Talking Taiwan

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:   April fourth is Children’s Day in Taiwan, which is great timing for this interview with children’s book author Margaret Chiu Greanias. She spoke with me about her latest book Amah Faraway, which has many of its scenes set in Taipei, Taiwan. Margaret shared how she became a children’s book author, what she loves about picture books, how they get created and what she’s working on next.   This episode of Talking Taiwan has been sponsored by the Taiwan Elite Alliance 優社 and the Taiwanese United Fund.   The Taiwan Elite Alliance 優社 was established in 2000 to promote Taiwanese and Taiwanese American arts and literature, and to protect and enhance the human rights, freedom and democracy of the people in Taiwan.     The Taiwanese United Fund is an arts and culture foundation that celebrates the cultural heritages of Taiwanese Americans. Established in 1986, the foundation's mission is to facilitate cultural exchange between the Taiwanese American community and other American cultural communities, hoping to enrich and expand our cultural experiences. To learn more about TUF visit their website  http://www.tufusa.org/      Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:   How Amah Faraway is written as a reverse poem What is a reverse poem The reverse poem, “The Lost Generation” by Jonathan Reed that inspired Margaret to write Amah Faraway as a reverse poem What inspired Margaret to write Amah Faraway How much of the book was based on Margaret’s relationship with her amah and on her children’s relationship with their amah (Margaret’s mother) How Margaret’s children react to reading her books Margaret’s memories of visiting Taiwan as a child How Margaret got connected with the illustrator of Amah Faraway Tracy Subisak the illustrator of Amah Faraway who is half Taiwanese and her special contributions to the book, which included the use of Mandarin Chinese The Two Tigers nursery rhyme that amah sings to Kylie in Amah Faraway How children’s picture books can be written first without an illustrator or written with a specific illustrator, in which case the manuscript and sketches would be sent together to an editor How Margaret’s first book Maximillian Villainous was created with illustrator Lesley Breen Withrow, and the manuscript and sketches were sent together to an editor How the movie Despicable Me inspired the idea for Margaret’s first children’s book Maximillian Villainous When the editor chooses the illustrator for a picture book usually the author and illustrator aren’t introduced to each other, and the illustrator works independently to interpret the words of the story in their own way How picture books are half about the words and half about the art How Margaret decided to become a children’s book author What Margaret was doing before she became a children’s book author Margaret’s favorite books as a child How Margaret decides to write about Margaret’s writing process Margaret writes picture books for ages 3-8 but would like to also write chapter books for middle grade (8-12 years old) What Margaret loves about picture books and writing for the 3-8 year old age group World Read Aloud Day The Five Chinese Brothers, an American children's book written by Claire Huchet Bishop What’s involved in the process of getting a children’s book published The challenge of writing a story in 500 words or less Children’s books that Margaret recommends Margaret’s next book, Hooked on Books that will be coming out next summer   Related Links: To view all related links for this article, click link below: https://talkingtaiwan.com/celebrating-childrens-day-in-taiwan-margaret-chiu-greanias-talks-about-her-latest-book-amah-faraway-ep-177/

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:   As she watched the humanitarian crisis unfold due to the war in Ukraine, S. Chien wanted to do something to help. She came up with the idea for the Taiwan Cares project and together with Dr. Monty Wang and Dr. Bo-Chheng Lin, mobilized the efforts of over 30 Taiwanese Americans from New Jersey to raise over $9000 in 24 hours. The funds were used to purchase and ship urgently needed medical supplies and baby formula to people in Ukraine.    Chien is the President of New Jersey Chapter of North America Taiwanese Women's Association.   Dr. Monty Wang is a retired physician.   [INSERT photo of Dr. Bo-Chheng Lin]   Dr. Bo-Chheng Lin, is cofounder of New Jersey Living Well Club and an elder of the New Jersey Taiwanese American Fellowship Presbyterian Church (TAFPC).   I learned about their project Taiwan Cares from an email that was forwarded to me with a touching video created by Shi Chien about how over $9,000 was raised in 24 hours in order to send humanitarian relief to people in Ukraine.     With everything that’s been happening in the world today, I think that we need to tell more stories of the good that people are doing in the world.   The Taiwanese Care project team will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to Ukrainian refugees in cooperation with the Taiwanese American Council of Greater New York (TAC-GNY) which has set up the Ukraine-Taiwan Humanitarian Fund Drive.  Donors may contact them for details and/or send checks to:   Taiwanese American Council (TAC) of Greater New York   TAC / Taiwan Center 137-44 Northern Blvd, Flushing, NY 11354   Make checks payable to TAC/GNY.  Please write the following as the check’s memo:  Ukraine – Taiwan Cares   TAC-GNY is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization. After receiving a donation check, TAC-GNY will send the donor a tax-deductible receipt.  The fundraising drive ends mid-April.     This episode of Talking Taiwan has been sponsored by the Taiwan Elite Alliance 優社 and the Taiwanese United Fund.   