Talking Taiwan – Détails, épisodes et analyse

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:

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:

https://talkingtaiwan.com/taiwan-on-the-margins-of-csw-69-celebrating-womens-resilience-progress-at-taiwan-main-stage-ep-307/

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:

https://talkingtaiwan.com/taiwan-on-the-margins-of-csw-69-celebrating-womens-resilience-progress-at-taiwan-main-stage-ep-307/

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:

https://talkingtaiwan.com/oral-histories-by-three-tac-ec-past-organizers-talking-with-terry-tsao-sue-mei-kao-and-powen-wang-ep-298/

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:

https://talkingtaiwan.com/oral-histories-by-three-tac-ec-past-organizers-talking-with-terry-tsao-sue-mei-kao-and-powen-wang-ep-298/

Related Links:

To view all related links for this article, click link below:

https://talkingtaiwan.com/dr-wilma-welsh-how-the-presbyterian-church-of-taiwan-became-the-voice-of-the-people-in-the-1970s-ep-208/

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

When Wilma Welsh left Canada to work with the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT) in 1969, she told me that it changed her life.

Little did she know how she’d be a part of the pivotal role that the PCT would play as a voice for the people of Taiwan. During her time in Taiwan, Wilma experienced the Kuomintang’s surveillance and censorship, and felt the lingering impact of the 228 massacre which happened on February 28, 1947.

She was the English secretary to Reverend Kao Chun-ming, the General Secretary of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan. When Taiwan’s international status and the fate Taiwan’s people came in to question Reverend Kao and others wrote the Public Statement on Our National Fate, Wilma typed it up and took it out of Taiwan to Hong Kong where it could be safely mailed out. She also recounted how she was working at the Bible Society in Taipei in 1975 when the Kuomintang arrived to confiscate Taiwanese Hoklo language versions of the Bible and ended up smuggling out 2 copies of the Bible.

In 2006 she became the Moderator of the 132nd General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. She was the first lay person to ever hold this position. In 2010 she was by the bestowing of a Doctor of Divinity Degree (DD) from Knox College, the University of Toronto.  During her year as Moderator she received three additional honors, a life membership in the Women’s Missionary Society, the Mahatma Gandhi Peace Medal, and an honorary membership in the World Taiwanese Christian Association.

This episode of Talking Taiwan has been sponsored by NATWA, the North America Taiwanese Women's Association.

NATWA was founded in 1988, and its mission 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.

To learn more about NATWA visit their website: www.natwa.com

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

• Wilma’s early involvement with the Presbyterian Church
• What brought Wilma to Formosa (as Taiwan was known then) to work with the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan
• Wilma’s parents’ reaction to her going to Taiwan
• What Wilma was doing before she went to Taiwan
• What Wilma knew about Taiwan before she went there
• The language training that Wilma did before going to Taiwan
• Wilma’s first impressions of Taiwan
• How Wilma first worked with M.C. Chong
• How Wilma work for Dr. Kao (Reverend Kao Chun-ming)
• How Taiwan was under martial law and Wilma had to beware of informers
• The censorship of postal mail coming from Taiwan
• Wilma’s work with Dr. Kao
• How she worked half a day on Wednesdays at the Bible Society
• How it was not safe for Dr. Kao to speak with Wilma about certain things in the office because there were planted informants in the office
• How the Taiwanese were afraid of the Kuomintang since the 228 Massacre had happened
• How she burned documents that Dr. Kao didn’t want people to read
• How the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan was pressured to cancel its membership in the World Council of Churches
• The letter that was written by Presbyterian Church in Taiwan stating that it was not their wish to withdraw from the World Council of Churches
• How Wilma hid this letter when she left Taiwan for Hong Kong where she mailed the letter out to partner churches
• The letter was also taken to the American embassy (AIT) to be sent out to the U.S.
• How the Republic of China’s United Nations seat was transferred to the People’s Republic of China in 1971 when UN Resolution 2758 recognized the PRC as the legitimate representative of China and what that meant for the fate of Taiwan and the people of Taiwan
• What prompted the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT) to issue the Statement on Our National Fate
• How Wilma secretly took copies of the PCT’s Statement on Our National Fate with her to Hong Hong to be mailed out
• How the PCT’s Statement on Our National Fate stated:
• How the PCT’s Statement was perceived as a challenge to the Kuomintang’s authority
• What happened when the Kuomintang sent police to confiscate Hoklo (Taiwanese) language bible from the Bible Society in 1975
• How Wilma was asked to intervene and smuggle copies of the Bible out of Taiwan
• How Wilma smuggled the Bibles out of Taiwan to Canada
• How Wilma knew that despite the things she did, she was protected by the Canadian government
• How there were informants in the office of the PCT
• Wilma reflects on how the time she spent in Taiwan changed her
• Wilma’s thoughts on current events related to Taiwan, such as the church shooting in Irvine and the visit of Nancy Pelosi

