Creative. Hands-on. Mindful.

Entrepreneur, Craftsman, Designer, Teasmith

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

Growing up in Taiwan, a lot of stories stayed with me. Applying those stories to my entrepreneurial endeavors is something I have done to keep me grounded to my roots. From taking Monkey King and turning it into a brand based on our childhood stories to learning about tea through my father at a young age in Taiwan, these experiences really reminded me what it meant to be Taiwanese American – rooted in my Taiwanese upbringing, and making a difference in the United States.

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

Not sure if I would teach anything, but I would definitely tell them to actually visit Taiwan. I would tell them to not only visit Taipei, but also Taichung, Tainan, and Kaohsiung. Each city in Taiwan has its own unique characteristics and the experiences you have in each city would really help the future generation understand where we came from.

watch our interview with sam!

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

I see the future being fluency in not only our language but in our culture. There seems to have been a shift towards acknowledging and taking pride in our heritage in recent Asian America. I see that movement to really affect our Taiwanese America, bringing us closer to Taiwan.

Favorite memory of Taiwan/Taiwanese America?

Everything is nearby (in Taiwan) and everyone is connected to each other (in Taiwanese America)

Favorite Taiwanese food?

肉圓 (Ba-wan)