The Taiwan Elite Alliance 優社 was established in 2000 to promote Taiwanese and Taiwanese American arts and literature, and to protect and enhance the human rights, freedom and democracy of the people in Taiwan.     The Taiwanese United Fund is an arts and culture foundation that celebrates the cultural heritages of Taiwanese Americans. Established in 1986, the foundation's mission is to facilitate cultural exchange between the Taiwanese American community and other American cultural communities, hoping to enrich and expand our cultural experiences. To learn more about TUF visit their website  http://www.tufusa.org/      Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:   How the Taiwan Cares Project was initiated Dr. Monty Wang talks about how he’s visited both Ukraine and Russia and his impressions Why they only had 24 hours to raise funds How the Taiwan Cares Project team partnered with a Ukrainian Orthodox Church in New Jersey to deliver the supplies to people in need in Ukraine Why they decided to purchase urgently needed baby formula and medical supplies to send to Ukraine rather than sending a cash donation How Dr. Wang planned what items to order and the quick turnaround time in order to get them delivered to the Ukrainian church The Taiwan Care project will be a continued and continuous effort How Taiwan has made disaster relief contributions to Japan (Fukushima earthquake) and Indonesia How Ukraine’s situation is similar and different from Taiwan’s China’s incursions into Taiwan’s ADIZ How people from Taiwan have donated around $240 million U.S, dollars to Ukraine The Holodomor, Ukraine’s Great Famine Possible future initiatives of the Taiwan Cares project The YouTube video S. Chien created about the Taiwan Cares project and the music she used for it The Ukrainian folk instrument, the bandura that was banned by Russia How they purchased 900 pounds of supplies to send as humanitarian relief to Ukraine The design of the Taiwan Cares label and how it includes the Ukrainian words for “Help from Taiwan”   Related Links: To view all related links for this article, click link below: https://talkingtaiwan.com/taiwan-cares-humanitarian-efforts-for-ukraine-raise-9000-in-24-hours-ep-176/

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:   Will China attack Taiwan given the current circumstances surrounding the war in Ukraine? My guest on this episode of Talking Taiwan is Kuan-Ting Chen, the CEO of Taiwan NextGen Foundation, which is an NGO (a non-governmental organization) founded in Taipei that focuses on various issues such as Taiwan’s soft power, promoting democracy, educational policy research, public advocacy and issues related to domestic and foreign policy. He shared his thoughts on Russian’s invasion of Ukraine and the comparisons being made between Ukraine and Taiwan. I asked him how people in Taiwan have been reacting to the situation.   Prior to serving as CEO of Taiwan NextGen Foundation Kuan-Ting served at the Taipei City government as the chief research officer and deputy spokesperson. He was in charge of various issues related to public affairs, international affairs, and student affairs.   Before that Kuan-Ting served on Taiwan’s National Security Council. In that capacity he was responsible for Taiwan-Japan relations.   This episode of Talking Taiwan has been sponsored by the Taiwan Elite Alliance 優社 and the Taiwanese United Fund. The Taiwan Elite Alliance 優社 was established in 2000 to promote Taiwanese and Taiwanese American arts and literature, and to protect and enhance the human rights, freedom and democracy of the people in Taiwan.     The Taiwanese United Fund is an arts and culture foundation that celebrates the cultural heritages of Taiwanese Americans. Established in 1986, the foundation’s mission is to facilitate cultural exchange between the Taiwanese American community and other American cultural communities, hoping to enrich and expand our cultural experiences. To learn more about TUF visit their website  http://www.tufusa.org/    Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:   Some of the history of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia The famine that Ukraine endured during the early 20thcentury due to the policies of the Soviet Union The Budapest Memorandum Why people are drawing comparisons between Ukraine and Taiwan How the situation in Ukraine and Taiwan are similar and different How the invasion and conflict in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas has been going on for 7-8 years already Comparing China with Russia Kuan-Ting’s thoughts on the relationship between China and Russia How the international reaction to Russia can send a message to China The weaknesses of Russia and China militarily and economically China’s reactions to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine The role that China could play to possibly deter Russia’s invasion of Ukraine Why Kuan-Ting doesn’t think that China will try to attack Taiwan at this time What Taiwan can do as deterrence What has been the reaction in Taiwan to what’s been happening to Ukraine Taiwan’s military preparedness A recent survey of how many Taiwanese would be willing to fight to defend Taiwan The rallies in support of Ukraine in Taiwan How the sunflower is the national flower of Ukraine How thousands have showed up to rallies in support of Ukraine How the government of Taiwan has shown support for Ukraine The Taiwan Can Help campaign How the U.S. has responded to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and what we could infer, if anything about how the U.S. might respond if Taiwan was to be attacked by China What Taiwan can realistically expect in terms of military assistance from the U.S. How Taiwan needs to be better prepared in case China attacks What Taiwan can learn from what’s happening in Ukraine What Kuan-Ting learned about how Ukrainians are reacting to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine when he interviewed a Ukrainian minority   Related Links: To view all related links for this article, click link below: https://talkingtaiwan.com/will-china-attack-taiwan-kuan-ting-chen-discusses-ramifications-of-the-war-in-ukraine-on-taiwan-ep-175/

