Talking Taiwan
Talking Taiwan is a Golden Crane Podcast Award Winner, and has been shortlisted in the 2024 International Women’s Podcast Awards “Moment of Visionary Leadership” category. Hosted by Felicia Lin, Talking Taiwan is the longest running, independently produced Taiwan-related podcast that covers political news related to Taiwan and stories connected to Taiwan and Taiwan’s global community. To learn more about Talking Taiwan visit: www.talkingtaiwan.com
info_outline
Ep 322 | Day After Analysis of the Great Recall with Dr Linda Gail Arrigo
07/30/2025
Ep 322 | Day After Analysis of the Great Recall with Dr Linda Gail Arrigo
On July 27th the day after Taiwan’s island wide historic recall vote of 24 Chinese Nationalist Kuomintang (KMT) legislators, I sat down with Linda Gail Arrigo, Ai Linda (艾琳達) to reflect on the results of the recall vote, and the impact of the civic mobilization behind the recall effort. Related Links:
/episode/index/show/talkingtaiwan/id/37603805
info_outline
Ep 321 | The Day of Taiwan's Historic Recall Vote
07/30/2025
Ep 321 | The Day of Taiwan's Historic Recall Vote
On July 26th the day of the historic vote to recall 24 Kuomintang (KMT) legislators we were with the Shān chú wēi hài (山除薇害) recall group in Taipei at Rongxing Garden (榮星花園) Rongxing garden, which is more like a park, for a sort of watch party with about a hundred volunteer recall campaigners. The recall vote results were being televised live on a series of oversized screens that had been set up in the park. When we finally learned the results of the recall vote It was a shock. 0 of 24 legislators had been recalled. What a sad, disappointing day. I could see it in the faces of the recall volunteers and at the same time it was touching to see how they consoled each other as some could help but burst into tears. The leaders of the recall group asked everyone to join hands and to form a circle in a sign of solidarity and encouragement Carol and Eric shared their initial thoughts with us. Related Links:
/episode/index/show/talkingtaiwan/id/37603615
info_outline
Ep 320 | First Day in Taiwan, Day Before The Great Recall
07/27/2025
Ep 320 | First Day in Taiwan, Day Before The Great Recall
On our first day in Taiwan July 25th we went into the streets of Taipei where recall campaigners from the the Shān chú wēi hài (山除薇害) recall group were doing a last minute push asking people to get out and vote for the recall of 24 KMT legislators on July 26th. Related Links: We previously interviewed 3 recall campaigners from this group- Carol, Eric and Acho in episode 316. Eric explaining the meaning behind the recall group’s name. Later that day we sat down to interview A-Mei the recall group’s spokesperson who was doxed by the Kuomintang. We will be releasing our full interview with A-Mei at a later date so stay tuned for that. We ended the night at a recall campaign rally so spirited that you’d never guess that we were all standing in the pouring rain getting soaked. Related Links:
/episode/index/show/talkingtaiwan/id/37569535
info_outline
Ep 319 | Taiwanese Waves 2025 is Back
07/24/2025
Ep 319 | Taiwanese Waves 2025 is Back
Summer is upon us and I’m sure that a lot of our listeners especially those in New York will be happy to know that Taiwanese Waves will be returning to Central Park’s Summer Stage on August 3 at the Rumsey Playfield. Doors open at 5:00pm Since 2016 Taiwanese Waves has introduced Taiwanese music to audiences at Central Park’s Summer Stage. If you’re not familiar with Taiwanese Waves you’re in for a treat. In this episode I sat down with Mia, the main organizer of Taiwanese Waves and we are about to walk through and give you a taste of all of the acts that have performed at Summer Stage in the past nine years. You’ll also get to hear a preview of what to expect at this year’s concert. Related Links:
/episode/index/show/talkingtaiwan/id/37517450
info_outline
Ep 318 | Meet Taiwanese YouTuber Ba Jiong 八炯
07/23/2025
Ep 318 | Meet Taiwanese YouTuber Ba Jiong 八炯
In late June, we met up with YouTuber Bā Jiǒng (八炯) when he was in New York. If you’re not familiar with Bā Jiǒng you might want to check out 2 of his most popular videos which expose China’s United Front’s tactics to target the Taiwanese and to recruit Taiwanese influencers to attack and spread disinformation about Taiwan. Then you’ll know why he’s had death threats. Related Links: Bā Jiǒng is among those spearheading the recall of Fu Kun-chi, the KMT legislator known as “The King of Hualien.” Fu Kun-chi is 1 of 24 Kuomintang KMT legislators who will be up for the mass recall vote in Taiwan on July 26th. To get up to speed on the Great Recall Effort that’s been happening in Taiwan checkout our past 2 episodes 316 and 317. Talking Taiwan is getting ready to head back to Taiwan to cover this historic mass recall vote of 24 KMT legislators, in fact we might already be there by the time you hear this episode. We look forward to having Bā Jiǒng on Talking Taiwan to talk about the recall efforts in Hualien and his videos exposing how the United Front works with Taiwanese influencers Special thanks to Winston Liao for connecting us with Bā Jiǒng. Related Links:
/episode/index/show/talkingtaiwan/id/37515790
info_outline
Ep 317 | The Great Recall Explained by Courtney Donovan Smith
07/22/2025
Ep 317 | The Great Recall Explained by Courtney Donovan Smith
In Taiwan recall bids have been filed against 35 of the 39 Chinese Nationalist Party (the Kuomintang or KMT lawmakers who were directly elected to the legislative yuan in January, 2024. Recall campaigners have said that they want to restore order to Taiwan’s legislative yuan, by removing pro-China KMT legislators who have passed amendments to expand the legislature’s powers, undermined Taiwan’s constitutional order by paralyzing the constitutional court, cut budgets and made Taiwan vulnerable to infiltration by the Chinese Communist Party. Related Links: Just a few days ago we learned that a total of 31 KMT legislators will be up for a vote to be recalled from office. 24 on July 26 and another 7 on August 23. Since my interview with 3 recall campaigners in episode 316, I thought it would be good to follow up with an explainer video with political commentator and analyst Courtney Donovan Smith about how the recall mechanism in Taiwan works and what led to this mass recall effort. And in a few days from now our two-person team will be heading back to Taiwan to witness and cover the July 26th recall vote. History is being made in the only way it can be in a vibrant democracy like Taiwan! Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode: How the recall mechanism works in Taiwan Past cases of politicians who have faced a recall vote Factors leading to the Bluebird Movement and Recall Efforts The expanded powers of the legislative yuan that were ruled unconstitutional What happened to paralyze Taiwan’s constitutional court What has motivated the people campaigning to recall KMT legislators Why the KMT’s recall efforts against DPP legislators have failed How Ko Wen-je’s supporters have reacted to his detainment due to corruption charges DPP involvement with recall efforts How some of the Kuomintang KMT have shifted from being anti-Communist China to pro-Communist China (PRC) The historical significance of Taiwan’s mass recall votes of legislators If the DPP is behind the recalls of KMT legislators What happens next after the recall vote The impact of the Sunflower Movement Related Links:
/episode/index/show/talkingtaiwan/id/37502025
info_outline
Ep 316 | The Great Recall Movement in Taiwan: A Historic Unprecedented Boots on the Ground Exercise in Democracy
07/05/2025
Ep 316 | The Great Recall Movement in Taiwan: A Historic Unprecedented Boots on the Ground Exercise in Democracy
Have you heard about the great recall movement that’s happening in Taiwan? What’s it all about? Related Links: 24 lawmakers, or legislators from the Chinese Nationalist Kuomintang KMT party are being put up for a recall vote. I don’t think the world has ever seen anything like this happen on a national level in a democracy- 24 lawmakers being recalled from office, and that number is likely to be even higher at the time that this episode gets released. It’s truly unprecedented! This recall vote certainly didn’t happen overnight. It was through dedicated grassroots efforts, of the everyday people of Taiwan. Questions have been raised as to whether the recall efforts are a partisan politically motivated effort on the part of the Democratic Progressive Party to oust KMT legislators. That’s what I wanted to get to the bottom of in this episode as I talked to some of the volunteers who have been boots on the ground in Taiwan’s recall effort. As you’ll hear in this episode, what’s happening in Taiwan is a historic demonstration of the will of the people to exercise their rights in a democracy. The island-wide effort in Taiwan to recall lawmakers has been going on since last year and I sat down to speak to three volunteers Carol, Acho and Eric about how this mass movement has successfully gone through two stages, first signatures from1% of eligible voters in a legislator’s district must be collected to initiate a recall. Then in the second stage signatures from 10% of eligible voters in a legislator’s district must collect to in order for a recall vote to proceed. The hard part is that the signatures on the 1% and 10% petitions cannot be the same. On July 26 Taiwan’s Central Election Commission (CEC) will hold recall votes for now possibly even more than 24 KMT lawmakers. Special thanks to Julien Oeuillet the Founding Editor of IPON (the Indo-Pacific Open News) for his help in making this interview possible. Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode: What the recall movement that’s happening in Taiwan is about Why and how Acho, Carol and Eric volunteer their time and energy in the effort to recall legislators How the recall efforts are targeting pro-CCP Chinese Nationalist Kuomintang KMT legislators How the recall is necessary so that Taiwan’s parliament/legislature can function normally How the first volunteers for the recall met through a LINE group How what happened after the Bluebird Movement protests motivated people to attempt to recall KMT legislators How the Sunflower Movement compares to the recall movement How they vetted volunteers from outside of Taiwan who wanted to help with the recall effort in Taiwan How they dealt with people trying to infiltrate the recall volunteer groups How the recall effort got started with 10 volunteers and has grown to 500 volunteers globally How A-Mei one of the lead recall movement volunteers was targeted by the KMT who accused her and revealed her personal information and identity How the Taiwanese people feel they are at risk of losing their country to pro-CCP KMT legislators How the KMT has smeared and sued recall movement volunteers including Carol How the KMT has broken up recall movement volunteer groups How Carol has put her job on hold to be dedicated to being a leader of her recall movement volunteer group full-time What Carol does as leader of her recall movement group How Acho volunteers for the recall effort by editing and creating videos How Eric volunteers for the recall effort by dealing with the media The types of videos they produce to promote and create awareness of the recall effort How the majority of recall volunteers are women (60% women, 40% men) How over 100 recall volunteers are dedicated full-time to the effort How the women recall volunteers have been confronted by people who don’t support the recall The standard for collecting signatures for the recall Why the KMT’s efforts to recall DPP have failed due to forgery or signatures of the deceased on their recall petitions How the KMT is trying to paint the picture that the DPP are orchestrating the recall of KMT legislators How the recall effort is a grassroots effort not about conflict between the DPP and KMT political parties How there could be more than 24 KMT legislators put up for a recall vote The demographics of the districts that Carol, Eric and Acho are volunteers in for the recall How Acho and Eric balance volunteering for the recall effort with their day jobs How KMT legislators have not offered any explanation of what was discussed in a closed door meeting in 2024 with Chinese officials How public reaction to volunteers of the recall effort has changed over time How the recall volunteers now need to focus on encouraging the public to vote on July 26 How Carol encouraged creativity and idea of the recall volunteers that she manages How the sentiment of the recall volunteers is that we are all in this together How if eight to 10 KMT legislators are recalled there will be a better balance in the legislative yuan How Carol, Eric and Acho feel they are working selflessly for a common goal and that they are taking care of each other How this experience with the recall effort has helped Acho to see how the people of Taiwan can be so united How Carol has seen many recall volunteers evolving How what is happening in Taiwan is important for Asia and other democracies in the world Related Links:
/episode/index/show/talkingtaiwan/id/37288850
info_outline
Ep 315 | Julien Oeuillet The Voice of South Taiwan Shines a Spotlight on Kaohsiung
07/01/2025
Ep 315 | Julien Oeuillet The Voice of South Taiwan Shines a Spotlight on Kaohsiung
Julien Oeuillet is an independent journalist, who has produced content for Radio Taiwan International and TaiwanPlus. He is the Founding Editor of IPON the Indo-Pacific Open News. Related Links: Back in November of 2024 we interviewed Julien about a broad number of topics including: How he is very much at home in Kaohsiung How he got his start in broadcasting and media What he thinks makes a good and bad journalist especially in Taiwan How he focuses on putting a spotlight on Kaohsiung and southern Taiwan through his Radio Taiwan International show, The Voice of South Taiwan His documentary Taiwan’s Little Big Friend about Luthania and its relationship with Taiwan Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode: Why Julien saw the need to start IPON (Indo-Pacific Open News) Julien’s upbringing How Julien got started in broadcasting and media How Julien was taken under the wing of veteran journalist and documentary filmmaker Philippe Dutilleul How Julien sees himself as a Kaohsiung resident How Julien has seen Kaohsiung transform How Julien thinks that Kaohsiung should receive more international attention Julien’s Radio Taiwan International show, the Voice of South Taiwan What Julien thinks makes someone a good or bad journalist especially pertaining to Taiwan Julien’s thoughts on English and education in Taiwan Julien’s observations on the Taoist nature of people in Taiwan What is Taiwanese identity Julien’s connection to Lithuania Parallels between Lithuania and Taiwan Julien’s documentary, Taiwan’s Little Big Friend If Lithuania will keep its Taiwan Representative Office Julien’s thoughts on China’s fear mongering Related Links:
/episode/index/show/talkingtaiwan/id/37234825
info_outline
Ep 314 | A Conversation With Wen-Jen Deng Taiwanese Fiber Artist and Curator Ming Turner
06/21/2025
Ep 314 | A Conversation With Wen-Jen Deng Taiwanese Fiber Artist and Curator Ming Turner
We recently sat down with Wen-Jen Deng one of the artists in residence at the Taiwanese American Arts Council’s House 17 on Governors Island and Ming Turner, curator of Wen-Jen’s art exhibit :The Embedded Stitch- Contemporary Fiber Art, which is currently showing at Tenri Cultural Institute until June 28th Related Links: According to Deng’s curator Ming Turner, “Deng is a core member of the influential Taiwanese artist collective, Hantoo Art Group. Her early works were primarily oil paintings which incorporated embroidery and collage using traditional Taiwanese floral fabrics. Deng often draws inspiration from Taiwanese food culture— her earlier pieces explored the island’s distinctive betel nut culture, while more recent works have focused on everyday culinary traditions and the cultural heritage of the Sirayu Pingpu people.” Special thanks to Ming Turner for translation assistance during this interview. Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode: Wen-Jen’s upbringing in Taiwan and how she knew she wanted to be an artist What Wen-Jen thinks an artist’s role in the world is Why Wen-Jen studied art in France and how she was inspired by Marc Chagall How Wen-Jen started off doing oil painting as an artist How Wen-Jen switched from using oil paint as her medium to fiber and textiles How Wen-Jen worked in a textile shop making Chinese dresses while she was a student in France Why her early source of inspiration was food Her series of work that focused on lotus shoes and pig’s hooves (pigs feet), betel nuts, and other everyday Taiwanese cuisine How Wen-Jen discovered her mother’s was from the Siraya tribe during her 2017 residency at Soulangh Cultural Park in Tainan, and that inspired her to move her focus from food to indigenous culture How Wen-Jen learned indigenous weaving techniques How Wen-Jen’s mother was a seamstress but Wen-jen did not pick out any of those skills from her mother How Wen-Jen taught herself to embroider when she was working in the textile shop in France How all of the embroidery and sewing on Wen-Jen’s works are done by hand How in the process of weaving and embroidering Wen-Jen gets in a focused state of meditation The field work that Wen-Jen does related to her artwork Ming shared some of her thoughts on the significance of Wen-Jen’s artwork Wen-Jen’s artwork “Oyster Noodles” which will be on display at the TAAC Governors Island House 17 How Taiwan’s transition from authoritarianism to democracy has impacted artists in Taiwan How artists in Taiwan get funded How Wen-Jen’s sculptural piece which is shaped like the island of Taiwan and shows its topography will be displayed at the TAAC House 17 on June 21
/episode/index/show/talkingtaiwan/id/37097875
info_outline
Ep 313 | Passport to Taiwan 2025: Ben Hedges A Laowai's View of China, Ambassador Lee of TECO, and TAAC
06/02/2025
Ep 313 | Passport to Taiwan 2025: Ben Hedges A Laowai's View of China, Ambassador Lee of TECO, and TAAC
This past Sunday, May 26th we stopped by the annual Passport to Taiwan that’s held in New York City’s Union Square Park. The first Passport to Taiwan was held in 2002 and it’s become the largest outdoor Taiwanese American event in the entire United States. Related Links: While there I spoke with the Taiwanese American Arts Council’s (TAAC’s) Executive Director Luchia Meihua Lee, Ambassador Tom Lee of TECO-NY, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York, and Ben Hedges, host of Lao Wai Kan Zhongguo also known as the A Laowai's View of China & Taiwan YouTube channel. Passport to Taiwan is a celebration of Taiwanese art, culture, music, community, and of course food. Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode: · The Taiwanese American Arts Council’s (TAAC’s) house on Governors Island, House 17 is twice the size of last year’s house · The theme of the Taiwanese American Arts Council’s (TAAC’s) House 17 on Governors Island is Eco Art on Island · How the Taiwanese American Arts Council’s (TAAC’s) House 17 on Governors Island will be open from May 17 to November 2 · Ambassador Tom Lee mentioned this is the first time that TECO-NY (Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York) has had a booth at Passport to Taiwan · Ben Hedges, host of the YouTube channel, Lao Wai Kan Zhongguo has emceed Hello Taiwan events · How 7-11 stores in Taiwan sponsored travel videos on Lao Wai Kan Zhongguo’s YouTube channel · How Ben will be relaunching the Lao Wai Kan Zhongguo’s YouTube channel Related Links:
/episode/index/show/talkingtaiwan/id/36821845
info_outline
Ep 312 | Jane W. Wang Navigates a Multicultural Hero's Journey (Classic)
05/26/2025
Ep 312 | Jane W. Wang Navigates a Multicultural Hero's Journey (Classic)
