activist. avid learner. adventurer .

I just recently graduated from Middlebury College where I studied history and political science. I am now working as a paralegal at LSNYC, a legal nonprofit in New York City. I work with dozens of clients each day to help them access free legal services and other benefits. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of people in need has increased significantly, and vulnerable populations such as immigrants, BIPOC, and women, have been disproportionately impacted. I’m happy to be the person they turn to when they’re in a tough spot. We have helped prevent evictions for families who have lost their income, helped immigrants apply for asylum and legal status, supported domestic violence survivors and their children, and so much more.

I am hoping to return to school within a couple of years, but for now, I am working on narrowing down my interests and figuring out where I can make the most positive impact.

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

I’ve struggled with my Taiwanese identity a lot – I spent my entire childhood in Taiwan and didn’t move to the US until I was 18, but I am also half Polish and clearly don’t look fully Asian. Even when I attended a public school in Taiwan, I often stood out as a “外國人“ in what I considered to be my home country. Nevertheless, growing up in Taiwan, I was able to fully embrace many aspects of the culture and those experiences shaped who I am today.

Now that I live in the US, I am proud of my Taiwanese heritage and make an effort to connect with it in my daily life. At my current job, I am often the first point of contact for Mandarin speakers, and utilize my linguistic skills to provide language access to our clients. I also make an effort to keep the traditions of Taiwanese culture alive, even if just through a small but meaningful gesture such as eating a mooncake during Moon Festival or exchanging red envelopes (紅包) during Lunar New Year. I’m incredibly grateful for the privilege of having a multicultural and trilingual upbringing, and I recognize the value that experience has in today’s world.

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

I would love for the rich history of Taiwanese perseverance to be known and passed down to future generations. The Taiwanese people have survived centuries of colonization and exploitation by various global powers, yet we continue to cherish our history and our independence. Taiwanese people immigrating to the US have similarly shown their strength in their hard work and dedication to their families. Even today, whether you live in Taiwan or abroad, Taiwanese people have to continue to fight for recognition of their independence and their identity. I hope future generations don’t forget how proud we have always been of our heritage.

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

I have always been proud of Taiwan for being a leader in progressive social policies and a shining example for Asia and the rest of the world. We were the first in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage in 2019, elected an assertive woman president, and were recently ranked as the top in Asia (and 11th globally) on the democracy index by the Economist Intelligence Unit. Not to mention, the government’s amazing COVID response that has allowed Taiwanese people to live relatively normal lives compared to the rest of the world. Looking forward, I am excited to see more Taiwanese people and Taiwanese Americans being represented internationally in the arts, media, politics, business, science, and all the other fields in between.

I am constantly inspired by Taiwanese-American activists here in the US as well, who reflect the very best values from both Taiwan and the US. I hope to see more cooperation between Taiwanese Americans and other BIPOC communities in the US, because solidarity is so important to the advancement of the civil and human rights of underserved populations.

Favorite memory of Taiwan/Taiwanese America?

My favorite memories of Taiwan are always connected to the amazing food and the beautiful nature on the island. Jiufen (九份) is perhaps the best combination of everything I love about Taiwan – lush green mountains that roll into the dark blue ocean, beautiful architecture full of rich history from colonial times, and of course, all the street food in the night market. I don’t get to visit Taiwan as often as I would like, but during one of my recent trips I got to drive to Jiufen with my family and our dog on a warm winter day. We sat at a teahouse overlooking the ocean, ate douhua (豆花), Taiwanese sausage (香腸), stewed pork rice (滷肉飯), and had some bubble tea. It’s very hard to pick just one favorite memory when some of the best times i’ve ever had were all in Taiwan!

There are endless beautiful places to explore in Taiwan, and I can’t wait to go back and see places like Fulong Beach (福隆), Wulai (烏來), and Danshui (淡水) again.

Favorite Taiwanese food?

Egg pancake and soy milk, my daily go to breakfast for years. (蛋餅&豆漿）

Connect with Victoria via LSNYC!

While Victoria is not personally working on any projects that she would like to promote, she would love to use this platform to bring attention to the many amazing Asian American organizations in the US doing social justice work and showing solidarity with other BIPOC communities in the US.

1. Red Canary Song, which supports Asian and migrant sex workers transnationally
2. Asian Americans Advancing Justice, an organization advocating for the civil and human rights of Asian Americans to promote a fair and free society for all
3. Asian Americans for Equality, a nonprofit advocating for Asians and other disadvantaged populations within the US with a commitment to social justice
   

Check out her feature on TaiwaneseAmerican.Org’s Instagram and Facebook!

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