Related Links:

To view all related links for this article, click link below:

https://talkingtaiwan.com/dr-wilma-welsh-how-the-presbyterian-church-of-taiwan-became-the-voice-of-the-people-in-the-1970s-ep-208/

Related Links:

To view all related links for this article, click link below:

https://talkingtaiwan.com/guy-gilchrist-cartoonist-for-the-muppets-talks-about-how-to-achieve-your-dreams-ep-207/

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

I first learned about illustrator and cartoonist Guy Gilchrist, when I interviewed Dr. Karen Tsai (in episode 120) about how she spearheaded the creation of Monster Dance, a children’s book created to help children deal with and understand the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Guy is best known as the cartoonist of Jim Henson’s Muppets comic strip that was printed worldwide in 660-plus newspapers daily in 80 different languages. Guy spoke with me about his humble beginnings, and how he made his childhood dreams of becoming a cartoonist a reality.

Guy has had a lead role on the creative team for the Muppet Babies, Jim Henson’s Fraggle Rock, and other Henson creations. Throughout the years, Guy has also had his hand in notable cartoons such as The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Looney Tunes, Tom & Jerry, Tiny Toons, The Pink Panther, and Disney, among others.

Since we can’t showcase or share all of Guy’s talents on the podcast, we are excited to announce that on November 5th, we’ll be hosting a live online event where you can meet Guy and see him draw your favorite cartoon characters live. Guy has agreed do a special live online event to help raise some money for Talking Taiwan on November 5th. To get invited to this special event to meet Guy online just make a donation to Talking Taiwan’s GoFundMe campaign: http://gofundme.com/building-talking-taiwans-legacy.

We'll be sharing more information about the fun things planned for this event in the upcoming weeks.

This episode of Talking Taiwan has been sponsored by NATWA, the North America Taiwanese Women's Association.

NATWA was founded in 1988, and its mission 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.

To learn more about NATWA visit their website: www.natwa.com

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

• How Guy got involved with the children's book Monster Dance
• How Guy met Dr. Karen Tsai who spearheaded the creation of Monster Dance
• Dr. Karen Tsai's nonprofit organization Donate PPE 
• How Guy helped Donate PPE’s efforts by drawing comic book characters with masks for kids and to thank frontline health care workers
• How they went from the idea to create a coloring book to a children’s book
• Madeleine Editions, the publisher they worked with to create the children’s book Monster Dance
• The Walt Disney quote that inspired Guy to put out the book in record time
• How the team working on the book worked via Zoom and from locations all around the world and Eva Lou the founder of Madeleine Editions
• How the book got done in record time during the pandemic
• Guy's childhood and how his mother nurtured his artistic talent
• Since childhood Guy always imagined that he'd be a famous cartoonist
• How Guy did not have a television when he grew up, so he often watched television in an appliance store near the diner where his mother worked
• How he was inspired by watching cartoonist Walter Lantz draw Woody Woodpecker on television 
• Why at the age of 10 Guy sent in his artwork to Walter Lantz
• How as a kid Guy imagined that he'd get to Los Angeles or New York to find work
• The first time Guy went to a Comic Convention, now known as ComiCon
• The letter that Walter Lantz sent in response to Guy
• How at age 16 Guy landed his first job drawing for a Disney coloring book 
• How Guy became the cartoonist who drew the Muppets comic strip, which debuted in September 1981
• The first time that Guy met Jim Henson, creator of The Muppets
• How the Muppets comic strip was the only one to appear daily in 80 different languages around the world because Jim Henson wanted the Muppets
• How Guy ended up being a guest of honor at the Whitehouse, declared a national treasure and having his work enshrined in the Smithsonian
• Which Muppet Guy identifies with the most
• Guy’s advice for illustrators who are struggling with their career or creativity