Since May is both Mental Health Awareness Month and Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, we think it’s fitting to reshare this episode with Jane W. Wang. Related Links: What we really appreciate about this interview with Jane back in 2021 is how she spoke so openly about how she dealt with her bouts of depression. She also shared how getting back in touch with her roots in Taiwan had a part in leading her to start her coaching practice. While she no longer offers the Multicultural Hero’s Journey course that she refers to in this episode, she is still actively coaching clients. It’s our hope that Jane’s personal story can help destigmatize mental health and create more understanding about the coaching profession. Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode: Jane’s connection to Taiwan How being a third culture kid (TCK) has shaped her identity and life purpose Her career path before becoming a coach Why she wanted to become a coach Her personal journey, the struggles and depression that she dealt with along the way before she became a coach Why she decided not to get a degree in counseling from Columbia University and instead got certified in coaching What is coaching and how it differs from counseling or psychotherapy Jane’s own experiences with coaching, being the person being coached by someone else Jane’s advice on how to pick a coach to work with The challenges Jane faced in becoming a coach The depression and imposter syndrome she experienced in the process of becoming a coach How Jane dealt with her self-judgment and learned to love herself How Jane dealt with three bouts of depression What she learned from going through depression How someone can identify whether or not they themselves or someone they know is experiencing depression How Jane created her Multicultural Hero’s Journey coaching program Who would benefit the most by going through the Multicultural Hero’s Journey coaching program Jane’s advice for people who are interested in becoming a coach What it takes to be a good coach Related Links:
/episode/index/show/talkingtaiwan/id/36709990
info_outline
Ep 311 | Understanding the History of Taiwan through Dr. Jerome Keating (Classic)
05/17/2025
Ep 311 | Understanding the History of Taiwan through Dr. Jerome Keating (Classic)
May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and since 1999, Congressman David Wu (OR) and the co-chairs of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus have supported the celebration of Taiwanese American Heritage Week starting from Mother's Day Weekend, so we thought this would be a good time to reshare one of our most popular episodes, an interview we did with Dr. Jerome Keating in 2020 about the history of Taiwan. Related Links: Few contemporaries are more qualified than Dr. Jerome Keating on understanding the history of Taiwan. He has been living in Taiwan for over 30 years. Initially he came over to Taiwan to work on the MRT. He has written several books about Taiwan. We invited him on to the podcast to talk about this latest book, Taiwan The Struggle Gains Focus. Dr. Keating also reflected on how Taiwan has changed in the past 30 years, and we discussed things past and present including Taiwan’s complicated international status, amendment of the constitution, changing the official name of Taiwan (which is the Republic of China) and redesigning the passport and flag of Taiwan. Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode: What motivated Dr. Keating to write his latest book, Taiwan The Struggle Gains Focus Who the book was intended for and who Dr. Keating writes for How Taiwan has changed in the last 30 years The semi-martial-like atmosphere of Taiwan when Dr. Keating arrived in 1988 Keating’s first book Island in the Stream and what motivated him to write it What intrigues Dr. Keating about Taiwan as a subject matter How the San Francisco Peace Treaty (signed in 1951) left Taiwan in a limbo status How the US position on Taiwan 75 years after World War II is still undecided The circumstances surrounding “Taiwan” aka the Republic of China losing its seat in the United Nations in 1971, which included a proposal to have 2 Chinas in the United Nations The Republic of China and People’s Republic of China’s claims on China How Taiwan has never had a seat in the United Nations The Republic of China framework and constitution that Chiang Kai-shek and the Kuomintang brought to Taiwan Keating’s thoughts on amending Taiwan’s constitution Changing the official name and flag that represent Taiwan Submissions for the new Taiwan passport cover design The Taiwan Civil Government wanting to make Taiwan the 51st state of the United States How Dr. Keating sees Taiwan’s future Related Links:
/episode/index/show/talkingtaiwan/id/36604400
info_outline
Ep 310 | Cathy Erway on The Food of Taiwan
04/16/2025
Ep 310 | Cathy Erway on The Food of Taiwan
Last year I came across an article in the Gothamist titled, A Taiwanese food crawl in the East Village with NYC writer Cathy Erway. I have of course heard of Cathy Erway and her cookbook and thought to myself, Why haven’t I had her on Talking Taiwan as a guest yet? For those of you who aren’t familiar with Cathy’s work, she is a James Beard Award-winning food writer and author based in New York City. Her cookbooks include The Food of Taiwan: Recipes From the Beautiful Island and Win Son Presents: A Taiwanese American Cookbook. Her cookbook, The Food of Taiwan which was published in 2015 is the first cookbook from a major U.S. publisher to explore the food culture of Taiwan from home-style dishes to authentic street food. We talked about how publishers rejected the cookbook at first and how it eventually got published. She also has a Facebook page called The Food of Taiwan, and if you’re a Taiwanese food lover, I highly recommend liking and following it. On the page, Cathy shares news about Taiwanese food like where to get the best Taiwanese food in and out of Taiwan, and new Taiwanese restaurant openings. Cathy Erway’s journalism has appeared in The New York Times, Food & Wine, Eater, Grub Street, T: The New York Times Style Magazine and more. She is a columnist at TASTE, and received the James Beard Award for Home Cooking journalism in 2019. In 2021, she received the IACP Culinary Award for her column. This episode is part of the trailblazing Taiwanese women's series sponsored by NATWA the North America Taiwanese Women's Association, which was founded in 1988. To learn more about NATWA visit their website, . Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode: How Cathy started off writing a blog called Not Eating Out in New York, which led to her first book, The Art of Eating In Cathy’s cookbook The Food of Taiwan The article in the Gothamist about Taiwanese restaurants in the East Village Cathy’s Facebook page The Food of Taiwan How Cathy has had a Google alert set on the term Taiwanese food for 20 years How things have changed in the 10 years since The Food of Taiwan was published How the owners of Taiwanese restaurants in New York City (Win Son, 886, and Ho Foods) are all friends How Yun Hai Taiwanese Pantry has contributed to the interest in Taiwanese cuisine How Cathy learned to cook and her parents’ cooking styles How Cathy’s family is foodies Cathy’s connection to Taiwan What went into creating The Food of Taiwan How the photography of The Food of Taiwan was an important part of the cookbook How The Food of Taiwan got rejected by several publishers How The Food of Taiwan is a snapshot of all the foods in Taiwan including home-style foods and street food, up to 2015, the year it was published How The Food of Taiwan includes foods that are unique to Taiwan How the recipes in The Food of Taiwan suggests substitutions for certain ingredients that might be hard to find How Cathy met Josh Ku and Trigg Brown of Win Son How Cathy collaborated with Josh Ku and Trigg Brown of Win Son on Win Son Presents a Taiwanese American Cookbook How hard it was to convince the editor to publish The Food of Taiwan Other Taiwanese cookbooks that have been written by Clarissa Wei, Frankie Gaw, Tiffy Chen, and George Lee How Cathy is working on an article about the frozen dumpling business for Taste Topics that Cathy writes about like how tamari is a different product in Japan vs. the U.S. Té Company tea house in the West Village, Yumpling restaurant in Long Island City, Ho Food restaurant in the East Village Cathy’s favorite Taiwanese dish is sān bēi jī (three cup chicken) How Taiwanese breakfast foods are now available at Win Son Bakery and Ho Foods Related Links:
/episode/index/show/talkingtaiwan/id/36185020
info_outline
Ep 309 | 228 Memorial Foundation: Executive Director Nâ Sū Phok (藍士博) on his Work and the Historical Significance of 228
03/29/2025
Ep 309 | 228 Memorial Foundation: Executive Director Nâ Sū Phok (藍士博) on his Work and the Historical Significance of 228
It’s about a month after 228, an important date in Taiwan’s history, marking the 228 Massacre. 228 stands for February 28 1947. February 28th is now commemorated as a national holiday in Taiwan known as the 228 Peace Memorial Day. For this year’s 228 episode, we wanted to release my interview with Nâ Sū Phok (藍士博), the Executive Director of the 228 Memorial Foundation in Taiwan. Last July 2024, I sat down with him at the Taiwanese American Conference at West Chester University about his work for the 228 Memorial Foundation. You may be wondering why we are sharing this episode a month later. Since Sū Phok spoke in Taiwanese Hokkien during the interview, it required translation from Taiwanese into English, and that took a bit longer than anticipated. Secondly, 228 is not a single date in history, subsequent events after February 28th lasted beyond and into March leading to what some refer to as the March Massacre. Here’s a brief summary for those unfamiliar with the 228 Massacre. The first thing to know is that like most significant events in history, they do not just take place on a single date. There are usually circumstances and other happenings that lead up to the date in history. Two years before the 228 Massacre in 1945, at the end of World War II, the Chinese Nationalists (aka the Kuomintang/KMT) had fled from China to Taiwan bringing with them the Republic of China framework. Since then, tensions had been mounting for quite some time. In the case of the 228 Massacre, there were conflicts and protests that began much earlier, leading up to what happened on the night of February 27th, 1947 when Tobacco Monopoly Bureau agents tried to confiscate contraband cigarettes from a 40-year-old woman and brutally knocked her out. When an angry crowd gathered in protest, one of the agents fired a shot into the crowd killing a bystander. Within 24 hours, by the next day, February 28th, the incident had escalated into bloody violence and massacres. More killings happened in March of 1947, which have led some Taiwanese dissidents to call it the March Massacre. Under the authoritarian Chiang regime, what followed after 228 was 38 years of martial law and the White Terror era. Anyone could be disappeared, executed or worse for just saying or doing the wrong thing, or for what was seemingly wrong in the eyes of the authorities. The people of Taiwan were horrified and terrified. Generations dared not speak of 228. 