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:   Jiho Chang tells us the inside story first hand by reliving the Sunflower Movement from Ground Zero. March 18th will mark the eighth anniversary of the beginning of the Sunflower Movement during which time activists occupied Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan in order to protest the passing of the Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement, which was a treaty between Taiwan and China. The roots of the Sunflower Movement go back much further, years before 2014. My guest on this episode of Talking Taiwan, Jiho Chang, shares his perspectives on the Sunflower Movement as he looks back upon it, and talks about his involvement with the movement.   Jiho has been a guest on Talking Taiwan previously, talking about his work as Keelung City Councilman (episode 149), and remembering the late revolutionary Su Beng (史明) (episode 156).   This episode of Talking Taiwan has been sponsored by the Taiwan Elite Alliance 優社 and the Taiwanese United Fund.   The Taiwan Elite Alliance 優社 was established in 2000 to promote Taiwanese and Taiwanese American arts and literature, and to protect and enhance the human rights, freedom and democracy of the people in Taiwan.   The Taiwanese United Fund is an arts and culture foundation that celebrates the cultural heritages of Taiwanese Americans. Established in 1986, the foundation's mission is to facilitate cultural exchange between the Taiwanese American community and other American cultural communities, hoping to enrich and expand our cultural experiences. To learn more about TUF visit their website  http://www.tufusa.org/    Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:   Why the Sunflower Movement happened in Taiwan How the Sunflower Movement had roots in protests that started in 2008 How former President Ma Ying-jeou tried to “re-sinicize” many things in Taiwan Jiho’s involvement with the Sunflower Movement How there had been an attempt to occupy the Ministry of the Interior a year before the Sunflower Movement in 2014 The power struggle between former President Ma Ying-jeou and Speaker of the Legislative Yuan, Wang Jing-ping at the time of the Sunflower Movement Factions between the Kuomintang Jiho’s account of what happened the night activists broke into the Legislative Yuan How the length of the occupation was unexpected The public support for the movement, with crowds of people surrounding the Legislative Yuan for the duration of the occupation How Jiho has to testify in court about the attempted occupation of the Executive Yuan How there was a livestream of what was happening inside of the Legislative Yuan during the occupation How nothing was planned but people (such as doctors and other professionals) stepped up The documentary about the Sunflower Movement that featured Jiho and his colleagues How the Sunflower Movement has affected Taiwan’s political landscape and directions The conditions inside of the Legislative Yuan during the occupation There were 500-600 people occupying the Legislative Yuan How another headquarters of operations was set up at a NTU (National Taiwan University) social sciences building nearby The attempt at occupying the Executive Yuan on March 28, 2014 The end of the occupation of the Legislative Yuan March 30thrally in Taipei in which hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in support of the Sunflower Movement Rallies organized globally on March 30thin support of the Sunflower Movement Hong Kong’s protests (in 2014 aka the Umbrella Movement and 2019-2020) In the end as a result of the Sunflower Movement the Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement was not approved and many young activists went on to serve in politics    Related Links:   To view all related links for this article, click link below: https://talkingtaiwan.com/reliving-the-sunflower-movement-from-ground-zero-jiho-chang-tells-the-inside-story-ep-174/

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:   On March 9th Taiwan Post will be issuing a stamp commemorating the 150th anniversary of the arrival of Canadian missionary George Leslie Mackay in Northern Taiwan. Mackay was unlike most 19th century missionaries. He has been referred to as the “son-in-law of Taiwan,” and was a forward thinker. He was one of the first to oppose the Head Tax imposed on Chinese in Canada.   To help understand who George Leslie Mackay was and the significance of his contributions, I’ll be speaking with Reverend Michael Stainton, the founder of the Canadian Mackay Committee. Reverend Stainton has worked for the last 25 years to promote the recognition of Mackay in Canada and on several campaigns for Canada Post to issue a stamp to commemorate George Leslie Mackay.   Those interested in contacting the Canadian Mackay Committee can email Canadianmackay@gmail.com   This episode of Talking Taiwan has been sponsored by the Taiwan Elite Alliance 優社 and the Taiwanese United Fund.   The Taiwan Elite Alliance 優社 was established in 2000 to promote Taiwanese and Taiwanese American arts and literature, and to protect and enhance the human rights, freedom and democracy of the people in Taiwan.   