Behind the Scenes with Producer Weiko Lin of 100 DAYS

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TaiwaneseAmerican.org's Kristina Lin talks to producer and screenwriter Weiko Lin about his work, family, and recent film project. Weiko's personal life story and the tragic death of his mother in 2007 serves as the inspiration behind his original play, and now the recently released movie, 100 DAYS. In Taiwan, there is a Buddhist belief that if a parent passes away before his/her child is married, the child has 100 days to do so to ensure that the parent's soul transitions peacefully or risk the…

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Big Bah-Tzangs: The Hungry Monster

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Wouldn’t someone dressed up in a giant bah-tzang costume be funny?? This simple image was the inspiration for Karen Lin’s “Hungry Monster,” a web series that gives viewers a creative way to learn about ethnic foods (such as bah-tzangs), their origins, and how they are prepared. Named after the Taiwanese saying yao gui, “Hungry Monster” was created for people of all ages to learn about unfamiliar foods, including Taiwanese foods. Each episode features a different food and a “Hungry…

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A Chat with Documentary Filmmaker Anita Chang

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I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Taiwanese American filmmaker Anita Chang whose latest documentary film, Tongues of Heaven, revolves around the issue of language loss and asks the essential question: "what do you lose when you lose your native language?" Her film explores the challenges of young indigenous peoples of Taiwan and Hawaii in learning the heritage languages of their ancestors — languages that are endangered or facing extinction. Anita was born to parents who immigrated…

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[UPDATED] Taiwan’s Sunflower Student Movement

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As the events of the Sunflower Student Movement unfold in Taiwan, we've compiled what we hope to be a comprehensive resource of up-to-date articles, analysis, live feeds, social media, and photos and footage of the protests. We know there are numerous other sources out there, so feel free to send us whatever you may find. Please continue checking back as the events of the movement unfold and as this list is continuously updated! LAST UPDATED: 4/9/2014 11:18AM PST THE SITUATION: GENERAL OVERVIEW Democracy…

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Building Bridges: An Interview with Organizers of the Taiwan-America Student Conference

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TaiwaneseAmerican.org's Ho Chie Tsai takes a moment to chat with some of the organizers behind a new student-oriented conference that aims to build bridges across the Pacific by bringing together young spirited leaders from the U.S. and Taiwan. Their vision is broad and meaningful: By connecting ambitious young leaders with established leaders in Taiwan, they plan to explore various contemporary issues relevant to the Taiwanese people and take steps to producing solutions that make an impact. Read…

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Kathy Cheng and Thankful Registry: Giving with Heart

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TaiwaneseAmerican.org's Managing Editor, Anna Wu, speaks with Thankful founder Kathy Cheng to find out more about her innovative start-up that is helping to personalize the gift-giving traditions around weddings, birthdays, and other events. Anna has also found success as a professional wedding photographer, so both she and Kathy have much in common when it comes to celebrating life's special moments. Read on to find out more behind the motivation and success of Thankful. Anna: Thank you for talking…

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Michelle Wu – On Campaigning, Boston, and Pig Ears

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Michelle Wu is one of the newly elected at-large councilors for Boston City Council, and the first Asian American female to hold the position. About a year ago, I received a random Facebook invite to one of her first campaign events, where I was inspired by her story. On an especially windy day in a cozy South End Starbucks, I had the privilege of hearing more about her journey and plans for a better Boston. Congrats on your victory! Thanks! I am very humbled to have been elected. Tell…

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Taiwan is My Home: Stories of the Black and Latino Diaspora

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Daniel D. Zarazua has spent his life navigating the ways globalization and international migration have taken root in the daily experiences of life in Taiwan. As a mixed-race 1.5 generation Taiwanese American who has returned to Taiwan several times, he has explored the hip-hop scene, capoeira community, Latino restaurants, and made a number of friendships within Taiwan's Black and Latino communities. I’ve had the privilege of meeting Daniel a couple of times during Taiwanese American conferences…

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The Mountain Brothers

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The Mountain Brothers, one of the first Asian American hip hop groups, are back after a long hiatus. After performing with A Tribe Called Quest, having their music featured in Sprite and Nike commercials, and dropping 2 albums and an EP, the pioneers of Asian American hip hop recently released “Keep On” for CHOPS’ (Scott Jung) new project, Strength in NUMBERS. I catch up with CHOPS, Styles Infinite (Stephen Wei), and Peril-L (Christopher Wang) to talk about the new project. …

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A Chat with Brian Yang on Acting, Producing, and Taiwanese Parents

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TaiwaneseAmerican.org's Ho Chie Tsai chats with Brian Yang, an actor and producing partner at 408 Films, an independent film production company that helps to produce and finance feature film productions and new media ventures. 408 Films has produced titles such as Fog, The People I've Slept With, and SuperCapitalist. Currently, he is one of the producers behind Linsanity, the Jeremy Lin documentary, opening on October 4, 2013. On the acting side, Brian has appeared in film and television projects…

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