228 was absent from high school textbooks until relatively recently. Denial, distrust, suppression, and the passage of time have made it hard for many to come to terms with 228. If you’d like to learn more, I invite you to listen to our past episodes about 228 that are listed in the Related Links section below. Special thanks to Mei-Ling Lin for her translation assistance for this episode. This episode is sponsored in part by the Taiwanese American Council of Greater New York. Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode: What does 228 refer to and what is its historical significance Sū Phok’s background and upbringing How Sū Phok first learned about or heard about 228 If Sū Phok has any family members/relatives that have been impacted by or victimized by 228 Why/How did Sū Phok got involved with the 228 Memorial Foundation Where does Sū Phok’s interest in history comes from Why it’s important to preserve history What the 228 Memorial Foundation does How what the 228 Memorial Foundation does is different from what the Transitional Justice Commission does What Sū Phok’s responsibilities are as the Executive Director of the 228 Memorial Foundation What kind of work Sū Phok was doing before working for the 228 Memorial Foundation How the work of the 228 Memorial Foundation has changed since it was founded in1995 Some of the milestones/major accomplishments of the 228 Memorial Foundation News from early 2024 about how Taiwan’s Transitional Justice Commission identified 42 historical sites The 228 Memorial Foundation’s opinions on historical sites of injustice related to 228 Current initiatives/projects of the 228 Memorial Foundation? What Sū Phok has learned about 228 since working for the 228 Memorial Foundation that he didn’t know before What's on display at the National 228 Memorial Museum Future initiatives/projects of the 228 Memorial Foundation What Sū Phok would like us to consider about 228 and how it might be relevant to the present Related Links:
/episode/index/show/talkingtaiwan/id/35918580
info_outline
Ep 308 | FAPA: All About Its Essential Advocacy Work for Taiwan
03/22/2025
Ep 308 | FAPA: All About Its Essential Advocacy Work for Taiwan
If you’ve been following our social media, you might already know that Talking Taiwan is participating in the Podcasthon which is a global movement calling on as many podcasts as possible to dedicate one episode of their show to a cause of their choice. The idea is to release these episodes simultaneously, from March 15-21, 2025 and by doing so this will create a massive and international wave of inspiring audio content. We are proud to represent Taiwan in the Podcasthon and to dedicate this episode to FAPA, The Formosan Association for Public Affairs. FAPA was established in 1982, during Taiwan’s 33rd year of martial law. In this episode you’ll soon learn about all of the important, hard work that FAPA does in order to advocate for Taiwan in the U.S. For many Taiwanese Americans, friends of Taiwan and supporters of democracy, FAPA’s work will probably resonate with you. Here’s something that will hit home especially for Taiwanese who have immigrated to the United States. Did you know that before 1994 Taiwanese Americans were forced to list "China" as their place of birth on U.S. passports? I’m old enough to remember this happening to my parents and some of my relatives. This misrepresentation fueled a policy campaign by FAPA advocating to correct this oversight and affirm the rightful identity of Taiwanese Americans. As a result, Taiwan was allowed to be listed and recognized as a place of birth on U.S. passports. This is just one of FAPA’s lasting achievements and an example of how FAPA is a leading voice for Taiwan in America. If this is the first time you are hearing about FAPA you might be wondering about FAPA’s name and where it comes from. Once upon a time, Taiwan was known as Formosa. The name goes back to the Portuguese who named Taiwan “Iha Formosa!” which means Beautiful Island when they discovered it in the 16th century, back when Portugal was known for its exploration prowess. But even knowing this, I still wondered why Formosa or Formosan was used instead of Taiwan or Taiwanese, so I asked around and FAPA’s current President Dr. Su-Mei Kao shared some stories that Taiwanese Hokkien speakers who are listening to this episode are going to be able to appreciate. The early founders did try to come up with a name that used Taiwan, the Taiwanese Association on Public Affairs, but the acronym, TAOPA or when pronounced in Taiwanese Hokkien “TAOPA” sounds like “help hit” and then a shorter alternative, TAPA, “TAPA” sounds like the word for a Spanish appetizer. It turns out, the acronym for The Formosan Association for Public Affairs, FAPA when pronounced in Taiwanese Hokkien “huapa” sounds like “calling to hit or attack.” The name has stuck and has served the organization well. Last July while we were at the Taiwanese American Conference, we sat down to interview FAPA’s Executive Director, Anny Hsiao, President Dr. Su-Mei Kao, and Vice-President Chia-chun Chung. Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode: Dr. Su-Mei Kao, Vice President Chia-chun Chung’s connection to Taiwan How and why Executive Director, Anny Hsiao, President Su-Mei Kao, Vice President Chia-chun Chung each got involved in FAPA The 1996 Taiwan Strait Crisis and Taiwan’s first direct presidential election FAPA's major accomplishments and achievements FAPA’s Passport Place of Birth Campaign (1992-1994) that allowed the Taiwanese to list Taiwan as their place of birth on U.S. passports How has FAPA’s work changed since it was founded in 1982 How U.S.-Taiwan relations have changed since FAPA was founded FAPA's programs and initiatives Why it’s important to change the name of TECRO (Economic and Cultural Representative Office) Why Taiwan should not have to compete at the Olympics under the name “Chinese Taipei” How Taiwan should be allowed to compete in the Olympics using the flag and anthem of its choice FAPA's mission FAPA’s Song Yea Lee Memorial Fund FAPA’s most famous intern is Hsiao Bi-Khim, Taiwan’s current Vice President What happens during FAPA's annual national advocacy training How overseas Taiwanese are in a unique position to advocate for Taiwan Anny, Su-Mei and Chia-chun’s hope and vision for the Taiwan American community How to get involved with FAPA or to donate Related Links:
/episode/index/show/talkingtaiwan/id/35818115
info_outline
Ep 307 | Taiwan on the Margins of CSW 69: Celebrating Women’s Resilience & Progress at Taiwan Main Stage
03/18/2025
Ep 307 | Taiwan on the Margins of CSW 69: Celebrating Women’s Resilience & Progress at Taiwan Main Stage
If you’ve listened to our most recent episode of Talking Taiwan, you’ll know that the sixty-ninth session of the Commission on the Status of Women or CSW69 is now taking place at United Nations Headquarters in New York. It began on March 10th and runs until March 21st. Related Links: On March 12th the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York (TECO-NY) hosted an event called “Taiwan Main Stage: Celebrating Women’s Resilience & Progress on the margins of CSW 69.” This smartly worded event title is undoubtedly a soft reference the fact that Taiwan is not a member of the United Nations, and therefore on the margins of CSW69. We were there at TECO-NY’s fully packed event on the 12th where we heard from Po-Chun Sophiyah Liu and Chia-Hui Lu. Sophiyah is Ambassador-at-Large for Sports Diplomacy of Taiwan, and she is Taiwan’s first female umpire. Chia-Hui Lu is a classical musician, cross disciplinary artist and an associate professor at National Taiwan University of Arts. Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode: · How Taiwan is not a member of the United Nations · Sophiyah Liu’s remarks at TECO-NY’s event called “Taiwan Main Stage: Celebrating Women’s Resilience & Progress on the margins of CSW 69” · How the Global Sports Mentoring Program that set Sophiyah on the path to sports diplomacy · How when Sophiyah won the IOC and UN Women: Women and Sport World trophy in 2019, a special arrangement was made for her to enter the UN building to receive the award · When Sophiyah was invited to attend the UN Global Sport Program working group which met in a conference room in the United Nations building but when it came time to attend the meeting, she was told she couldn’t enter the UN building because she has a passport from Taiwan · Sophiyah’s thoughts on the controversy over questions about the gender eligibility of female boxer Lin Yu-ting at the Paris Olympics · Sophiyah’s thoughts on gender eligibility testing in sports · Chia-Hui Lu’s remarks at TECO-NY’s event called “Taiwan Main Stage: Celebrating Women’s Resilience & Progress on the margins of CSW 69 · The technology, AI training and experimentation involved in creating the real-time music recognition system that captures melodies from Chia-Hui’s piano playing and transforms it into a surreal visual story · The mission and past projects of the Egret Cultural and Education Foundation · How the Egret Cultural and Education Foundation’s cross art productions combine theater, music, dance, technology, culture, and history · How the Egret Cultural and Education Foundation was published books about Taiwan’s history, nature, music, and art Related Links:
/episode/index/show/talkingtaiwan/id/35743400
info_outline
Ep 306 | Empowering Women Through Education and Community Panel: Meet the Panelists
02/27/2025
Ep 306 | Empowering Women Through Education and Community Panel: Meet the Panelists
