Archive for March, 2010

“Faces of Taiwan” Series Opens in the Bronx

Schedule of Events:

3/26 – 4/15: “Taiwan Sublime” Photography Exhibition
4/3, 1:00pm: First Screening Reception
4/3, 2:00pm: Screening of Hou Hsiao-hsien’s “Three Times”
4/17, 2:00pm: Screening of Wei Te-shen’s “Cape No. 7″
4/24, 2:00pm: Screening of Yang Yazhe’s “Orz Boyz”

Location: Baychester Branch of the New York Public Library.

From March 26th to April 24th, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York (TECO-NY) will host an event series entitled “Faces of Taiwan” at the Baychester branch of the New York Public Library. In addition to exhibiting “Taiwan Sublime,” a photography series by several renowned Taiwanese artists, the event will also boast three screenings of superb Taiwanese films.

The Director of TECO’s Press Division Mr. Tony Ong noted that “Faces of Taiwan” has been co-presented with the New York Public Library to introduce Taiwan’s natural scenery and folk customs, and to increase New Yorkers’ understanding of this beautiful island nation formally known as the Republic of China. The 40 photos of “Taiwan Sublime” will be exhibited in the auditorium and activity room of the Baychester Library from March 26th to April 15th. In this set of photos will be several great new works from four of Taiwan’s most eminent photographers, including: Chen Chih-hsiung’s “Interfaces – Rhythms of Nature & Humanity,” Liu Chen-hsiang’s “Passion – Heavenly Feast of the Performing Arts,” Huang Ting-sheng’s “Folkways – Melding the Mundane & the Celestial,” and Chi Po-lin’s “Soaring – an Elevated Vision of Natural Taiwan.” With sharp eyes and exquisite attention to detail, these four artists have captured the pulse of Taiwan, and come to share its natural beauty and lifestyle with friends from around the world.

Furthermore, three exceptional Taiwanese films will be shown at the Baychester Library at 2pm on April 3rd, 17th, and 24th as a part of “Faces of Taiwan.” The films to be shown include “Three Times,” “Cape No. 7,” and “Orz Boyz.” “Three Times” is director Hou Hsiao-hsien’s most important work in the past few years, having been shown at the Cannes Film Festival, Tokyo International Film Festival, Thessaloniki International Film Festival, and the International Film Festival Rotterdam. We Te-shen’s “Cape No. 7″ is Taiwan’s top-selling domestic film of all time, and received six large honors at the Golden Horse Awards. “Orz Boyz” is the directorial debut of new talent Yang Yazhe, already reaching an international audience with screenings at the Munich International Film Festival, the Vancouver International Film Festival, and the San Francisco International Film Festival.

Library Manager of the Baychester Library Ms. Irina Kuharets points out that during the Spring Festival of the Lunar New Year, the Baychester Library previously co-hosted a “Classic Taiwanese Film Festival” with TECO, and it was well-received by the community. It is our hope that all film lovers do not miss this opportunity to see some fantastic Taiwanese filmmakers at their peak. At 1pm on April 3rd, prior to the first screening, an opening reception will be held with Taiwanese-style refreshments, and all are welcomed to come.

The Baychester Library is located at 2049 Asch Loop North, Bronx, New York, 10475, and can be contacted by phone at 718-370-6700. If you would like more information, please contact TECO’s April Chen by phone at 212-317-7356, or by e-mail at aprilchen@taipei.org.

Source: http://www.taiwanembassy.org/ct.asp?xItem=133299&ctNode=2240&mp=1

Kite Operations, Jack Tung, the Gold Medalists, and XYZR_KX in San Francisco on March 26!

Jack Tung, Kite Operations, the Gold Medalists, & XYZR_KX are performing on March 26th at Retox!

Date: March 26, 2010
Time: 9pm – 12am
Location: Retox, 628 20th Street, San Francisco, CA

For more information check out the Facebook event!

