“We are a social club, we shouldn’t talk about politics.” “We are a non-profit, we don’t do politics.” “We are Taiwanese American, we should focus on Asian American issues, not Taiwan issues.” I’ve heard it all. At one point or another, I’ve agreed to it all. Today, I disagree. "In my experience, politics haves typically … Continue reading Bringing Taiwanese to Taiwanese Americans – My Last Chapter
Featured Photo Credit: Ted Thai/TIME Magazine Last semester, I applied to attend a conflict resolution conference that brings together young representatives from China, Taiwan, and the U.S. to discuss cross-strait relations. Having spent much of my life studying the controversial status of Taiwan and the various perspectives surrounding it, I was excited to use my … Continue reading Don’t Ask About My Ethnicity; Ask About Me
ABC Television Network’s Fresh Off the Boat (FOTB), inspired by Eddie Huang’s memoir of the same name, has been widely praised and has just kicked off its second season. As a Taiwanese American, I appreciate that ABC maintained Huang’s Taiwanese heritage and that the show puts Taiwan in the minds of the viewers around the … Continue reading Fresh Off the Boat delivers a Taiwanese American experience
One of the trending issues in Taiwan is no doubt the ongoing debate about the country’s civics curriculum reform. The Ministry of Education (MoE hereafter) of Republic of China (the official government of Taiwan) claimed that the changes are merely “minor adjustments” to reflect historical facts, and yet, not only were the participants’ names erased … Continue reading Civics Curriculum Reform based on Ethnocentrism May Harm our Children
“Do any of you know what this is?”, I asked as I held up a small cut-out felt stencil of the shape of Taiwan. The kids from the Tiny Tots program of Taiwanese American Next Generation (TANG) sat in a circle, curiously looked at the shape, and eagerly started exclaiming their ideas of what the … Continue reading Hanging out with TANG : A Reflection
"Before the trip [to Taiwan], I had a lot of idea on how I viewed my identity as a Taiwanese American, but the trip definitely solidified those views and made me realize how different our cultures are. Not even just between Taiwanese and Chinese culture...but even between Taiwanese and Taiwanese American culture" The great thing about the Taiwanese American … Continue reading #Talk4TW – Jess Lee
"Silence becomes cowardice when occasion demands speaking out the whole truth and acting accordingly.” – Mahatma Gandhi There have been a lot of civil unrest regarding police brutality and social injustices around the country. We see riots and protests on the news, most recently in Baltimore. When seeing these current events, have … Continue reading Turning the Tables for the Model Minority
Chinese Taipei won the 2015 World Cheerleading Championship, but the Championship was not won by the “Taipeinese”; it was won by the people of Taiwan. This distinction is confusing to many since participants of international organizations act under their country’s name. Why the use of Chinese Taipei? Shouldn’t it and other names of the island … Continue reading Chinese Taipei – What’s in a name?
This March, Outreach for Taiwan reaches our one year anniversary. It is amazing how fast time flies. As we reflect back on what we have accomplished so far, we continue to look forward to what more OFT can do. For the past year, all of our Outreach for Taiwan workshops, events and spendings (except for … Continue reading Happy birthday, Outreach for Taiwan!
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