March is Women’s History Month and in this episode of Talking Taiwan I’ll be speaking with the Angela Feng, the organizer of the Empowering Women Through Education and Community Action panel, a UN CSW69 Parallel Event that’s going to be held here in New York City on Friday, March 14th from 4:30pm-6:00pm. CSW69 stands for the 69th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. Also with me in this interview are the other two panelists Cindy Wu who’s been a previous guest on Talking Taiwan and Dr. Remi Duyile. There are quite a few acronyms tossed around in this conversation so I thought I’d mention them upfront here like SDG goals, which stands for Sustainable Development Goals which were adopted by United Nations Member States. There are 17 SDGs because ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests. The other acronym you’ll hear is BPW which stands for Business and Professional Women. The theme of the panel is how education and community initiatives equal empowerment. The session will dive into how education and grassroots programs can transform lives. Angela, Cindy and Dr. Remi not only talked about the panel, and work of their respective organizations, but I ask each of the women who were their earliest role models who helped to shape who they are today, and to share about challenges that they’ve had to overcome in their careers thus far. If you’d like to know how you can attend the Empowering Women Through Education and Community Action panel visit TalkingTaiwan.com where we’ll share a link to register for it on Eventbrite. Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode: · Angela Feng, Cindy Wu, and Dr. Remi Duyile are the organizers and panelists for the Empowering Women Through Education and Community Action Panel. · The panel's theme is "How Education and Community Initiatives Equal Empowerment." · The session will explore how education and grassroots programs can significantly transform lives, particularly for women and girls. · Angela Feng is the president of Soroptimist Taipei International, Girls Power, a female non-profit organization recognized by the UN and Taiwan. · Cindy Wu is a trilingual financial management professional, singer-songwriter, and motivational speaker, involved with the International Federation of Business and Professional Women (BPW). · Dr. Remi Duyile is a Nigerian-American, a UN ambassador of peace, and the founder of Legacy Premier Foundation, a global developmental non-profit. · The discussion will delve into the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and how these goals relate to women's empowerment · Angela, Cindy and Dr. Remi the work that they have done with each of their respective organizations · Angela, Cindy and Dr. Remi talked about their early role models and the challenges they have overcome in their careers. · The panel aims to provide practical insights and inspire action, moving beyond abstract concepts of women's empowerment. · The women want to provide action steps, and resources to the audience · Soroptimist International of Taipei Girls Power focuses on education for young women, from elementary school through college. · The Legacy Premier Foundation focuses on financial literacy, and providing access to resources to underserved communities, and teaches skills that are needed in the market place. · The International Federation of Business and Professional Women works to create opportunities for women through promoting employment, and protecting rights. Related Links:
/episode/index/show/talkingtaiwan/id/35454925
info_outline
Ep 305 | Sherry Chou Remembers Dr. Chen Wen-chen and Circumstances Surrounding his Mysterious Death
02/24/2025
Ep 305 | Sherry Chou Remembers Dr. Chen Wen-chen and Circumstances Surrounding his Mysterious Death
In July of 2024, we brought Talking Taiwan to the Taiwanese American Conference at West Chester University and I sat down to interview Sherry Chou, the Director of Dr. Chen Wen-chen Memorial Foundation. Related Links: Dr. Chen Wen-chen was an assistant professor of statistics at Carnegie Mellon University when he and his family returned to his native Taiwan for a vacation in the summer of 1981. Dr. Chen’s permit to leave the country to return to the U.S. was rejected and so the Taiwan Garrison Command called in Dr. Chen for questioning regarding his political beliefs and activities in the United States. They questioned him on June 30th and July 2nd, but then on July 3, 1981, Chen’s body was found on the campus of National Taiwan University (NTU) in Taipei. At the time the autopsy reported that his death was due to a fall. Chen’s mysterious death shed light on how the work of Chinese Nationalist Kuomintang spies on U.S. campuses led to Chen’s interrogation by the Garrison Command. Sherry and I talked about how and why it took 10 years to establish the Dr. Chen Wen-chen Incident Memorial Square at National Taiwan University (NTU), and the Rainbow Taiwan Independence Flag. Sherry also shared some memories of the Sunflower Movement, which you’ll hear Sherry refer to as sān yī ba, which is three one eight in mandarin Chinese, and a reference to March 18, 2014, the date that activists and students occupied Taiwan’s legislative yuan which became known as the Sunflower Movement. Dr. Chen Wen-chen’s memory was honored at Taiwanese American Conference’s 2024 memorial concert. This episode is sponsored in part by the Taiwanese American Council of Greater New York. Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode: Who Dr. Chen Wen-chen was The events leading up to the mysterious death of Dr. Chen Dr. Chen's body was found on July 3, 1981, on the ground at National Taiwan University Initial autopsy reported his death as a fall, but circumstances were suspicious His death shed light on the activities of Kuomintang (KMT) spies on U.S. campuses Why it took 10 years to establish the Dr. Chen Wen-chen Incident Memorial Square at National Taiwan University Sherry also talked about the Rainbow Taiwan independence flag project Sherry discussed her memories of the Sunflower Movement Dr. Chen Wen-chen was honored at the Taiwanese American Conference's 2024 Memorial Concert Dr. Chen fundraised for Formosa Magazine, which drew the attention of KMT agents Formosa Magazine is linked to the Formosa Incident, also known as the Kaohsiung Incident Recent findings by the Transitional Justice Commission revealed that Dr. Chen had been under surveillance since 1979 Forensic evidence confirmed that Dr. Chen died before falling from a building The Lin family murders occurred on February 28, 1980; Lin Yi-hsiung’s mother and his twin daughters were stabbed and killed and his oldest daughter survived The death of Chen Wen-chen angered both local and overseas Taiwanese people Sherry talked about a photo of protestors in the 1980s wearing paper bags over their heads to disguise their identities The idea for the memorial started in 2011 with professors and students co-signing a petition The initial proposal was just to place a sign on campus, not a square, but the university didn't want even a sign The social atmosphere in 2011 was different, with Taiwan moving closer to China under President Ma Ying-jeou There were many ridiculous objections to the sign The turning point came in 2014 when Dr. Yang Pan-chyr, a more progressive president, agreed to set up the memorial square There was uncertainty about whether the university would change its stance after Dr. Yang left and Kuan Chung-ming became president Kuan Chung-ming was unpopular, especially among the DPP and progressive community, due to his conservative views and ties to China Dr. Yang tried to push for the sign before he left After Kuan Chung-ming became president, he withdrew support for funding, and the Dr. Chen Wen-chen Foundation covered the costs The public contributed to fundraising efforts through social media Around 2016, there was a surge in advocacy for gender equality in Taiwan and its connection to Taiwanese sovereignty and identity In 2016, Taiwan’s marriage equality movement gained attention with people protesting on the streets On May 24, 2017, Taiwan’s Constitutional Court ruled that same-sex couples had the right to marry Someone used photoshop to combine the rainbow flag and Taiwanese independence flags Funds were raised through social media and distributed 1300 flags at events The flags allowed people to express support for both marriage equality and national issues 2016 marked the beginning of more people expressing concern for both gender equality and national issues LGBTQ individuals were more actively engaged in the Bluebird Movement, possibly due to increased mobilization since 2016 Sherry was previously the marketing director for Watchout, a media company Watchout started at the end of 2013, around the time of the Sunflower Movement, capturing many photos from then The company shifted focus to issues related to Taiwan's independence and civil defense Watchout published two books: Civil Defense Guide (covering disasters and war) and Active Civil Defense Guide (focused on war) How Sherry got interest in feminism She admires figures like Professor Fan Yun and Liu Wen for their feminist contributions Sherry emphasized the importance of efforts from both Taiwanese communities in Taiwan and those outside of Taiwan in order to make significant change happen Related Links:
/episode/index/show/talkingtaiwan/id/35405700
info_outline
Ep 304 | Our Conversation on The Translator's Daughter A Debut Memoir by Author Grace Loh Prasad
02/08/2025
Ep 304 | Our Conversation on The Translator's Daughter A Debut Memoir by Author Grace Loh Prasad
