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TaiwaneseAmerican.org

  • Home
    • About
      • Community Organizations
      • Donate
      • Submissions
  • Stories
    • Interviews
    • Perspectives
    • Arts & Entertainment
    • Community Orgs
    • Food & Travel
    • Social Issues & Politics
  • Projects
  • Creative Writing Prizes
  • Gift Guides
  • Bookshop
  • Parenting Resources
  • Contact
Drive to the Airport: Creative Writing by Caroline Chieh-Mei Pai Drive to the Airport: Creative Writing by Caroline Chieh-Mei Pai
Ghost Month in Taiwan: When the Gates of the Underworld Open Ghost Month in Taiwan: When the Gates of the Underworld Open
"To write is to share; to share is to be seen": Jane Kuo, in conversation with Rebecca Yang "To write is to share; to share is to be seen": Jane Kuo, in conversation with Rebecca Yang
Claiming Taiwanese American Identity: A Third-Generation Perspective Claiming Taiwanese American Identity: A Third-Generation Perspective
Keng-lâm Su-iⁿ: Writing A New Chapter for Tâi-gí Keng-lâm Su-iⁿ: Writing A New Chapter for Tâi-gí

Featured Stories

PerspectivesSocial/Politics

Who Gets to be Taiwanese?

Contrary to many of my compatriots, I find Taiwan’s noisy democracy charming. After living in China for nearly a decade, where the apparatus for silencing is robust and ever-present, I revel in the cacophony of campaign trucks blaring pleads for votes and thousand-strong rallies with hawkers selling…

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Arts & CultureFeaturedInterviews

Light as Insistent: Alvin Lu (“Daydreamers”) in conversation with Shawna Yang Ryan

Alvin Lu’s second novel, Daydreamers, was released on July 15th. It’s a dreamy, unsettling book that radiates intelligence and beauty. Difficult to summarize, I will rely on this line from the publisher’s description, though even that cannot capture the many layers of this book: “Cycling…

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Winnie M Li’s “WHAT WE LEFT UNSAID” and California Book Tour!

WHAT WE LEFT UNSAID By Winnie M Li Excerpt from p.102 - 103 In this passage, Bonnie and Alex, two Taiwanese-American sisters in their 40s, are sharing a hotel room on a cross-country road trip. They stop to reflect upon their mother.  ‘I guess Mom must have been like that with us.  Like,…