Jack Tung’s songs are precisely composed instrumentals performed by Jack alone in real-time on an electric guitar, a drum machine, synthesizers, and a sampler. His moody aesthetic is equally informed by the exhilarating and harsh thrash of his youth in the Long Island hardcore scene, and by the atmospheric film soundtracks absorbed as a lifelong cinephile. In live performance, Jack uses no pre-recorded parts and no backing tracks, save for the spare drum machine patterns which propel his arrangements. His precise execution and control of multiple layers of sound is a feat to witness.

Kite Operations is a New York City based band that recently released the critically acclaimed album, ‘Festival’, a no-wave/post-noise testament to the band’s ability to infuse dissonant experimentation with the emotionally incisive.

Pronounced ‘Scissor Kicks’, XYZR_KX is Jon Monteverde, Chicago-based Chinese-Filipino indie-rock/electro-pop wunderkind. With this project, Monteverde redefines the boundaries of the traditional pop song by simultaneously incorporating hushed vocals, serrated guitars, and chaotic beats.

Part Animal Part Machine. Those are the words scrawled across Jason Jesse’s back and a phrase well suited to describe San Francisco’s Peter Nguyen AKA The Gold Medalists. Famed as the drummer monster behind noise/metalheads Total Shutdown and indie-rockers eE, Nguyen (pronounced Win) is soon releasing his debut album, The City Lights Us on Fire, to the world, and woe to those who turn a deaf ear.

Visit Jack Tung’s website: http://www.jacktungmusic.com/

TAP-DC at Sound of the Ocean by U Theatre

TAP-DC at Sound of the Ocean by U Theatre

Title: U Theatre: Sound of the Ocean
Location: 8000 York Road, Towson, MD 21204: Stephens Hall Theatre, Towson University
Link out: Click here
Description: Maryland Premiere—ONE SHOW ONLY!

Lecture/Demo: Wednesday, March 24, 7 p.m.

Performance: Thursday, March 25, 8 p.m.

Stephens Hall Theatre, Towson University: 8000 York Road, Towson, MD 21204

Beating out magic rhythms from Taiwan, the U-Theatre’s performance conveys a mystical experience of existence. The New York Times describes: “There is a great and complex beauty to the drumming, sounds and silence and simple beats and intricate meshes of precisely articulated rhythms.” Founded in 1988, the U-Theatre, traveled and performed worldwide, dedicates to pursuing inner peace through exploration of the body and mind, fusing Chinese martial arts, drumming and meditation together with theatrical expressions.

Performance: Early Bird Special $20 before 1/21 ($16 AA&CC Members and TU students); $30 before 3/24 ($20 AA&CC Members and TU students); $40 at the door ($25 AA&CC Members and TU students)

Lecture/Demo: $10; $5 AA&CC members and TU students

Free admission to Lecture/Demo with purchase of ticket. Group rates are available.

For tickets: Center for the Arts Box Office, (410) 704-2787; http://www.tuboxoffice.com

To become a MEMBER or for more information: 410-704-2807; http://www.towson.edu/asianarts

Reviews on U Theatre:

“If you don’t believe in God, you will, after having seen the performance of the U Theatre.” ~A spectator of the International Chekhov Festival in Moscow

“A powerful performance that brings you a peaceful and quiet mind, and every minute brings you a full-on experience.” ~Artistic Director of Bergen Festival, Norway

“Sound of the Ocean,” presented by the U-Theatre from Taiwan, is “the best performance of the festival.” ~ Le Monde, Avignon, France

“Magic rhythms that come from Taiwan. The performance conveys a mystical experience of existence. It is absolutely a perfect performance.” ~ Il Gazzettino, Italy
Start Time: 20:00
Date: 2010-03-25

Confirmation Hearing Events for Nominee Goodwin Liu to the U.S. Court of Appeals

Confirmation Hearing Events for Nominee Goodwin Liu to the U.S. Court of Appeals

On Wednesday, March 24, 2010, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold hearings to consider the nomination of UC Berkeley law professor Goodwin Liu to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Several hearing event watch parties are scheduled in major cities around the country. If you’re interested, contact the local organizers to RSVP and join in on what may be a historic occasion for the Taiwanese American community. If confirmed, he would be the only Asian American out of 175 active judges on the appeals courts. It’s anticipated, however, that there will be significant opposition by Republicans on this Obama nominee.