Grace Loh Prasad’s debut memoir, is The Translator’s Daughter. I spoke with her about how she started off writing it and how it evolved over the two decades it took to write it. Related Links: A lot can happen in two decades. One by one Grace started losing her family members- her brother, mother and father. Her memoir is very much about loss, not just the loss that Grace experienced of her family members, but also her lost connection to Taiwan. When Grace was just two years old her family left Taiwan and moved to the U.S. and then Hong Kong. Her parents didn’t return to Taiwan until Grace was in college in California. I found the book moving and appreciated how Grace was able to take her grief and personal experiences and put them into this beautifully written book. If you’d like to hear Grace reading an excerpt from The Translator’s Daughter, check out the episode right before this one, episode 303. Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode: · What motivated Grace to start writing her memoir · How the memoir evolved and changed over the twenty years it took to write and complete it · What changed in her life during those two decades · How Grace lost her brother to cancer, her mother to Alzheimer’s and father to Parkinson’s · The challenge of maintaining a connection with Taiwan and relatives there due to language barriers · The unconventional style of the book which is a mix of narrative chapters and essays · Grace’s writing process and how she put the book together · What Grace learned in the process of writing the book · How her family’s migrations due to her father’s work affected Grace and her brother Ted · How to find belonging in a place that you don’t intend to stay · How Grace feels about being a third culture kid · How much of the writing in the book comes from Grace’s diary entries · What Grace left out of the book · People who have reached out to Grace about her book because they knew her father and his work translating the Bible · Grace reflects on her father’s education and career compared to her own · How Grace’s family’s story doesn’t fit the typical immigrant or model minority story · The op ed Grace wrote about Taiwan’s 2000 presidential election · How important Taiwanese Americans have been in highlighting issues in Taiwan · How Taiwan is excluded from international organizations and events like the UN, WHO, Olympics · The authors and books that have influenced Grace · How her book touches on mythology, film, music, and art · Her family’s connection to the Thornberries and Milo Thornberry who wrote Fireproof Moth: A Missionary in Taiwan’s White Terror · Grace’s advice for someone struggling with writing their first book · Feedback and reactions that Grace has gotten to the book · How it’s worthwhile to make the effort to pass on specific things from one’s culture or family to children or the next generation Related Links:
/episode/index/show/talkingtaiwan/id/35202830
info_outline
Ep 303 | An Excerpt from The Translator's Daughter by Grace Loh Prasad
01/26/2025
Ep 303 | An Excerpt from The Translator's Daughter by Grace Loh Prasad
For the first episode of 2025, we’ve decided to share an excerpt from The Translator’s Daughter, a personal memoir written by Grace Loh Prasad. Related Links: The book opens on the eve of the Lunar New Year in February of 2000 and so it seems like the right time of year to be sharing this as we approach another Lunar New, the Year of the Snake. Here’s a taste of The Translator’s Daughter read by its author, Grace Loh Prasad, to pique your interest before we release our interview with Grace in the next episode of Talking Taiwan. Related Links:
/episode/index/show/talkingtaiwan/id/35009175
info_outline
Ep 302 | Talking Taiwan Award Winner Top 5 2024 End of Year Review
01/01/2025
Ep 302 | Talking Taiwan Award Winner Top 5 2024 End of Year Review
Here’s our 2024 Top 5 Award Winners. 2024 was an eventful year! Related Links: In January we headed to Taiwan to cover the Presidential election, thanks to the generous support of donors. While we were there, we covered the election from Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung. We were also able to hold two in-person podcast events where we met several of our Taiwan-based podcast guests in person for the very first time. In May we were shortlisted in the International Women’s Podcast Awards Moment of Visionary Leadership category. Then in July we brought Talking Taiwan to the 53rd annual Taiwanese American Conference East Coast (TAC-EC) where we created an on-location podcast studio and conducted 12 interviews in 3 days. We are grateful to have interviewed many of TAC-EC’s wonderful speakers. And it we had the honor of interviewing Taiwan’s former Vice President Dr. Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) who is best known for his excellent handling of the COVID pandemic in Taiwan. After speaking with him I came away thinking that the world would be a much better place if we had more politicians like Dr. Chen. We’ll be giving first listening access to this and other select interviews to anyone donating $50 or more to Talking Taiwan. We never know what episodes are going to make the top 5 of the year and in this episode you’ll hear the story behind number 1 episode of 2024. 2024 marked a big change in the way we do things. Previously nearly all of our interviews were done remotely, but in 2024, we did a number of interviews in person, most notably the one with Dr. Linda Gail Arrigo that got shortlisted in the International Women’s Podcast Awards Moment of Visionary Leadership category. We will be incorporating more in person interviews in 2025, and Talking Taiwan will be embarking on a North American Tour taking the podcast to communities on the East Coast, West Coast and Canada. In July we will be returning to the Taiwanese American Conference East Coast, and then heading to the Taiwanese American Conference on the West Coast in San Francisco. Later on in the year we will also head north to Taiwanfest in Toronto, Canada. Your donation can help make all of this happen. Right now It’s a great time to make a contribution because all contributions made will be doubled. The first $11k we raise will be doubled thanks to our generous matching donors. To support Talking Taiwan you can make donation by PayPal or Zelle using our email address [email protected] or Venmo @talkingtaiwan. You can also send us a check at our PO box that you’ll find on our website talkingtaiwan.com/support. Thank you for listening. Wishing you a Happy New Year in 2025 and beyond! Related Links:
/episode/index/show/talkingtaiwan/id/34679835
info_outline
Ep 301 | Documentary Films on the Pandemic, Immigration, and Human Rights Issues: Our Talk with Taiwanese American Filmmaker Hsuan Yu Pan
12/31/2024
Ep 301 | Documentary Films on the Pandemic, Immigration, and Human Rights Issues: Our Talk with Taiwanese American Filmmaker Hsuan Yu Pan
In this episode of Talking Taiwan, I started off speaking with Taiwanese American documentary filmmaker Hsuan Yu Pan about how she got interested in documentary filmmaking. As we talked about her films, we covered a broad range of topics from the COVID-19 pandemic to parallels between the 2017 travel bans that barred people from seven Muslim majority countries from entering the U.S. and internment of Japanese Americans in the1940s. Time and time again entire groups of people have been targeted and blamed groups. Related Links: This led us back to the pandemic and recalling the high incidence of Asian hate that happened at that time. Her current film project Hear, Eat, Home touches on many of these topics including the Syrian Revolution and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. After speaking to Hsuan Yu I get the sense that through her documentary filmmaking she wishes to create understanding so that history doesn’t repeat itself and to foster more empathy in the world. Below in the Related Links section is a link where you can support and watch a work in progress version of Hsuan Yu’s film Hear, Eat, Home. Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode: Hsuan Yu’s upbringing and how she initially had aspirations to be a visual artist How Hsuan Yu got interested in documentary filmmaking How Hsuan Yu’s early experiences editing wedding videos taught her how to use video footage to tell a story How her work at Bric TV taught her how to find stories How she came up with the concept for her documentary film Alone Together that was shot during the pandemic How footage for Alone Together was gathered and planned How Alone Together featured footage from 11 different countries What Hsuan Yu learned from making the film Alone Together Hsuan Yu views her filmmaking as being about telling people’s stories How she met the Taiwanese puppeteer, Mr. Tsai who is the subject of her documentary film project I, Puppet How Hsuan Yu was able to encourage Mr. Tsai to do some impromptu puppetry in New York’s Washington Square Park How Mr. Tsai attended a Puppet Slam event in Coney Island, NY and brought the puppet slam concept back to his puppet museum in Taipei, Taiwan The relationship between Mr. Tsai and his father who is also a puppeteer How and why Mr. Tsai’s parents didn’t want him to become a puppeteer What Hsuan Yu loves about making documentaries Her documentary film project Hear, Eat, Home How two of the subjects of the film Hear, Eat, Home, Kinan Azmeh and Kevork Mourad are members of Yo-yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble How the internment of Japanese Americans and the travel bans of 2017 (aka Muslim bans) are examples of how the U.S. government has labeled certain groups of people as a threat and discriminated against them How Kinan Azmeh was affected by the travel bans of 2017 (aka Muslim bans) How different groups have been blamed such as the Japanese Americans, Muslim Americans and Asian American How as a documentary filmmaker Hsuan Yu feels that sne should document history so that people can learn from history Kevork Mourad’s background and family story What the film Hear, Eat, Home is about Hear Eat Home tells the story of Syrians, Japanese Americans and Ukrainians What Hsuan Yu believes makes a good documentary How Hsuan Yu was trying to finish working on Hear, Eat, Home in 2020, but she wasn’t satified with it When the Russian invasion of Ukraine happened in 2022 Hsuan Yu felt that she should include stories of her Ukrainian friends in to the film Hear, Eat, Home Hsuan Yu plans to complete Hear, Eat, Home me next year Hear Eat Home is available for view as a work in progress until January 5th Anyone wishing to support the completion of Hsuan Yu’s film Hear, Eat, Home can make a donation on the link provided on TalkingTaiwan.com for this episode Related Links:
/episode/index/show/talkingtaiwan/id/34669785
info_outline
Ep 300 | The History of NATWA: Unique Contributions in Leadership and Sisterhood
12/19/2024
Ep 300 | The History of NATWA: Unique Contributions in Leadership and Sisterhood