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In "Drive to the Airport," Caroline Chieh-Mei Pai In "Drive to the Airport," Caroline Chieh-Mei Pai (2025 Honorable Mention) captures the tender ache of parting with her grandfather, whose fragile health and dialysis treatments keep him half a world away. This exquisite piece is a meditation on the silent ways grief is shared between a father and daughter.⁠ ⁠ Swipe through to read the full piece.⁠ ⁠ 🔗: https://www.taiwaneseamerican.org/2025/09/creative-writing-by-caroline-chieh-mei-pai/⁠ ✍️: Caroline is currently a high school junior. She loves to read and is easily immersed into books of all genres, especially those with dystopian themes. In addition to reading, she plays soccer, engages with her school’s robotics team, and writes all sorts of literary genres for fun. This is her first time participating in a writing contest and is excited to submit more in the future. She hopes to feed her passion by continuing to study English in college.⁠
It’s Ghost Month in Taiwan—when spirits are sa It’s Ghost Month in Taiwan—when spirits are said to walk among us. From not hanging laundry at night to avoiding the sea, the taboos run deep. But what do they say about how Taiwanese culture uses fear to shape our daily lives?👻 ⁠ ⁠ But as Taiwanese Mandarin teacher Cecilia Chen asks, is fear really the best way to maintain order? Or can trust in our shared humanity be enough?⁠ ⁠ Read her piece, linked here and in bio: https://www.taiwaneseamerican.org/2025/09/ghost-month-cecilia-chen/
“As a daughter of Taiwanese immigrants, I didn’t expect to find any literature that reflected my life—until I found Anna Zhang in Jane Kuo’s novels. Reading her work reminds me why I write: to connect, to share, and—hopefully—to be seen.” —Rebecca Yang 🌿⁠ ⁠ In this exchange, poet and guest contributor Rebecca Yang and verse novelist Jane Kuo reflect on memory, immigrant childhoods, and the power of writing as witness.⁠ ⁠ Read the full conversation—linked here and in bio: https://www.taiwaneseamerican.org/2025/09/jane-kuo-interview/
“How can I justify my strong sense of Taiwanese “How can I justify my strong sense of Taiwanese identity despite, at least at the beginning of college, never having been to Taiwan and not speaking any of its languages?” ⁠ ⁠ In a new perspectives piece, Sophia Chang (@sophiachang24) reflects on what it means to be third-generation Taiwanese American — navigating suburban U.S. childhood, finding connection through programs like TANG, TASA, and FAPA, and conducting research for her undergraduate thesis, titled "Will the Taiwanese American Vote Matter? Taiwanese American Political Attitudes and Identity in the 2024 U.S. Election."⁠ ⁠ Her story reminds us that identity is not just inherited — it’s built, nourished, and offered back to community. ⁠ ⁠ Read her full reflection here: https://www.taiwaneseamerican.org/2025/09/third-generation-taiwanese-american-sophia-chang/
A snapshot of some writers to watch in the years a A snapshot of some writers to watch in the years ahead ✨ Today we hosted our annual “Meet the Judges” event for the Betty L. Yu and Jin C. Yu Creative Writing Prizes, where participants connected with Charles Yu, Grace Loh Prasad, and Alvina Ling to share their work, ask questions, and imagine the writing community we each crave—and strive to nurture. Supporting creative work is an act of dignity, both personal and collective. When we honor each other’s stories, we affirm our own worth and that of our communities. Thank you for being our people. We are so proud of all of you!
Founded in 2024, Keng-lâm Su-īⁿ @kenglamsuinn Founded in 2024, Keng-lâm Su-īⁿ @kenglamsuinn (The Mosei Academy of Taiwanese Language and Literacy) has quickly become a dynamic and influential forces in Tâi-gí (Taiwanese) language revival. The collective’s mission is simple yet profound: to make Tâi-gí a living, thriving language for everyday life, across generations and borders. From offering entry-level to advanced literacy classes, to hosting book clubs, creative writing workshops, and monthly community gatherings called Chhêng-á-kha, Keng-lâm Su-iⁿ creates spaces where speaking, reading, and dreaming in Tâi-gí feels both natural and necessary.⁠ ⁠ We were pleased to interview their leadership team, whose diverse life stories reflect the richness of Taiwan’s own history and diaspora. ⁠⁠ Together, they embody the many pathways that lead to Tâi-gí, and the conviction that language is inseparable from the struggle for identity, memory, and self-determination.⁠ ⁠ 🔗: https://www.taiwaneseamerican.org/2025/08/taigi-activism-keng-lam-su-in/