The Taiwanese United Fund is an arts and culture foundation that celebrates the cultural heritages of Taiwanese Americans. Established in 1986, the foundation's mission is to facilitate cultural exchange between the Taiwanese American community and other American cultural communities, hoping to enrich and expand our cultural experiences. To learn more about TUF visit their website  http://www.tufusa.org/    Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:   How and when Reverent Stainton first learned about Dr. George Leslie Mackay How Reverend Stainton was a student radical at York University and was involved in the anti-Vietnam War movement and interested in China How Reverend Stainton became disillusioned with the friendship work with China that he was doing How Reverend Stainton was initially reluctant to go to Taiwan to work with the Presbyterian Church in 1979 How the Kuomintang had cancelled elections in response to U.S. President Jimmy Carter’s switch in recognition from the Republic of China to the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal government of China (in 1978) The Tangwai movement in 1979 How Reverend Kao Chun-ming, who was the guarantor on Reverend Stainton’s visa to Taiwan (in 1979) had gotten arrested for helping to hide Shih Ming-teh How things in Taiwan were in chaos when Reverend Stainton arrived there in 1980 Upon arriving in Taiwan Reverend Stainton was assigned to the Aboriginal Student Center At the time the Kuomintang believed the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan was a cat’s paw of the Chinese Communist Party Reverend Stainton was warned that he would be watched and under surveillance with his phone calls tapped and letters opened How Reverend Stainton was asked to play the part of Dr. George Leslie Mackay in a play was put on for the 100th anniversary of the Mackay Memorial Hospital in 1981 In 1992 after Reverent Stainton had returned to Canada, he saw the importance of promoting the recognition of Dr. George Leslie Mackay in Canada How Dr. George Leslie Mackay breaks the stereotypes of 19th century missionaries How Joseph Steere a professor of Zoology at the University of Michigan who met Mackay in Taiwan in 1873 wrote that he observed that Mackay treated the Chinese as equals rather than an inferior race How Mackay learned Taiwanese culture and language from his students How Mackay accepted his students’ suggestion and arrangement for him to marry a Taiwanese woman, Tiuⁿ Chhang-miâ (aka Minnie) How Mackay was criticized about his marriage and why he got married at the British Consulate How Mackay told the Foreign Mission Board of his marriage only after he had already gotten married Why Mackay is so beloved in Taiwan and is called the “son-in-law of Taiwan” How Mackay’s upbringing influenced his values Mackay was the youngest son of a Scottish Evangelical Presbyterian family Mackay and his family had gone to Canada as refugees from the Sutherland Highland Clearances in northern Scotland because aristocratic landlords had pushed peasants off their land due to the English Industrial Revolution Mackay along with other refugees had been sent to Oxford county which is present-day South Central Ontario in Canada How highlanders (people from northern Scotland) were also looked down upon in Canada because they weren’t civilized Scots from the south How the early injustice Mackay and his family experienced shaped him How he learned frontier medicine and developed strong resilience from growing up in the frontier The Zorra pioneers and how Zorra refers to part of the province of Ontario How Mackay became known for pulling teeth and was able to gain the trust of local people in Taiwan but he was not a dentist or doctor Mackay was given an honorary doctorate degree in 1881 Misconceptions about Mackay How Mackay discouraged foreign women missionaries from coming to teach (sewing and English) in favor of having local Taiwanese women converts teach in his school The great numbers of the Kavalan indigenous people who converted and joined Mackay’s mission The ethnic revitalization among the Kavalan How the Kavalan used a patronymic name system, rather than surnames, but under Chinese rule they were assigned Chinese names and surnames, so some Kavalan adopted Mackay's Taiwanese surname “Kai” (偕) as their own What has changed in terms of what is known about Mackay Up until the 1990s much of what had been written about Mackay was hagiography The first international academic conference on Dr. George Leslie Mackay that Reverend Stainton organized in 1997 and how it boosted the study of Mackay How Mackay ended up in Taiwan and settling near Tamsui How the Taiwanese called foreigners like Mackay and indigenous people “barbarians,” and this created camaraderie between Mackay and the Kavalan people Reverend Stainton’s efforts to try to get Canada Post to issue a stamp commemorating George Leslie Mackay which have included two previous campaigns in 2001 and 2022 Comparisons between getting a stamp approved by Canada Post vs. Taiwan Post In 2001 a stamp commemorating Mackay was issued in Taiwan Why Canada Post didn’t approve a stamp commemorating the 150th anniversary of George Leslie Mackay’s arrival in Taiwan The issues that Reverend Stainton has with the stamp that Taiwan Post is issuing on March 9 Why Mackay’s wife was given the English name Minnie Mackay’s lasting contributions in Taiwan Mackay’s title of doctor was due to an honorary doctor of divinity Mackay’s opposition of the Head Tax Mackay’s lasting contributions in/to Canada Woodstock, Ontario’s sister city relationship with Tamsui, Taiwan Mackay’s intellectual curiosity and love of nature, astronomy, and botany Mackay’s use of traditional Chinese medicine in his medical work The complete Kavalan people’s bridal outfit on display at the Royal Ontario Museum, which was among the 16 crates of artifacts that Mackay brought back from Taiwan to Canada in 1893 Many of the items that Mackay collected are among the oldest collection of indigenous artifacts from Taiwan in the world   Related Links: To view all related links for this article, click link below: https://talkingtaiwan.com/george-leslie-mackay-canadian-missionary-iconoclast-and-his-contributions-to-taiwan-with-rev-michael-stainton-ep-173/