NATWA (the North America Taiwanese Women's Association) has been around since 1988 and for this episode about NATWA I interviewed Elena Ling, one of NATWA’s founding members, Hui-Na Lin, a past NATWA national president, Susan Liao, two-time president of NATWA’s Toronto chapter, and Sue Kuo NATWA’s current vice president and president elect for 2025. It is impossible to properly acknowledge the unique contributions of each NATWA national president, or all of NATWA’s board and committee members, NATWA’s supporters, donors, and countless others who have made NATWA what it is. Related Links: As I reflect on this, I’d like to share a poetic analogy that Hui-Na Lin, 2022-2023 NATWA national president shared with me to describe the essence of NATWA. It’s from a short story she wrote “Fly Together Over Mountains” which she told me was inspired by the Canadian geese’s migration down south for the winter each year. A single goose could not make the trip as efficiently alone. Several geese fly together as a group in a V formation. There is one bird that leads the group initially, but when the lead bird gets tired, it moves to the back for a rest, and another bird takes the lead. The birds all take turns leading the group to their final destination. Like the Canadian geese NATWA’s members work together to support each other in turn. It’s not about one single leader. As you listen to this episode you’ll learn more about how NATWA meets its five point mission statement which is: 1. to evoke a sense of self-esteem and enhance women's dignity, 2. to oppose gender discrimination and promote gender equality, 3. to fully develop women's potential and encourage their participation in public affairs, 4. to contribute to the advancement of human rights and democratic development in Taiwan, 5. to reach out and work with women's organizations worldwide to promote peace for all. Special Thanks to Elena Ling and Alvina Ling for providing useful details about NATWA’s formation and history for this episode. And a very special thank you to NATWA and its members for all of the encouragement and support that you’ve given to our two-person team here at Talking Taiwan. Thank you for making our work possible. Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode: How and why NATWA (the North America Taiwanese Women's Association) was founded Annette Lu’s (former Vice President of Taiwan) connection to NATWA How Annette Lu was one of the Kaohsiung Eight (one of eight people arrested as a result of the Kaohsiung aka Formosa incident) The first meeting with the 30 founding members of NATWA How NATWA has a President-elect who serves as Vice President the year before becoming President How NATWA started off as a national organization The early formation of NATWA How progressive it was at the time to form NATWA How NATWA has grown from 30 to 1,000 members How NATWA became a 501(c)(3) organization How NATWA has 2 major events a year, an annual convention (in April) and a mid-year leadership meeting (in October) The impact that NATWA has made in the lives of its members How Hui-Na Lin and Susan Liao got involved in NATWA initially and later took on leadership roles in the organization NATWA’s early struggles in attracting members due to pressure from Taiwan’s Kuomintang (KMT) government at the time NATWA’s early successful fundraising efforts Why NATWA avoided accepting any government funding NATWA’s early successful projects NATWA’s charitable fundraising efforts How NATWA’s members are aging How NATWA’s membership and programs grew during the pandemic What made NATWA’s WebEx programs during the pandemic successful What types of WebEx programs NATWA offered during the pandemic Major activities organized by NATWA Toronto The first NATWA event that Felicia Lin, the host of Talking Taiwan was invited to attend How Hui-Na and her team got NATWA’s members to attend the first in-person mid-year meeting and annual conventions that took place after restrictions on COVID were eased How NATWA addresses women’s issues and promotes women’s dignity The formation of NATWA II an organization for second generation Taiwanese American women Questions about the future direction of NATWA What Elena, Hui-Na and Susan have each gotten out of their involvement with NATWA Related Links:
/episode/index/show/talkingtaiwan/id/34528270
info_outline
Ep 299 | Team Taiwan's Historic Gold Medal Baseball Win: Our Conversation with Richard Wang
12/09/2024
Ep 299 | Team Taiwan's Historic Gold Medal Baseball Win: Our Conversation with Richard Wang
After hearing about Team Taiwan’s historic gold medal baseball win at the Premier 12 on November 24th I reached out to Richard Wang who I previously interviewed in 2020 about how Taiwan was the only place on the planet where professional baseball was being played during the COVID pandemic and since the entire world was watching, it led to English broadcasts of Taiwan’s baseball games. Related Link: Well, it turns out that Richard was at the Tokyo Dome for Premier 12 and even had the honor of calling out all the names of Team Taiwan’s players as they were awarded their gold medals. In the spirit of Giving Tuesday, which was on December 3rd, I thought it would be fun to celebrate Team Taiwan’s win by inviting others to be “in the audience” during my online interview with Richard, so I put out the word on social media. Special thanks to all those who attended the online event on such short notice. Related Link:
/episode/index/show/talkingtaiwan/id/34343520
info_outline
Ep 298 | An Oral History of TAC-EC: Conversations with Three Past Conference Organizers: Talking with Terry Tsao, Su-Mei Kao, and Powen Wang
11/27/2024
Ep 298 | An Oral History of TAC-EC: Conversations with Three Past Conference Organizers: Talking with Terry Tsao, Su-Mei Kao, and Powen Wang
In July we brought Talking Taiwan to the 53rd annual Taiwanese American Conference, East Coast (aka TAC-EC) at West Chester University where we set up an on-location podcast studio and I interviewed 12 people in 3 days. It was pretty nonstop but it was well worth it. One thing we strive to do with Talking Taiwan is to record oral histories, so it was my pleasure to sit down with several of TAC-EC’s past organizers to talk about the conference’s history. Related Links: First, I spoke with Powen Wang aka Ong Po-bun (王博文), who told me about how TAC started out as a summer retreat for Christian families in 1970 and later evolved into a conference for the entire Taiwanese American community. At the time Taiwan was under Chiang Kai-shek’s Chinese Nationalists authoritarian regime, and Pok-wen recounts how the Chinese Nationalists (KMT) tried to interfere with TAC in those early years. I also spoke with past TAC organizers Su-Mei Kao, and Shih-Chieh or Terry Tsao. TAC is a conference with a 50 year plus long history and its programs have covered diverse issues impacting Taiwanese Americans, including human rights in Taiwan, and momentous social, historical, political events related to Taiwan and their implications. About TAC-EC: The first Taiwanese American Conference East Coast (TACEC) was held in 1970 in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. It was a summer retreat for the area's Christian families but has turned into an event for the entire Taiwanese American community. Over the years, the conference has expanded its programs to encompass diverse issues impacting Taiwanese Americans, including human rights in Taiwan, and momentous social, historical, political events and their implications. TACEC invites Taiwanese and Taiwanese Americans from diverse professional backgrounds to share their experiences. The number of participants has steadily grown, numbering over 2,000 in the late 80s and 90s. TAC-EC is hosted by Taiwanese Communities in four different regions: New York, New Jersey, Washington and Philadelphia (including south Jersey and Delaware). Each region is currently on a four-year rotation and takes turns chairing the TACEC board that oversees the operation of TAC-EC. The conference today draws about 600 - 800 participants annually, with the majority being first generation Taiwanese Americans. Many second generation Taiwanese Americans who now have children have eagerly expressed interests in developing TAC-EC programs for their children and re-engage their peers who were past participants. TAC-EC’s MISSION: To stimulate public interest in the cultural, religious, educational, socioeconomic and other activities of Taiwanese/Taiwanese Americans To pass down Taiwanese cultural and religious heritage in the Taiwanese Americans community To facilitate exchanges among Taiwanese Americans organizations, and to foster exchange, mutual support and collaboration between Taiwanese American organizations and Taiwanese or other ethnic groups’ organizations To organize an annual conference or workshops of various topics about current affairs and future development of the United States and Taiwan This episode is sponsored in part by the Taiwanese American Council of Greater New York. Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode: Powen Wang aka Ong Po-bun (王博文), an early participant and organizer of TAC-EC talks about how he got involved in TAC-EC, the formation of TAC-EC, and its early years How the conference started as a Christian summer camp and then the Formosan Club (aka Taiwanese Association) joined What caused a split between the Christians and Formosan Club The year Powen Wang aka Ong Po-bun (王博文) organized the conference (1989) How TAC-EC has evolved from the 1970s to 2013 The formation of TANG (Taiwanese American Next Generation) Su-Mei Kao, organizer of TAC-EC in 2015 talked about her experiences organizing the conferences and how changes were made to create more interaction and shared events between TAC-EC and TANG attendees The speakers and topics covered at TAC-EC 2015 How Su-Mei Kao had attended TAC in the southern region before TAC on the East Coast and how the conferences in these regions differ Shih-Chieh (Terry) Tsao, organizer of TAC-EC 2023 talked about how he got involved in TAC-EC Shih-Chieh (Terry) talked about the theme of TAC-EC How China reacted to Nancy Pelosi’s (former speaker of the United States House of Representatives) visit to Taiwan in August of 2022 Some of the most memorable speakers that were invited to speak at TAC-EC 2023 How FAPA (Formosan Association for Public Affairs and GTI (Global Taiwan Institute) and WUFI (World United Formosans for Independence) were instrumental in helping to organize TAC-EC 2023 How Shih-Chieh (Terry) hopes that TAC-EC can welcome more participants with a wider spectrum of political leanings on Taiwan Related Links:
/episode/index/show/talkingtaiwan/id/34173310
info_outline
Ep 297 | Aftermath of his Medical Mission to Ukraine One Year Later: Dr. Jung Tsai
11/15/2024
Ep 297 | Aftermath of his Medical Mission to Ukraine One Year Later: Dr. Jung Tsai