In this stirring and timely perspectives piece, wr In this stirring and timely perspectives piece, writer and stand-up comedian Vickie Wang @vickiefromtaiwan writes about Taiwan's charming, "noisy democracy" and the dangerous limitations of identity politics in the recall campaigns' rhetoric. ⁠ "After living in China for nearly a decade," she writes, "where the apparatus for silencing is robust and ever-present, I revel in the cacophony of campaign trucks blaring pleads for votes and thousand-strong rallies with hawkers selling unlicensed campaign merch."⁠ ⁠ Despite being proud of the recall movement's energy and scrappy optimism, though, she notes: "The recall campaign language was fueled with anti-Chinese discrimination, which is not the same as vigilance in the face of constant threats from the CCP against Taiwan’s sovereignty. Slogans and discourse (online and off) have proclaimed that if you didn’t vote for the recall, you are either not Taiwanese, or you’re a Chinese Communist sympathizer. Seemingly innocuous online posts were boasting 'I’m Taiwanese! I add taro to my hot pot! I support the recall!' and 'I’m Taiwanese! I speak Tâi-gí (Taiwanese Hokkien)! I support the recall!'⁠ ⁠ It made me question whether I’m still Taiwanese enough. Am I somehow undeserving of this identity because I couldn’t afford to fly home and cast a vote for the recall? My Taiwanese Hokkien is limited and accented; I wish it was even half as good as my English. Does that make me less Tai? Does it matter if I tried to support the vote from afar and do my best to represent my country well while living abroad?"⁠ ⁠ Read Vickie's lucid, thoughtful piece - linked here and in bio: https://www.taiwaneseamerican.org/2025/08/who-gets-to-be-taiwanese-vickie-wang/⁠ 📸: @theresnoonelikejhou ✍🏼: @vickiefromtaiwan
"Alvin Lu is one of the finest American novelists "Alvin Lu is one of the finest American novelists working today."⁠ ⁠ We are so pleased to present this interview between two brilliant Taiwanese American authors, Shawna Yang Ryan ("Green Island") and Alvin Lu on Lu's sophomore novel, "Daydreamers." ⁠ ⁠ A fragmented manuscript left unfinished, a voice inherited by time, a ghost lingering in the margins—"Daydreamers" is what remains when fiction forgets its fiction and when the story you’re translating becomes your own.⁠ ⁠ To solve a love-triangle murder, a Taiwanese novelist takes a California road trip with her friend’s son into the heart of the émigré Chinese literary world, where rumors swirl, money talks, and memoirs, novels, and translations compose the source material for a twenty-first-century Rashomon. ⁠ ⁠ Cycling through nested literary forms and genres, and fiction and reality, Daydreamers unravels a mystery set against the greater mystery of American identity, by means of the stories immigrants make of their pasts, presents, and desired futures in a protean new world.⁠ ⁠ "Daydreamers" is available everywhere books are sold, including through our Bookshop - linked at the end of this Q&A. Swipe through for Lu's West Coast book tour dates - we hope to see you at one of his events!⁠ ⁠ 🔗: https://www.taiwaneseamerican.org/2025/08/alvin-lu-daydreamers/
Internationally acclaimed novelist Winnie M Li wil Internationally acclaimed novelist Winnie M Li will be launching her third novel, WHAT WE LEFT UNSAID, on a California book tour in August. Join her for events in Long Beach on Sunday, Aug 17 (4pm, Bel Canto Books at KUBO LB), San Francisco on Thursday, Aug 21 (7pm, Bookshop West Portal, with fellow Taiwanese American author Grace Loh Prasad), Palo Alto on Saturday, Aug 23 (4pm at Books, Inc., with Rowena Chiu) or Pasadena on Monday, Aug 25 (7pm, Vroman’s Bookstore with Naomi Hirahara) for an intriguing conversation about her latest book, which has been described as ‘Heartbreaking, beautiful, and confronting’ (Sarah Winman, STILL LIFE). All events are free to attend, but book your tickets in advance! Links to her events and an exclusive excerpt from WHAT WE LEFT UNSAID, linked here and in bio: https://www.taiwaneseamerican.org/2025/08/winnie-lis-what-we-left-unsaid-and-california-book-tour/
What artifacts represent the story of who you are What artifacts represent the story of who you are and how you’ve lived? Today at @tafagram, campers of all ages created pieces for our very own TAF Museum—drawing and describing the objects, memories, and people that shape their identities. Every artifact was treated as worthy of reflection, interrogation, and display. By reminding campers that they are the authors and curators of our shared history, we invite them to live with intention, courage, and care. 🖍️✨ What would you put in the museum? #TAF2025