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin: Dr. Michi Fu and Dr. Tsuann Kuo are helping 228 Survivors deal with trauma.   This year marks 75 years since the 228 Massacre and this week we continue our discussion on the topic. 228 refers to February 28, 1947, which could be argued is a misnomer because tensions leading up to the massacre of tens of thousands of people had been building for quite some time before February 28th, ever since the Chinese Nationalists (the Kuomintang) had fled from China to Taiwan in 1945. Some Taiwanese dissidents have used the term March Massacre instead of 228 since the massacres that happened were mostly in March of 1947.   Last week we talked about the lasting impact of 228. Under the subsequent authoritarian rule of the Chiang regime, there 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.   If you haven’t already listened to last week’s episode, I encourage you to listen to it first to understand the trauma that 228 has inflicted on generations of Taiwanese.   My guests on this week’s episode will talk about some of the ways they have helped 228 survivors and their relatives to start to heal their trauma.   I am welcoming back Dr. Michi Fu and Dr. Tsuann Kuo to talk about the work they did with the Transitional Justice Commission’s “caring projects” that were set up specifically to help 228 survivors and their relatives. Three sites were set up for the “caring projects” and Tsuann and Michi were at the Taichung site at the end of 2020 up until February 28, 2021. Please note that the comments and experiences they share are limited to the work that they did through the “caring project” in Taichung and their personal opinions. They are not representing the Transitional Justice Commission, which as you’ll hear in the interview, has a much broader scope with five main objectives.   The Transitional Justice Commission was set up in 2018 to investigate the actions taken by the Kuomintang between 15 August 1945 and 6 November 1992 (This includes 228, the martial law era and White Terror era).   Special thanks to Michi for her help in assembling all the guests for this episode and the previous one, both dedicated to discussing the topic of 228.   This episode of Talking Taiwan has been sponsored by the Taiwan Elite Alliance 優社 and the Taiwanese United Fund.   The Taiwan Elite Alliance 優社was established in 2000 to promote Taiwanese and Taiwanese American arts and literature, and to protect and enhance the human rights, freedom and democracy of the people in Taiwan.   The Taiwanese United Fund is an arts and culture foundation that celebrates the cultural heritages of Taiwanese Americans. Established in 1986, the foundation's mission is to facilitate cultural exchange between the Taiwanese American community and other American cultural communities, hoping to enrich and expand our cultural experiences. To learn more about TUF visit their website  http://www.tufusa.org/    About this episode’s guests   Dr. Michi Fu is a second-generation Taiwanese American and a NATWA II member. She became a Taiwanese citizen after spending a sabbatical year as a mid-life adult. As a Taiwanese returnee, identity politics was an inevitable part of the ethnic identity development process. As such, she has been educating herself on Taiwanese history, including the 228 Massacre, that her family has traditionally remained silent about.     Tsuann Kuo, Ph.D. was trained as a gerontologist and has had both clinical and managerial work experiences in the United States before returning to Taiwan. Currently, Dr. Kuo works as an Associate Professor at the School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University in Taichung City, Taiwan. She is actively involved in a number of organizations as the President of Taiwan Association of Family Caregivers, the Executive Director of Taichung Dementia Integrated Care Center and the President of Red Cross in Taichung City.     Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:   The five objectives of the Transitional Justice Commission How Tsuann and Michi got involved with the Transitional Justice Commission The caring projects that extended help to the survivors of 228 and their descendants at three sites (Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung) Michi’s related work with the Museum of Tolerance and survivors of the Armenian genocide The challenges and difficulties in gaining the trust and cooperation of 228 survivors How survivors and their relatives were impacted by 228 How the program’s activities helped survivors to reflect on their past and to make sense of it, and to build their social networks How 228 survivors tried to make sense of why their fathers were killed or jailed The workshops that Michi and Tsuann conducted to help 228 survivors deal with their trauma by discussing what PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and post traumatic growth is How they used art as a creative form of expression How difficult it was for the 228 survivors to see something good in their lives that they could appreciate in their lives How they were able to get the 228 survivors to be more expressive The changes they saw in 228 survivors at the end of the program Michi’s comparisons between the survivors of 228 and the Armenian genocide What Tsuann and Michi learned from the experience of working with 228 survivors How 228 survivors and their relatives struggled to be accepted in society What types of documents were made public and how they impacted