Between My Grandfather, Taiwan, and Me

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I had just turned eleven years old when my gonggong passed away. I never got to know him very well; my memories of him are pieced together from summer trips to the East Coast, when we visited my mother’s side of the family. But between his deteriorating health and my distraction of getting to play Wii with my cousins, my gonggong and I did not spend much time together. After his death, his transformation into an unknown, distant figure in my life felt inevitable. [caption id="" align="aligncenter"…

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‘A Tale of Two Islands’ & Fire EX Ignite Community

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Taiwanese Americans had back-to-back reasons to gather this weekend in the Bay Area.  A Tale of Two Islands: Hong Kong x Taiwan Fair In San Leandro, Formosan United Methodist Church, one of the most longstanding Taiwanese churches in the United States, played host to the Hong Kong x Taiwan Fair 台港交流日, named 雙島: A Tale of Two Islands. This was the inaugural collaboration between the Taiwanese American Federation of Northern California, a primary first-gen coalition of organizations…

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Remembering the 228 Massacre: Readings & Resources on Taiwan’s White Terror Era

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Feature image: Memorial Foundation of 228  How should a nation reckon with its sins? On the 75th anniversary of the 228 Massacre in Taiwan, and in the midst of ever-greater geopolitical distress, we invite our community to reflect with us on life under and after authoritarian violence. History is rife with the patterns of misinformation masquerading as prophecy; ego presented as hope; fear as our moral compass. In Green Island Secrets, Professor Chung-chih Li writes, "how one feels about…

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Pew Research reissues report on Asian Americans after misrepresenting Taiwanese Americans

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  KEY LINKS: Corrected "Key facts about Asian origin groups in the U.S." (Pew Research Center) - September 8, 2021 How many Taiwanese live in the U.S.? It’s not an easy question to answer (Decoded: PRC Medium) - September 8, 2021 To the Taiwanese American community: Ever since the 1990 United States Census, the Taiwanese American Citizens League (TACL) has led civic engagement efforts to remind our community to complete the U.S. Census by not only checking the "Other Asian"…

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Response to Pew Research Reports Hiding Taiwanese Identity: “We made it count. Now tell our stories.”

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Taiwanese American Community Response to Pew Research Reports on Asian American Communities IMAGE SOURCE: PEW RESEARCH CENTER Recently published reports by the Pew Research Center analyzing Asian American communities have included footnotes that data for “‘Chinese’ includes those identifying as ‘Taiwanese.’” As of today (May 1 - the start of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month), the methodology for Pew Research Center’s Asian American fact sheets makes no reference to why…

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Taiwanese Americans: Help Report Anti-AAPI Discrimination

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  Originally published March 2, 2020   I will clarify again that legitimate calls for CCP accountability are NOT at odds with real solutions addressing anti-Asian violence. As a #TaiwaneseAmerican passionate about the nuances of #AsianAmerica, I believe in discourse that is thoughtful enough to be specific. (LC 1/2) — Taiwanese American (@TaiwaneseAm_org) March 18, 2021 Taiwanese Americans, our responsibility here is two-fold: (1) You or someone you know may have been…

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Remembrance & Resources: Learning About 228

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By Joyce Chen & Leona Chen | 74 years have elapsed since the 1947 February 28 Massacre in Taiwan, when building resentment over inflation, constant military occupation, and police brutality culminated in an island-wide protest. When local Taiwanese leaders demanded administration reforms, free elections, and accountability for government corruption, the Chinese Nationalist army began a violent campaign to impose martial law, executing teachers, students, and commercial leaders. An estimated…

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On Clubhouse, ‘臺kanda’: Taiwan’s Wakanda Fantasies

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Are semiconductors Taiwan's vibranium? "Actually," offers one speaker, "it's the Taiwanese people's ethics and heart." Aw. There's a scene in the Marvel franchise where T'challa disrupts the meta-fiction of Wakanda's unremarkable, third-world pretense, grandly revealing their true nature in a gesture of humanitarian aid. That both Wakanda and Taiwan can be categorized as global fictions is sad. But, crucially, there is a difference between hiding and being ignored. [caption id="" align="alignnone"…

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[中英版] Another Perspective for Taiwanese America: Ensuring Taiwan’s Security 另外一個角度給台美人:保證臺灣的安全

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Another Perspective for Taiwanese America: Ensuring Taiwan’s Security 另外一個角度給台美人:保證臺灣的安全 If you asked me to put money down on whether or not Donald Trump could point Taiwan out on a map, I would say you are out of your mind. However, if you asked me whether or not the Trump presidency has been good for Taiwan, I would be lying if I said it has not. To be clear, I am not talking about what might be better for the United States; I am strictly talking in…

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[中英版] An Open Letter to the Taiwanese American Community: Securing Taiwan’s Democracy 給台美人的一封公開信：守護台灣民主

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An Open Letter to the Taiwanese American Community: Securing Taiwan’s Democracy 給台美人的一封公開信：守護台灣民主 A strong United States is crucial for a more secure and democratic Taiwan. Contrary to popular perception among the first generation in the Taiwanese American community, the Trump administration has weakened the United States’ economic, diplomatic, and moral standing in the world. This is detrimental to Taiwan’s long-term security and democracy. The authoritarian…

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