Meet Anne (@thattaiwanesegal), a passionate advoca Meet Anne (@thattaiwanesegal), a passionate advocate for Taiwanese language and culture who’s using social media to make Taigi learning accessible—one reel, resource, and reflection at a time. From her childhood in a “mini Taiwan bubble” in NYC to working with PTS Taigi TV, Anne shares how language has shaped her identity, community, and mission.⁠ ⁠ “I don’t think you have to speak Taigi to be Taiwanese… but knowing it gives you that 親切感—a warmth—when you meet someone who does.”⁠ ⁠ Read the full interview-- linked here and in bio: https://www.taiwaneseamerican.org/2025/07/anne-that-taiwanese-gal/
In Part 1, we explored how first-generation Taiwan In Part 1, we explored how first-generation Taiwanese immigrants often understand citizenship as something earned through discipline and compliance— a framework shaped by colonial history, martial law, and immigration regimes. But these beliefs intersect with powerful narratives like the model minority myth, which casts Asian Americans as obedient, high-achieving, and apolitical—an image that many internalize, embrace, or resist in different ways.⁠ ⁠ In Part 2 of our conversation, Professor Hsin-I Cheng and I examine how that myth shapes Taiwanese American self-perception, obscures the legacies of Black-led liberation movements, and reinforces harmful hierarchies across communities of color. At a time when ICE detainments and state violence are escalating, these narratives don’t just define us—they determine who we believe we need to protect, and who we allow to be harmed through our neutrality. ⁠ ⁠ Linked here and in bio: https://www.taiwaneseamerican.org/2025/06/model-minority-myth-hsin-i-cheng/
Part 1: Citizenship, Belonging, and the Emotional Part 1: Citizenship, Belonging, and the Emotional Legacies of Immigration⁠ ⁠ In a time when questions of belonging feel urgent and unresolved, I sat down with Professor Hsin-I Cheng for a 2-part conversation to explore how citizenship is experienced—not only legally, but relationally and emotionally. ⁠ ⁠ Drawing on her personal and scholarly insight, Professor Cheng challenges dominant frameworks and invites us to imagine a more connected, compassionate way of understanding immigration, identity, and community.⁠ 📖 Part 1 is now available in English and Mandarin Chinese.⁠ ⁠ The forthcoming Part 2 will turn to the model minority myth: how it divides communities of color, obscures structural inequality, and continues to shape how Taiwanese Americans see ourselves—and who we stand with—in the broader fight for justice.⁠ ⁠ Linked here and in bio: https://www.taiwaneseamerican.org/2025/06/belonging-immigration-hsin-i-cheng/
(2/2) Now in its fourth year, this prize continues (2/2) Now in its fourth year, this prize continues to celebrate the urgency, tenderness, and resistance found in Taiwanese American storytelling. With this year’s judging panel—Charles Yu, Alvina Ling, and Grace Loh Prasad—we were honored to read writing that challenged, reimagined, and expanded what it means to be Taiwanese American.⁠ ⁠ 📝 Grand Prize–winning pieces are now live on TaiwaneseAmerican.org. Finalist and honorable mention works will be published throughout the year.⁠ ⁠ To every writer who shared your voice with us: thank you. We believe storytelling is not only political, but generative—and there’s room here for all of you. 💛⁠ ⁠ Read the full announcement here (and linked in bio): https://www.taiwaneseamerican.org/2025/06/charles-yu-grace-loh-prasad-alvina-ling-select-2025-creative-writing-prize-winners/
We are thrilled to announce the 2025 cohort of Hon We are thrilled to announce the 2025 cohort of Honorable Mentions, Finalists, and Grand Prize Winners of the Betty L. Yu & Jin C. Yu Creative Writing Prizes, established by Charles Yu in partnership with @taiwaneseam_org in honor of Yu’s parents, two stalwart leaders of the Taiwanese American community. ⁠ ⁠ (1/2)
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Founded in 2006, TaiwaneseAmerican.org is a web portal site highlighting many of the interesting people, events and organizations that make up Taiwanese America. It is both a volunteer-driven website and a non-profit organization that intends to connect and promote those who identify with the Taiwanese identity, heritage, or culture. By establishing our niche within the broader Asian Pacific American and mainstream communities, we hope to collectively contribute to the wonderful and diverse mosaic that America represents.

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