Talker. Educator. Problem Solver.

I am a product manager. For me, anything is a product.

I am most well-known in the Taiwanese American community for founding OFTaiwan (OFT) with Jenny Wang. The organization’s goal was to help provide Taiwanese Americans with an avenue to learn more about Taiwan.

How does being Taiwanese/Taiwanese American and/or community ally play a role in your life?

I grew up in Taiwan but found myself in Taiwanese America. Growing up in Taiwan, in a conservative and traditional family, I got to see the inner workings and traditions of Taiwan. At the same time, I grew to love the land that shaped my family. I love the land in all its glory and all its flaws. Through Taiwanese culture, I learned to listen and think. There’s a phrase in Taiwanese: kids have ears and no mouths. Being the youngest generation in my family, I was told to not speak and am only allowed to listen. But through it, I heard and saw everything. Having my problem-solving skills trained at Taipei American School (shoutout to other Tigers!), I processed all the good and the bad of Taiwan culture in my head.

As I went to the States for college, I saw more of the world than the island I grew up in. I was introduced to America and naturally found myself in the Taiwanese American community. I felt like I belonged everywhere and at the same time belonged nowhere. I was able to be in the Taiwanese and Taiwanese American communities (yes they are different) but at the same time always said to be too “FOB” or too “ABC”. Eventually, I learned that people were just always curious about what they don’t know. This taught me to embrace my uniqueness and talk out about it.

watch our interview with eric!

If you could teach future generations 1 thing about being Taiwanese/Taiwanese American or Taiwan, what would it be?

To Taiwanese Americans:
Be unapologetically you. You are you. No one should ever question your identity. Being Taiwanese American has a unique challenge in itself because people (your friends and colleagues) will often question the “Taiwanese”. “So..you’re Chinese.” Identity yourself however you like, but be proud of it. While no one should question your identity, they will. And that’s when the knowledge you have of your heritage will be your sword and shield. Learn and discover all about your heritage.

About Taiwan:
Taiwan is more than bubbletea and nightmarkets. It’s more about just the food. But I will use food to describe the uniqueness of Taiwan. Oyster vermicelli. A food that is uniquely represents Taiwan. The thin vermicelli noodles represent Chinese culture, from the Qing immigrants in the 1600s to the Chinese Nationalist immigrants in 1949. The abundant oysters represent Taiwan’s island nature and land, harnessed by the indigenous tribes of Taiwan. Lastly, the subtle bonito flake soup base that represents the Japanese culture influencing Taiwan for 50 years and pushing it to a modern society.

What does the future of Taiwanese America look like to you?

The future of Taiwanese America is one that works with the rest of Asian America, but also stands on its own. Not one where Taiwanese Americans are just another Asian American, but ALSO as Asian American. I spoke with two keynote speakers at an ITASA, both of whom were not Taiwanese American (one Korean American one Vietnamese American). I posed the question: do you guys feel it’s weird that there’s an ITASA that is separate from MAASU or ECAASU? They never replied directly, but through our talk, they helped me realize that there was something unique about the Taiwanese American community, but we cannot afford to be by ourselves only.

Favorite memory of Taiwan/Taiwanese America?

My favorite memory was walking in NYC Pride Parade in 2017, the year Taiwan has ruled in favor of same-sex marriage. We were scheduled to start walking around 1pm, but didn’t leave until 3pm. As we rolled into Greenwich Village, it was dark already, but the streets roared with cheering as EVERYONE was rooting for Taiwan and the milestone we had passed.

Favorite Taiwanese food?

Oyster Vermicelli in combo with stinky tofu