the relatives of 228 survivors or victims If the Transitional Justice Commission has achieved its goals How the work of the Transitional Justice Commission is temporary The proposition by some legislators to continue the work of the Transitional Justice Committee as a Human Rights Committee The debate over the Chiang Kai-shek memorial Green Island, where political prisoners were sent Green Island prison museum The Jing-mei Human Rights Museum in Taipei The 228 Peace Park in Taipei How the work of the Transitional Justice Commission in Taiwan compares to transitional justice work done in South Africa The question of who should be held responsible to apologize for the atrocities that happened as a result and connected to 228 The challenge for people in Taiwan who are not able to face or identify the perpetrators of crimes related to 228 What can we learn from the 228 Massacre How Michi and Tsuann’s families have reacted to their work with 228 survivors through the Transitional Justice Commission Tsuann’s work with the Chinese veterans that came to Taiwan with Chiang Kai-shek and the Kuomintang after World War II     Related Links: To view all related links for this article, click link below: https://talkingtaiwan.com/helping-228-survivors-deal-with-trauma-dr-muci-fu-and-dr-sueanne-kuo-work-with-the-transitional-justice-commission-ep-172/

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:   The 228 Massacre has been a subject of taboo for those who have had family who lived through it and the White Terror Era that followed.   The Lunar New Year holiday and celebrations in Taiwan have just ended, but another national holiday will soon be here, the 228 Peace Memorial Day. But what is 228?   It’s been, 75 years and as you’ll hear from my guests on today’s show, it’s still a touchy topic. And frankly it’s not something that can be easily boiled down to a single date, February 28, 1947.   The first thing to know is that 228 is actually a misnomer because the events thought to have ignited the conflicts and that led to the massacring of tens of thousands actually happened the night before on February 27th, 1947.   Also, tensions had already been mounting for quite some time before then. Two years earlier in 1945, at the end of World War II, the Chinese Nationalists (the Kuomintang) had fled from China to Taiwan bringing with them the Republic of China framework.   On the night of February 27th, 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, the incident had escalated into bloody violence and massacres.   Under the authoritarian Chiang regime, what followed 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.   What I’ve presented is of course not the entire story but is meant to provide you with some basic background for the discussion in this episode of Talking Taiwan. If you were previously unfamiliar with 228, I hope that this has piqued your interest, and that you do some further research for yourself on the topic History is not about an isolated date like 228 but understanding its deeper context, significance and repercussions.   Since it’s the 75th anniversary of the 228 massacre we will be dedicating two episodes to this topic. In this first episode today, my guests Wei-Wei Chang, Michi Fu, TsuAnn Kuo and Josephine Pan represent different backgrounds and generations of Taiwanese women. Each will share their personal perspectives and experiences related to 228, thoughts on the societal impact of 228. Next week Michi and TsuAnn will return to discuss their work with 228 survivors and their families through the Transitional Justice Commission. Special thanks to Michi for her help in assembling all the guests for these two episodes.   This episode of Talking Taiwan has been sponsored by the Taiwan Elite Alliance 優社 and the Taiwanese United Fund.   The Taiwan Elite Alliance 優社was established in 2000 to promote Taiwanese and Taiwanese American arts and literature, and to protect and enhance the human rights, freedom and democracy of the people in Taiwan.   The Taiwanese United Fund is an arts and culture foundation that celebrates the cultural heritages of Taiwanese Americans. Established in 1986, the foundation's mission is to facilitate cultural exchange between the Taiwanese American community and other American cultural communities, hoping to enrich and expand our cultural experiences. To learn more about TUF visit their website  http://www.tufusa.org/      About this episode’s guests   Weiwei Chang was born and raised in Taiwan during the martial law era. Her parents retreated from China to Taiwan as refugees after World War II. She has been living in the U.S. for over 40 years. Six years ago she retired from her job as registered nurse.   Michi Fu is a second-generation Taiwanese American and a NATWA II member. She became a Taiwanese citizen after spending a sabbatical year as a mid-life adult. As a Taiwanese returnee, identity politics was an inevitable part of the ethnic identity development process. As such, she has been educating herself on Taiwanese history, including the 228 Massacre, that her family has traditionally remained silent about.   Tsuann Kuo, Ph. D. was trained as a gerontologist and had both clinical and managerial work experiences in the United States before returning to Taiwan. Currently, Dr. Kuo works as an Associate Professor at the School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University in Taichung City, Taiwan. She is actively involved in a number of organizations as the President of Taiwan Association of Family Caregivers, the Executive Director of Taichung Dementia Integrated Care Center and the President of Red Cross in Taichung City.     