Some other interesting facts:

* Only four APAs have ever served as federal appellate court judges.
* Out of approximately 875 Article III federal judges, there are only 10 APAs.
* Professor Goodwin Liu joins Judge Denny Chin, nominee to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, as the second APA federal appellate court nomination this past year.

A LIVE WEBCAST can be accessed here at 2:30 pm (EDT) on March 24, 2010: http://judiciary.senate.gov/hearings/hearing.cfm?id=4480

About Goodwin Liu:

Goodwin Hon Liu is an Associate Dean and Professor of Law at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. An acclaimed scholar, teacher, and lawyer, with experience in both the private and public sectors, Liu is a nationally-recognized expert on constitutional law and education law and policy. In 2009, he received Berkeley’s most prestigious teaching award.

Prior to joining the Berkeley faculty in 2003, Liu was an associate at O’Melveny & Myers in Washington, D.C. He clerked for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in the October 2000 Term, and for Judge David S. Tatel on the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit from 1998-1999. Between his clerkships, Liu served as a Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary at the U.S. Department of Education. He has also worked for the Corporation for National Service, where he helped launch the AmeriCorps program.

Liu was born in Augusta, Georgia, to parents who emigrated from Taiwan, and he grew up in Sacramento where he attended public schools. Liu earned a B.S. from Stanford University in 1991, an M.A from Oxford in 2002 (where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar), and a J.D. from Yale Law School in 1998.

Viewing Party Locations/Times:

Hearing in Washington, D.C.

Address: Dirksen Senate Office Building – Room 226, Washington, D.C.
Time: 2:30 P.M. (EDT)
Contact: Tina Matsuoka (tmatsuoka@napaba.org)
202.775.9555
The hearing will likely be very well attended and we recommend you arrive early.

Los Angeles

Address: O’Melveny & Myers LLP, 400 South Hope St, Los Angeles , CA 90071
Time: 11:30 A.M. – 12:30 P.M. (PST)
Point of Contact: Wendy Chang (wchang@hinshawlaw.com)
310.909.8000, 818.681.1943

San Francisco

Address: Law Offices of Edwin Prather, 461 Bush Street, Suite 350, San Francisco, CA 94108
Time: 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM (PST)
Point of Contact: Edwin Prather, (Edwin@pratherlawoffices.com)
415.881.7774

Chicago

Address: John Marshall Law School, 315 S. Plymouth Court, Room 310, Appellate Courtroom, Chicago, IL 60604
Time: 1:30 – 3:00 PM (CST)
Point of Contact: Diana M. Lin (dianamlin@yahoo.com)
312.718.0058

Atlanta

Address: Emory University School of Law, Hunter Atrium (3rd floor), 1301 Clifton Road
Atlanta, GA 30322
Time: 2:30 – 4:00 PM (EST)
Point of Contact: Y. Grace Ha (ygha@emory.edu)
School Contact: Tim Hussey (tim.hussey@emory.edu)
404.712.8404

Houston

Address: Porter & Hedges, RRI Energy Plaza, 1000 Main Street, 36th Floor
Houston, TX 77002
Time: 1:30 – 3:00 PM (CST)
Point of Contact: Emily T. Kuo
713.745.9692

Sacramento
[TBD]

Kansas City
[TBD]

For more information:
http://www.confirmgoodwin.com

Read some recent articles:
ABC News: Supreme Court Battle Quietly Brews Over Possible Future Nominations
The Washington Post: Law Professor Goodwin Liu may be Test Case for Obama Judicial Picks
SF Gate: Advise and Contempt

TaiwaneseAmerican.org Hosts First National Board & Staff Meeting in Austin, TX

We’ve come a long way in just four years. What started out as just an idea to create a simple starting point to find Taiwanese American organizations and events on the web has now grown to something bigger and better with the help of some amazing and dedicated volunteer staff members!