Related Links:

To view all related links for this article, click link below:

https://talkingtaiwan.com/guy-gilchrist-cartoonist-for-the-muppets-talks-about-how-to-achieve-your-dreams-ep-207/

Related Links:

To view all related links for this article, click link below:

https://talkingtaiwan.com/eric-chan-discusses-what-led-the-taiwan-military-to-shoot-down-a-chinese-civilian-drone-ep-206/

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

On September first, the Taiwan military shot down a Chinese civilian drone that flew near Kimen. In this episode of Talking Taiwan. I speak with Eric Chan about what led up the incident, China’s increased gray zone tactics toward Taiwan since U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in early August, and other news related to Taiwan’s military, such as the Taiwan Policy Act and UMC founder, Robert Tsao’s donation for civil defense in Taiwan.

Eric Chan is a non-resident research fellow at the Global Taiwan Institute, a Washington DC-based think tank dedicated to policy research on Taiwan and its people. He is also a senior airpower strategist with the U.S. Air Force, where he provides USAF with expertise on People’s Republic of China military capabilities, political leadership, and strategic culture.

Mr. Chan was previously the China, Korea, Philippines, and Vietnam Country Director with the Air Force. In this role, Mr. Chan was responsible for USAF

engagement with the Chinese Air Force, and for managing security cooperation with key allies and partners.

Mr. Chan has published widely on Chinese influence operations and gray zone warfare, Taiwan military reform, and military diplomacy with the People’s Liberation Army. He has written for publications including the Global Taiwan Brief, the USAF Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs, The Diplomat, and War on the Rocks.

Mr. Chan holds a Master’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science/History from the University of California, San Diego.

This episode of Talking Taiwan has been sponsored by NATWA, the North America Taiwanese Women's Association.

NATWA was founded in 1988, and its mission 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.

To learn more about NATWA visit their website: www.natwa.com

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

• How China’s gray zone tactics towards Taiwan have changed over the years and since U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in August
• Should there be concerns about these changes and China’s use of drones in their gray zone tactics towards Taiwan
• What kind of intelligence can drones collect and damage they can do
• When China started sending drones over to Taiwan
• To date about 30 drones have flown over Kimen
• What led up to Taiwan’s military shooting down a drone from China on September 1
• How Taiwan’s military is considering installing anti-drone systems
• The difference between civilian and miliary drones
• How Ukraine has rigged civilian drones with grenades in the war with Russia
• The impact of China’s military actions in response to Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan and was it a blockade
• How some have called China’s recent military actions against Taiwan the fourth straits crisis
• What would constitute a military blockade of Taiwan
• Based on China’s recent military actions, what do we know about China’s military capability
• How Beijing’s recent white paper “One China, Two Systems” does not include promises made in a previous 1993 paper that Taiwan could have its own administrative, legislative, and judicial institutions, run its own democratic system, have its own military and economic affairs
• How Beijing will use Taiwan’s rejection of the white paper to justify harsher tactics against Taiwan
• How has China’s’ recent military actions and white paper affected public perception of people in China
• UMC (United Microelectronics Corporation) founder, Robert Tsao’s sizeable donation for civil defense of Taiwan
• The Taiwan Policy Act which has been passed through the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
• What the Taiwan Policy Act would mean for Taiwan and the Taiwan Relations Act
• The message that the Taiwan Policy Act would send to China