Josephine Pan is a proud Taiwanese Hakka from Hsinchu. She immigrated to the US in 1980 after graduating from college, and worked as Immigration Consultant/Paralegal for 25+ years. Currently, she is a business owner of JT & TEA (which imports and distributes several varieties of tea). Josephine is also Founder of Taiwan Elite Alliance, a registered nonprofit corporation in California since 2000, Board Director/Cultural Night Committee Chair/Former President (2011 - 2013) of Taiwanese United Fund (TUF), Coordinator for the Annual 2-28 Commemorative Concert, Community participation for LA River Clean Up and other cultural events promoting Taiwanese American culture.     Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:   How each guest first heard of or learned about 228 How the 228 was a forbidden topic of discussion How my guests and their families were personally impacted by 228 The Formosa Incident aka Kaohsiung Incident The White Terror and Martial Law era of Taiwan The writer who was sent to prison because of his Chinese-language translation of a Popeye comic Why the topic of 228 has been so taboo TsuAnn’s grandfather who was a political prisoner during the White Terror era Post-traumatic stress What TsuAnn’s relatives experienced and witnessed about 228 Why TsuAnn decided to try to help 228 victims and their families Green Island, the place where political prisoners were exiled The case of a 15-year-old girl who was jailed How political prisoners, after being released were ostracized by society How things banned during the Martial Law era included books, music, art or any medium related to communism or that was critical of the Kuomintang Personal accounts of people persecuted during the Martial Law era The families whose husbands and fathers disappeared due to 228 The privileges and overrepresentation granted to the Chinese vs. local Taiwanese under KMT rule The injustices in Taiwan’s society under the initial rule of the Kuomintang Why it’s important to remember and understand 228 The importance of healing from historic trauma Canada’s residential schools What TsuAnn discovered about 228 survivors through her work with the Transitional Justice Committee Why Josephine started organizing an annual concert to commemorate 228 How 228 became a national holiday in 1998 but has almost been cancelled as a holiday My guests thought on whether or not 228 remains a national holiday Indigenous Peoples Day How to commemorate 228 What young people in Taiwan know about 228 What was previously taught to Josephine TsuAnn and Wei-Wei about Taiwan in their textbooks when they were high school students in Taiwan The Jing Mei Prison Museum in Taipei Music that was banned during the White Terror era Experiential ways ro learn about 228   Related Links: To view all related links for this article, click link below: https://talkingtaiwan.com/the-228-massacre-taboos-scars-stigmas-and-an-essential-lesson-in-taiwan-history-ep-171/

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:   David Kilgour recently wrote an article that appeared in the Ottawa Citizen, Winter Olympics — here’s why we’re calling them the China Genocide Olympics.   For nearly 20 years, he has been outspoken about the human rights abuses and organ trafficking in China. When he and David Matas were asked in 2006 to investigate allegations that the organs of Falun Gong practitioners were being harvested, the disturbing truth was revealed. Following the investigation, Kilgour and Matas co-wrote, Bloody Harvest-The Killing of Falun Gong for their Organs.   Mr. Kilgour is a former Member of Canada’s Parliament, having served in the House of Commons for nearly 27 years, Secretary of State for Latin America & Africa from 1997-2002, and Secretary of State for Asia-Pacific from 2002-2003. Prior to his political career he was a prosecutor.   In this interview Mr. Kilgour reflected on his career in politics and as a prosecutor, and shared his thoughts on Taiwan.   This episode of Talking Taiwan has been sponsored by the Taiwan Elite Alliance 優社  which was established in 2000 to promote Taiwanese and Taiwanese American arts and literature, and to protect and enhance the human rights, freedom and democracy of the people in Taiwan.   Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:   Why he’s calling the 2022 Winter Olympic Games the Genocide Games The protest held in Ottawa of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing How he became aware of persecution of the Falun Gong and the harvesting of their organs for involuntary transplants The International Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of the Falun Gong approached David Kilgour and David Matas about looking into the allegations of organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners The book that he wrote with David Matas, Bloody Harvest Ethan Gutmann who also wrote a book about organ harvesting in China The update on organ harvesting done by David Kilgour, David Matas and Ethan Gutmann The China Tribunal in London chaired by Sir Geoffrey Nice The Uyghur Tribunal How there are 9-10 countries that have banned organ tourism Mr. Kilgour’s efforts to lobby the Canadian Parliament to enact legislation against organ trafficking Accounts from doctors who performed surgeries for involuntary organ transplants How Uyghurs have been persecuted in China The persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China How Mr. Kilgour is a voluntary advisor to two Uyghur organizations Mr. Kilgour’s recollection of his first visit to China His work to get goods produced by slave labor banned internationally How the U.S. has strengthened laws on importing goods produced by slave labor Volkswagen’s plants in Xinjiang with parts being made by forced labor in China The diplomatic boycotts of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing Why the International Olympic Committee would award the Olympics to Beijing a