life in Broadcast Journalism

TaiwaneseAmerican.org is pleased to catch up once again with Stephanie Chuang who now is a morning reporter for KPIX (CBS) in the San Francisco/Bay Area. When we first interviewed her in 2008, she was a recent graduate of Northwestern University who majored in broadcast journalism and Asian American studies. One year into her career, we were fortunate enough to extensively interview her about her new life as a reporter and weekend anchor for KSBW Action News 8, an NBC affiliate in the Central…

Why Taiwan? We Ask Blogger Jade Star of Wai-Taiwan.com

We recently discovered an interesting website “for friends of Taiwan to get together and discuss how much they love the island, the language, and all parts of Taiwanese culture.” Launched in June 2011, the site caught our attention because of the breadth of content that has been posted in such a short time by its twenty-something creator Elena T. aka “Jade Star.” As a foreigner living “outside” (“wai”) of Taiwan, yet a fan of Taiwanese culture and identity, Jade is of Liberian…

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

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.…

Words with Poet Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai

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…

Erin Li Brings Filmmaking and Storytelling to Life

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…

Ambassadors of Taiwan Tea

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…

Meet Christina Yao, Director of “Empire of Silver”

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…

Next Media Animation Brings News to Life

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…

Getting Personal with Lynn Chen

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…

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

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…