Related Links:

To view all related links for this article, click link below:

https://talkingtaiwan.com/eric-chan-discusses-what-led-the-taiwan-military-to-shoot-down-a-chinese-civilian-drone-ep-206/

Related Links:

To view all related links for this article, click link below:

https://talkingtaiwan.com/rev-michael-stainton-working-with-indigenous-people-in-taiwan-before-and-after-martial-law-ep-205/

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

In this episode of Talking Taiwan, I welcome back Reverend Michael Stainton to talk about his time in Taiwan and work with the indigenous people of Taiwan. Much of the time he spent in Taiwan was during the martial law era (before 1987) and he gives an interesting account of what Taiwan was like at the time.

Reverend Stainton is the President of the Taiwanese Human Rights Association of Canada and the Founder and Director of the Canadian Mackay Committee. We had Reverend Stainton on as a guest previously (in episode 173) to talk about Canadian missionary George Leslie Mackay’s contributions to Taiwan.

This episode of Talking Taiwan has been sponsored by NATWA, the North America Taiwanese Women's Association.

NATWA was founded in 1988, and its mission 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.

To learn more about NATWA visit their website: www.natwa.com

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

• In the 1970s, while Chiang Kai-shek was President of Taiwan Chinese Communist materials and materials from China were labeled “banditry materials” at the Stanford Center’s library
• Students could access the “banditry materials” but were required to sign out and promptly return them because the materials had to remain on premises
• The Garrison Command would periodically stop by the library to check to make sure none of the “banditry materials” was missing
• How the death of Chiang Kai-shek was covered by the three television stations in Taiwan
• How Taiwan was a totalitarian police state in the 1970s
• What happened when Reverend Stainton was sent to Taiwan as a missionary in 1980 to work with the Presbyterian Church of Taiwan
• Reverend Stainton’s work as the Director of the Taipei Aboriginal University Student Center
• How students of the Taipei Aboriginal University Student Center were required to report to the political commissary what Reverend Stainton was teaching them
• How Reverend Stainton tried to encourage the aborigine students to think about their identity and history by inviting various speakers such as local politicians and an academic who had critiqued the myth of Wu Feng (who was beheaded by the Tsou aborigine tribe)
• How the police were always watching and Reverend Stainton’s mail was opened and censored (during Taiwan’s martial law era)
• What happened when the police and garrison command arrived to break up a birthday party that students were having at the Taipei Aboriginal University Student Center
• How Reverend Stainton knew that his phone was being tapped
• Some students from the Taipei Aborigine University Student Center went on to become leaders and politicians including Icyang Parod who is the Minister of the Council of Indigenous Peoples (CIP)
• In 1982 Reverend Stainton switched to doing work in a rural aboriginal development in Wulai
• How Reverend Stainton helped to uncover embezzlement by the director of the Taipei Presbytery’s community development center in Wulai
• How Reverend Stainton discovered that he was disinvited from continuing to stay in Taiwan and sent back to Canada
• The Atayal people began to request that they run the aboriginal development in Wulai be under the Atayal Presbytery church instead of the Taipei Presbytery
• How Reverend Stainton studied at the Coady Institute after returning to Canada in 1983 and learned methods of community of development
• How Reverend Stainton was invited to return to Taiwan
• How Reverend Stainton was invited to work at community development centers in Taidong and Hualien
• How the president of a cooperative ran for and was elected township mayor, but the KMT found a way to oust him
• People who planned to participate in the Aboriginal return our land movement demonstration march in Taipei on August 25,1988 were harassed by the police and warned not to participate, busloads of people en route to the demonstration were also stopped
• In this era Cheng Wen Chen’s murder at Taida happened in 1981 and in 1989, Deng Nylon (Cheng Nan-jung) committed suicide by self-immolation rather than be arrested
• Reverend Stainton and his wife returned to Canada in 1991
• How Reverend Stainton’s observation of the variations in behavior of different aborigine groups at the Taipei Aborigine University Student Center made him interested in anthropology
• How Columbus Leo challenged the blacklist after martial law had been lifted
• Reverend Stainton was sent by the United Church of Canada to be an observer at Columbus Leo’s trial
• Observers at Columbus Leo’s trial included David Mulroney
• The Columbus Leo Support Committee was renamed and continued as the Taiwanese Human Rights Association of Canada (THRAC)
• The Taiwanese Human Rights Association of Canada organized the first nongovernment sponsored delegation (that included three members of Parliament) to observe the 1992 legislative elections in Taiwan
• The 1992 delegation included: Jim Peterson (Liberal), Bill Blaikie (NDP) and Mary Clancy (Liberal)
• In 1996 the THRAC organized a visit of indigenous leaders from Taiwan to Canada, the group included Icyang Parod, some clergy, legislators (two KMT and one DPP)
• The group traveled to various parts of Canada learning about the different approaches to self- government that indigenous people had taken and met Ovide Mercredi
• The Nisga’a Treaty
• What is currently happening with indigenous peoples’ rights in Taiwan
• The “return our land movement” in Taiwan