During the weekend of March 26-28, 2010 at the Intercollegiate Taiwanese American Students Association (ITASA) Midwest Conference hosted by UT Austin, the collegiate attendees may notice several young professional TaiwaneseAmerican.org board and staff members running some parallel meetings, discussions, and workgroups alongside their conference sessions in addition to serving as speakers for a couple workshop sessions. This is actually an important moment for us, and hopefully for the Taiwanese American community also, because during this weekend our board will be voting to establish the first set of bylaws guiding a new registered non-profit organization behind TaiwaneseAmerican.org.

Historic? We think so. In the past two decades, the only other time a national Taiwanese American non-profit organization was created solely by the 2nd generation was when ITASA was first established in 1993 and later formally incorporated in February of 1998. Though there are several organizations today that are comprised of and lead by the 2nd generation, most of those were established originally by our parents’ generation and transitioned over to the next generation of visionary leaders.

I reflect back to 2006 when I sat in a Berkeley café and conceived of this “web portal” for the community, and even I am amazed that TaiwaneseAmerican.org has come such a long way in a short time. I imagined that this website would serve as a starting point for people to discover the many 2nd generation organizations and events around the nation. I dreamed that it would build bridges within our community and inspire a sense of pride among young Taiwanese Americans in all corners of the country. Although we still have much more to accomplish, I do believe at the very least we’ve helped propel the Taiwanese American consciousness and identity forward just a little bit more forcefully. And really, it’s all thanks to supporters like you.

So, if you have time, stop by this year’s ITASA Midwest Conference – historic itself for being the first time it has taken place in the South! We’re so pleased that our first TaiwaneseAmerican.org national board and staff meeting is taking place side by side with their conference! The dozen staff members and collaborators who are in attendance hope to meet you and hear your ideas, too! Our afternoon sessions are open to all, so stop by, say hello, and take a moment to dream with us as we move TaiwaneseAmerican.org into the future!

Sincerely,
Ho Chie Tsai

TACL 2010 Summer Political Internship

TACL 2010 Summer Political Internship

Internships for college students in LA and DC Legislative Offices!

This 9-week internship program includes leadership, identity development, and a 3-day California State Capitol advocacy trip. A stipend will be awarded upon successful completion of the internship.

The Taiwanese American Citizens League Los Angeles Chapter, sponsors several internships at various offices of elected officials at federal, state, and local levels. Participates learn firsthand the inner workings of the political system. The goal of this internship program is to stimulate and promote the long-term interest of future leaders in all areas of service, while developing identity and character through cultural and community awareness.  TACL interns also gain access to a network of TACL alumni through our unique mentorship program. Alumni of the TACL Political Internship Program have gone on to become elected officials, Congressional staffers, state and local level government staffers, local business leaders and students in top graduate school programs.

TACL is accepting applications for the 2010 Summer Political Internship Program, to be held in June 11 through August 14. All application materials must be received by March 22, 2010.

Application checklist:
1.    Completed application form.
2.    A typed, double spaced statement of purpose (300-500 words) describing yourself and reasons for your interest in this program.
3.    At least one letter of reference
4.    A copy of your most recent transcript.
5.    A resume.

For application and procedures: http://tacl.org/classic/programs/internship/
E-mail all applications and questions to: internship@tacl.org

The Hsu-nami Live at Beast Attire 2nd Year Anniversary

The Hsu-nami Live at Beast Attire 2nd Year Anniversary

The Hsu-nami will be performing live at the Beast Attire 2 year anniversary weekend!

The Hsu-nami, named after the frontman Jack Hsu, became known as the first “Progressive Erhu Rock” band in the world.

The Hsu-nami integrates an amplified ”erhu”, a two-string spike fiddle used in Chinese classical and folk music, into an instrumental progressive rock sound. Their music is marked by virtuosic erhu melodies and shredding licks, in place of vocals, as intertwined by heavy guitar riffs, tasteful guitar solos, funky rhythms, and metal-driven rock drumming. Part of the new-fusion rock movement, the Hsu-nami redefines the 1960s and 1970s fusion rock sound.

