We welcome you to attend the 25th annual Taiwanese American Cultural Festival in SF's Union Square! You will enjoy mouth-watering Taiwanese delicacies, rock out to live performances by world-renowned Taiwanese performers, and learn more about Taiwanese/Taiwanese American history in the Bay Area. #TACF2017 More than 10,000 visitors attended the festival in 2016. We were honored to have distinguished guests, including Jackie Speier, US Congresswoman; David Chiu, President of the San Francisco Board…
I recently sat down for a chat with Justine Ker, who was crowned Miss Louisiana in 2016 and placed in the top 15 during the 2017 Miss America Pageant. She also represents the first Taiwanese or Asian American to represent Louisiana on the national stage, a worthy accomplishment within our Taiwanese American community. Soon after she won her title, Justine and I had previously discussed trying to coordinate a sit-down interview, but our schedules didn't coincide. A few months later, however,…
Starting in the early 1970s, thousands of Taiwanese immigrants came to the United States each year, in pursuit of higher education and better lives for their families. Yet, mostly untold, is the story of how hundreds of these Taiwanese in America were put on a blacklist by the government in Taiwan, for speaking out for democracy and human rights in Taiwan while they were in the United States. Once outside of Taiwan, that generation of Taiwanese graduate students were exposed to the values of freedom…
Each year, TaiwaneseAmerican.org is pleased to support the premier Asian American Film Festival in the San Francisco/Bay Area. CAAM Fest, the Center for Asian American Media’s annual festival features not only amazing works in film, TV, and digital media, but also includes showcases in music and food. This year marks the 35th anniversary of the festival--a treasure trove of great Asian American works from established as well as emerging talent. This year, we are proud to co-present the centerpiece…
My Chinese name is 陳克聞. Seven strokes for the first character of my given name, fourteen for the second, because the fortuneteller told my grandmother that this mathematics of words was auspicious. I write my name with one stroke fewer than the prescribed number, so perhaps all my misfortunes are a result of bad penmanship. No one uses 陳克聞. At home, I am 哥哥, “older brother,” except when my mother, in exasperation, calls out all three syllables of my name for dramatic effect.…
If you’re unfamiliar with the many non-profit Taiwanese American community organizations that host these excellent home-away-from-home youth summer camps, be sure to explore the links below. One thing you’ll consistently hear from the participants is how much an experience like this changed their lives. For those new to the summer conference and camp scene, know that we at TaiwaneseAmerican.org endorse all of the listed programs. They all have talented and committed counselors and staff…
The Joanne Y. Chen Taiwanese American Artist Fellowship is offered to Taiwanese American artists applying in the Crafts/Sculpture, Digital/Electronic Arts, Nonfiction Literature, and Printmaking/Drawing/Book Arts categories of the NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship. NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowships are awarded to originating artists living and working in the state of New York, with different disciplines being recognized each year. The Joanne Y. Chen Taiwanese American Artist Fellowship is awarded annually…
I call them the “Amy Tan Questions.”
Questions like “how do families relate in context of war, distance, and famine?” or “how does a child reconcile the old world of their parents with the new world America in which they live?”. These questions are important, for they are our foundation as a community and give us vignettes of Asian and Asian American history that American public schools neglected. But they are dated, and they are not our stories. I wanted to see writing that moved…
One of our favorite LA-based Taiwanese American musicians, Priska, is finally working on her debut EP. (What? She didn't have one before?). We introduced Priscilla Liang to our audiences back in 2012 with this personal interview and footage from a performance at the Factory Tea Bar in the heart of San Gabriel Valley: Revisit the 2012 Interview: http://www.taiwaneseamerican.org/2012/05/introducing-singer-songwriter-priska/ We've been a big fan of her since the beginning. She's got a beautiful,…
Taiwanese American trombonist Peter Lin talks to us about his jazz band The Lintet, how the Taiwanese community has shaped his life, the importance of connecting to the audience and community and being true to oneself—and why he incorporates Taiwanese folk songs into their repertoire. Talk a little bit about The Lintet. How did you start? The Lintet is a band led by yours truly for the past four years; dedicated towards providing quality jazz and soul music for all communities. I often…