Related Links:

To view all related links for this article, click link below:

https://talkingtaiwan.com/rev-michael-stainton-working-with-indigenous-people-in-taiwan-before-and-after-martial-law-ep-205/

Related Links:

To view all related links for this article, click link below:

https://talkingtaiwan.com/eduordo-roquette-talks-about-his-life-changing-scooter-accident-and-playing-tiger-man-ep-204/

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

Edouard Roquette is the founder of Rooms.Taipei a co-living business. In episode 192 he spoke to me about his experiences as an entrepreneur and the challenges facing foreign entrepreneurs in Taiwan. I’ve invited him back on to talk about the life-changing scooter accident that happened to him in 2012. It landed him in a wheelchair for six months, and on crutches for eight years. With physical therapy and treatment Edouard has been able to walk and hike again. To this day he continues to consult with physical therapists about his condition. We also spoke about how he took on the role of playing Tiger Man at the annual festivities in Beigang celebrating the birthday of Mazu, the goddess of the sea, and his fascination with Taiwan’s religious festivals and ceremonies.

This episode of Talking Taiwan has been sponsored by NATWA, the North America Taiwanese Women's Association.

NATWA was founded in 1988, and its mission 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.

To learn more about NATWA visit their website: www.natwa.com

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

• How Edouard recovered enough from his scooter accident to be able to walk
• How Edouard’s accident happened three days before his visa for Taiwan expired
• The approach that hospitals in Taiwan take with pain management
• As a result of overstaying his visa Edouard had to leave Taiwan for a year
• How Edouard has been able to go from not being able to stand for more than a few minutes to being able to walk and hike
• Edouard’s physical therapist in Taipei JJ. Physio
• How Edouard had to advocate for himself to get physical therapy
• As a result of Edouard’s accident he lost his company, money, health, and relationship
• How it took eight years for Edouard to walk again and how he got through it
• How it was important for Edouard to feel a sense of normalcy as he was dealing with his injury and recovering
• How he dealt with the way that people treated him at various stages of his recovery
• How Edouard has been open trying all different types of treatments
• The lessons that Edouard has learned throughout this journey to recover from his accident
• The importance of connecting with support groups or people who have had similar experiences
• Edouard’s advice to others who have visa issues in Taiwan
• How Edouard ended up playing the role of Tiger man for Mazu’s birthday
• Taiwan’s dense religious practices
• The Mazu festival in Beigang (北港) attracts 200,000 people
• The Mazu festival in Dajia (大甲) attracts 2 million people
• The Wanjin (aka Wanchin) Catholic Basilica in Pingtung, Taiwan
• Obscure religious festivals in Taiwan
• Edouard has posted videos of Mazu birthday festivities on Facebook
• How Edouard has been involved with the Mazu birthday festivities in Beigang for 14 years
• Edouard’s recommendations for people interested in attending religious festivals in Taiwan
• Being a tourist in your own country and constantly discovering things about the place you live
• The Taiwan Gods website