Hsu-nami’s music is featured in the 2008 Summer Olympic in Beijing. The track “Rising of the sun” was the theme music representing the Chinese Basketball team entrance theme.

Date: Sunday, March 21, 2010
Time: 8:pm
Location: Wayne fire hall, 97 parish drive, Wayne, NJ
Admission: $10 advanced tickets and $15 tickets at the door

Contact Brent Bergholm for tickets:
(908)461-2059
hsunami.rock@gmail.com

Visit hsu-nami.com and facebook for more information. Watch some of their videos on Youtube.

2010 US Census Soiree – A Fundraising Social in San Jose, CA

co-hosted by the Taiwanese Junior Chamber of Commerce and Taiwanese American Professionals – San Francisco Bay Area chapters

Date: Saturday, March 20, 2010
Time: 6:00pm – 9:00pm
Location: South First Billiard Club & Lounge
Address: 420 South First Street, San Jose, CA
Facebook event pages:
(TJCC-SFBA) http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=356673175674
(TAP-SF) http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=363069173846

Join us in San Jose at the South First Billiards Club & Lounge for food, drinks, activities, and networking! South First Billiards has over 29 excellent billiard tables, live music, and even an art gallery. Additional activities include ping pong, air hockey, and arcade games. They also have the LARGEST sports screen in the Bay Area, giving you over 22-feet of HD!

In addition to being a fun-filled social, this event is raising awareness and funds for the Census 2010 Campaign. Every decade, the US government takes a count of how many people are living in the country. On the Census form’s Race and Ethnicity section, there is no check box for Taiwanese, or countless other ethnicities. As a result, our community has been drastically undercounted (estimates up to 80% in certain areas) – this impacts all Taiwanese and Taiwanese Americans in the US in terms of assessing our economic well-being, educational opportunities and programs, funding for social services, and even our ability to prove our existence as a community.

We are asking for an entrance donation of $15, but encourage you to give as much as you can! Remember that 100% of your donations go directly to Census Campaign effort and not to the organizations hosting the event! This is your chance to make our community count!

*Raffle prizes will be drawn at 7pm and 8pm, so be sure to come early!

Whether you want to win some prizes, shoot some pool, make some new friends, or meet up with old ones, definitely drop by and check out this event. We look forward to seeing you on Saturday!

For more info on the Census 2010 Campaign, please visit:
Census site: http://census2010.tacl.org
Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=185788971053
PSA video: http://taiwaneseamerican.org/census2010/

Northern California Taiwan Forum in San Jose

Location: Taiwan Center, 4413 Fortran Ct., San Jose, CA
Date: March 20, 2010
Time: 12:30PM
Tickets:  $10 (includes lunch box, tea, and handout)

Northern California Taiwan Forum has been in the Bay Area for ten years. On March 20, there will be a special seminar with keynote speakers from Taiwan. There are two periods in the seminar, each with a different topic:

1. 2010 and 2012 Taiwan Election Analysis
2. Civil Movement in Taiwan

Formosa Betrayed Chicago Premier

Location: AMC Loews Pipers Alley, 1608 North Wells Street, Chicago, IL
Date: Saturday, March 20, 2020
Time: TBA
Tickets: $10
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=10150120388430123

Taiwanese American Junior Chamber of Commerce – Chicago is hosting an event around the premier of Formosa Betrayed on March 20th in Chicago. We will have more details to follow once we get closer to the date of the premier. We are planning to have a networking event either before or after the movie depending on the show time.

In addition, if you (Taiwanese) are one of the first 50 people to bring a non-Taiwanese friend with you to the movie premier, we will reimburse your ticket! One free ticket per pair. If you are bring muliple non-Taiwanese, you might still get a chance to get your tickets reimbursed if the offer has not been fulfilled at the end of the night.