Last year in August of 2023 I interviewed Dr. Jung Tsai about the medical mission to Ukraine that he had organized. If you haven’t already had a chance to hear my first interview with Dr. Tsai about his medical mission to Ukraine, check out . Related Links: This past July we took Talking Taiwan on the road to the 53rd annual Taiwanese American Conference, East Coast that was held at Westchester University. And we set up an on-location podcast studio there. Dr. Tsai was one of the speakers at TAC, so nearly a year after his return, we sat down with him to hear how his medical mission went. This episode is sponsored in part by the Taiwanese American Council of Greater New York. Related Links:
/episode/index/show/talkingtaiwan/id/33941907
info_outline
Ep 296 | Psychological Defense and Practices to Manage Stress for the People of Taiwan: A Talk with Dr. Hsiao-Wen Lo
10/31/2024
Ep 296 | Psychological Defense and Practices to Manage Stress for the People of Taiwan: A Talk with Dr. Hsiao-Wen Lo
Since 2020 Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense has been reporting the number of incursions China makes by sea and air into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone. These incursions now happen on a daily basis and already the tally for this year alone has surpassed the total number of occurrences that took place last year in 2023. Related Links: Recently, on October 14th, just days after President Lai Ching-te’s Double Ten Day speech, China’s military initiated the "Joint Sword-2024B" drills, a simulated blockade which took place in the Taiwan Strait and areas to the north, south and east of Taiwan. According to Taiwan’s MND, a record number of 153 Chinese military aircraft were detected around Taiwan within a 25-hour period. We’ve previously discussed China’s gray zone military tactics and civil defense preparedness, on this podcast, but just as important is something called psychological defense. In July we brought Talking Taiwan to the 53rd annual Taiwanese American Conference, East Coast that was held at West Chester University. I sat down with Dr. Hsiao-Wen Lo (駱筱雯) who spoke at the conference about Psychological Defense for the People of Taiwan. We also got into a discussion about the related topics of trauma and practices to manage stress and maintain good mental health. This episode is sponsored in part by the Taiwanese American Council of Greater New York. Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode: · How Dr. Lo got interested in psychological defense · What is psychological defense · The importance of the mind-body connection · Types of trauma: psychological trauma, generational trauma, collective trauma · What is psychological warfare · The Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s psychological warfare tactics · The impact of long-term stress · Post traumatic growth · Fight or Flight states · Strategies to deal with stress · The erasure of Taiwan by China Related Links:
/episode/index/show/talkingtaiwan/id/33704472
info_outline
EP 295 | Counselor Chen of New Taipei City: Talks About her Political Career and the Controversial Bills Passed by Taiwan's Legislature
10/30/2024
EP 295 | Counselor Chen of New Taipei City: Talks About her Political Career and the Controversial Bills Passed by Taiwan's Legislature
In July we took the show on the road bringing Talking Taiwan to the 53rd annual Taiwanese American Conference, East Coast that was held at West Chester University. I sat down and spoke with New Taipei City Councilor Chen Nai-Yu (陳乃瑜市議員). We spoke about how she went from being a journalist to a politician, working on Lai Ching-te’s presidential campaign, and the controversial bills that got passed in Taiwan’s legislature in May and that led to massive protests and the Bluebird Movement. Related Links: Special thanks to Bill Wu who sat in on the interview to provide translation assistance to City Councilor Chen, and to Anmy Lee for additional research and translation assistance. This episode is sponsored in part by the Taiwanese American Council of Greater New York. Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode: · How Naiyu went from working as a journalist for 14 years to becoming a politician · Issues she’s focused on as a City Councilor · Anti-Han Kuo-yu rally in Kaohsiung · Naiyu’s work as a journalist · How her experience as a journalist prepared her to be a politician · The challenges she faced in working on Lai Ching-te’s presidential campaign · Cases of state-owned land on which people built personal mansions · The different communication styles and approaches to social media use of Lai Ching-te and Ko Wen-je · What Naiyu has to say about President Lai Ching-te’s personality and character · What could happen with the controversial bills that led to the Bluebird movement protests in Taiwan in May · Cases of ill-gotten assets and how the handling of ill-gotten assets could be reversed · Naiyu’s observations of the Bluebird movement · The most rewarding thing about being a City Councilor Related Links:
/episode/index/show/talkingtaiwan/id/33682962
info_outline
Ep 294 | Recently Debated Human Rights Issues in Taiwan - A Conversation with Michael Fahey
10/03/2024
Ep 294 | Recently Debated Human Rights Issues in Taiwan - A Conversation with Michael Fahey
I recently spoke with Michael Fahey about some developments on human rights related issues in Taiwan, including the anticipated ruling by Taiwan’s constitutional court on the Death Penalty. Related Links: We spoke on September 16th and Taiwan’s constitutional court made its ruling on September 20th. At the time I had spoken to Michael about a campaign and online petition to expand access to dual nationality for long-term foreign permanent residents of Taiwan. To learn more about that check out episode 293. Michael is an American lawyer and resident of Taipei since 1988. He is foreign counsel at Formosa Transnational (萬國) and also founder of Forward Taiwan. Related Links:
/episode/index/show/talkingtaiwan/id/33310017
info_outline
Ep 293 | Dual Nationality for Long-Term Foreign Permanent Residents of Taiwan: Our Discussion with Michael Fahey
09/25/2024
Ep 293 | Dual Nationality for Long-Term Foreign Permanent Residents of Taiwan: Our Discussion with Michael Fahey
Did you know that there is a campaign underway in Taiwan that is calling for foreign permanent residents to be able to apply for dual nationality, effectively allowing them to obtain Taiwanese citizenship after 5 years without giving up their original passport? Related Links: An online petition for this proposal was launched on August 19th and they are trying to collect 5,000 signatures to support it by October 19th: I recently spoke with Michael Fahey, about this campaign which was initiated by Crossroads and Forward Taiwan. We talked about many of the most common concerns raised by a proposal like this, given the sensitive position that Taiwan is in due to the threats it faces from the PRC (People’s Republic of China). Michael is an American lawyer and resident of Taipei since 1988. He is foreign counsel at Formosa Transnational (萬國) and also founder of Forward Taiwan. If you’d like to sign the online petition to expand access to dual nationality for long-term foreign permanent residents of Taiwan, please note a few things: 1) In order to be able to sign the petition you must be a citizen of Taiwan or holder of an A(P)RC (Alien Permanent Resident Certificate) and have a Taiwan mobile number. 2) When filling out the petition form it’s best to use a computer not a smart phone but have your phone nearby and have patience when going through the process. 3) Whether or not you are personally able to sign the petition, please consider also sharing this with friends, family or colleagues who would and are able to support it. Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode: · How the proposal to expand access to dual nationality for long-term foreign permanent residents of Taiwan came about · The case of Michael Boyden, a British citizen and permanent resident of Taiwan · How Taiwan’s nationality law was drafted in the 1920s and how it compares with other countries laws on nationality · How Taiwan’s nationality law is not symmetrical for native-born Taiwanese and naturalizing foreign citizens · How expanding access to dual nationality for long-term foreign permanent residents of Taiwan could make Taiwan more resilient · How immigration could be a way to deal with Taiwan becoming a super-aged society · Concerns about whether this proposal will make it easier PRC (People’s Republic of China) citizens to immigrate to Taiwan and become citizens · PRC (People’s Republic of China) citizens are governed by a different law; the act for the relations between peoples of the mainland and the Taiwan region · The proposal is to change the nationality law not the act for the relations between peoples of the mainland and the Taiwan region · How to handle concerns about PRC citizens who've naturalized in third countries using their foreign citizenship to come and naturalize in Taiwan · How the fear that crime would go up is unfounded because foreign nationals in Taiwan commit crimes at a rate of 50 percent of the native population · What exactly is being proposed · The procedure for foreign permanent residents in Taiwan to obtain dual Taiwanese citizenship · The types of people and special cases that have been granted dual Taiwanese citizenship · The standards required for foreign permanent residents in Taiwan to be granted dual Taiwanese citizenship · Cases of foreign permanent residents in Taiwan that applied and failed to attain dual Taiwanese citizenship · How the process to get the nationality law amended could actually be a very long process that could take 5-20 years · Arguments for and against the proposal · How people who wish to sign the online petition must be citizens of Taiwan and have a Taiwan mobile number · When filling out the petition it’s best to do so on a computer and not on a smart phone, but to keep your mobile phone nearby · Have patience in filling out the online petition form because the interface is a bit difficult to use · How foreign permanent residents can’t get household registration and how that limits them · Reasons people would like to get dual Taiwanese citizenship · How to deal with individuals who have dual nationalities · How male citizens of Taiwan under the age of 36 are required to serve in the military · How Taiwan could take steps to ensure that people serve in the military Related Links:
/episode/index/show/talkingtaiwan/id/33200762