Related Links:

To view all related links for this article, click link below:

https://talkingtaiwan.com/eduordo-roquette-talks-about-his-life-changing-scooter-accident-and-playing-tiger-man-ep-204/

Related Links:

To view all related links for this article, click link below:

https://talkingtaiwan.com/john-eastwood-discusses-areas-in-need-of-legal-reform-in-taiwan-ep-203/

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

John Eastwood is a partner at the Taipei office of the law firm Eiger. I spoke with John previously in episode 195 about some of the changes he’s seen in Taiwan from a legal perspective, in the 20 years that he’s resided in Taiwan. In this second half of our interview, John and I spoke about other issues and areas in need of legal reform in Taiwan.

This episode of Talking Taiwan has been sponsored by NATWA, the North America Taiwanese Women's Association.

NATWA was founded in 1988, and its mission 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.

To learn more about NATWA visit their website: www.natwa.com

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

• Legal reforms that John has seen happen in Taiwan
• Issues that are in need of legal reform
• The Anti-banditry Act (aka The Act for the Control and Punishment of Banditry)
• The case of a man who decapitated a child in Taiwan
• What does it mean to be not guilty by reason of insanity
• The need for increased awareness and understanding of mental health and mental illness when it comes to making judgments on criminal cases
• Cases of elder abuse fraud in Taiwan and conservatorship
• How John’s firm has helped to safeguard their elderly clients’ assets
• How elder fraud is not just an “old person’s” issue but also a “young person’s” issue
• How difficult it is to undo things once fraud had been committed

Related Links:

To view all related links for this article, click link below:

https://talkingtaiwan.com/john-eastwood-discusses-areas-in-need-of-legal-reform-in-taiwan-ep-203/

Related Links:

To view all related links for this article, click link below:

https://talkingtaiwan.com/the-history-of-mets-taiwan-day-with-diana-lee-of-hello-taiwan-ep-202/

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

On this episode of Talking Taiwan I’m speaking with Diana Lee, one of the founders and organizers of Hello Taiwan about Mets Taiwan Day which is in its 17th year. It’s coming up soon on August 28th. We talked about how the event got started, some of the celebrities and notable people who have appeared at Mets Taiwan Day in the past and what sorts of activities and things people will experience at the event. Among the most exciting news for Taiwanese baseball fans is who will be throwing the first pitch of the game, and how to get a limited edition MetsTaiwan No. 1 jersey. Hello Taiwan also sponsors other sporting and cultural events throughout the year.

This episode of Talking Taiwan has been sponsored by NATWA, the North America Taiwanese Women's Association.

NATWA was founded in 1988, and its mission 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.

To learn more about NATWA visit their website: www.natwa.com

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

• How and when Mets Taiwan Day started
• How the NY Mets have several celebration of different culture events in the month of August
• Activities at Mets Taiwan Day include the Formosan Black Bear mascot, Third Prince, diabolo performance
• Peng Cheng-min (aka Chia Chia) former Taiwanese baseball player and coach will be throwing the first pitch at this year’s Mets Taiwan Day
• The Mets Taiwan No. 1 jersey and how to get one
• How the Mets Taiwan No. 1 jersey will be available in kids sizes for the first time this year
• Celebrities and famous, notable Taiwanese who have made appearances or thrown the first pitch at past Mets Taiwan Day events
• Other sports events sponsored by Hello Taiwan include: Rhode Island Dragon Boat Festival, Hello Taiwan Night at Dodgers’ Stadium, Hello Taiwan Night Lunar New Year event with the Long Island Nets
• Other events that Hello Taiwan has planned throughout the year for Halloween, a Taiwanese night market, Easter, Christmas

Related Links:

To view all related links for this article, click link below:

https://talkingtaiwan.com/the-history-of-mets-taiwan-day-with-diana-lee-of-hello-taiwan-ep-202/