second time Taiwan’s early response to COVID-19 The last time Mr. Kilgour visited China on a trade mission under Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien The Chinese surgeon who removed the cornea of thousands of Falun Gong Who is profiting from the organ harvesting and transplant business in China Comparing the 2022 Olympics in Beijing to the 1936 Olympics in Berlin What the average person can do about the human rights abuses in China What Mr. Kilgour enjoyed about his political career Where his sense of social justice and activism came from Mr. Kilgour’s position as State Secretary of Asia Pacific Taiwan has laws banning organ trafficking Ryszard Paszkowski, a Soviet-trained spy that Mr. Kilgour wrote a book about Mr. Kilgour’s past visits to Taiwan The trucker protests and Freedom Convoy in Ottawa The Taiwanese politicians that he’s met His work with the Ottawa Mission How the National People’s Congress of China has 91 billionaires Billionaire investor Chamath Palihapitiya’s comments about the Uyghurs The hate email that Mr. Kilgour has received   Related Links: To view all related links for this article, click link below: https://talkingtaiwan.com/david-kilgour-author-and-human-rightd-advocate-why-2022-is-the-china-genocide-olympics-ep-170/

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:   Michael Cannings is the Publisher at Camphor Press, a British-Taiwanese publishing house focused on East Asia, that he co-founded with John Grant Ross and Mark Swofford, in 2014. Profit was not the motive for setting up Camphor Press, but promoting books, especially those about Taiwan was. Michael spoke with me about how they weathered the challenging, early years of Camphor Press, and shared some insights about the publishing industry. Camphor Press has been responsible for rescuing notable books such as Formosa Betrayed and A Pail of Oysters- among the must-read books for those wishing to understand Taiwan.     Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:   What brought Michael to Taiwan Michael’s time in Taiwan How Michael met is Camphor Press co-founders What motivated him personally to start Camphor Press and why he saw the need for a publishing company that focused on books about Taiwan How he witnessed the re-election of Chen Shui-bian as President of Taiwan and the Sunflower Movement during the time he lived in Taiwan The Red Shirts Movement after the re-election of Chen Shui-bian in 2006 The book that led to the idea to start a publishing company How they choose the name of the publishing company Michael’s co-founders John Grant Ross, Mark Swofford and how they work together Advice on how to work with your friends on a business The initial challenges after setting up Camphor Press in 2014 How Michael has been working on Camphor Press full-time since the beginning of the pandemic How the pandemic has affected Camphor Press How Camphor went from publishing e-books to also publishing print books How Camphor Press acquiredEastBridge Books and the rights to several previously out-of-print books about Taiwan including Formosa Betrayed The oldest book in Camphor Press’ catalog How Michael and his co-founders were able to persist with Camphor Press during the most challenging first years Michael’s book recommendations for people interested in learning more about Taiwan Joe Henley’s book Migrante The new Taiwan-related books that Camphor Press will be publishing Discount code: talktw for Talking Taiwan listeners to get 15% off any online purchase from Camphor Press: https://camphorpress.com/ Tin Gate, the hybrid publishing company that Michael is starting and how it is different from Camphor Press Michael’s advice for authors wanting to get their books published The changing stigma of self-published books The podcast Formosa Files that John Ross co-hosts with Eryk Michael Smith Mark Swofford’s website: http://pinyin.info/and his work with the Sino-Platonic Papers   Related Links: To view all related links for this article, click link below: https://talkingtaiwan.com/michael-cannings-of-camphor-press-publisher-rescues-notable-books-about-taiwan-and-east-asia-ep-169/

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:   My guests on this episode of Talking Taiwan are serial solo entrepreneurs Ramon Ray and Paolo Lising. Ramon has started 5 companies and sold 2 of them. He is the author of Grow Your Solo, a book about how to grow a solo business. Paolo Lising is founder of MillionDC.com, a learning platform for entrepreneurs from developing countries. He is the author of Startup Taiwan, a comprehensive guide for foreigners and global Taiwanese who wish to start a business in Taiwan. Ramon and Paolo talked about their experiences running a solo business, why they have chosen to be solopreneurs and what it takes to be successful as a solopreneur.     About Ramon Ray   Ramon is a US based serial entrepreneur focused on making the world a better place. He's started 5 companies and sold 2 of them.   Ramon has authored several books, including Grow Your Solo about how to grow a solo business, and Celebrity CEO, all about personal branding.   Ramon has testified to the United States Congress, interviewed President Obama, been fired from the United Nations and graduated from the FBI Citizens Academy. He's never been to Taiwan but hopes to travel there, one day!   About Paolo Lising   Paolo Lising is founder of MillionDC.com, a learning platform for entrepreneurs from developing countries. Lising is a digital marketing expert with a decade of experience working for listed tech companies and finance firms in Taiwan. He has won awards as a business journalist and book author in the Philippines. He recently published his book Startup Taiwan: Foreigners Business Guide as the first comprehensive and unbiased guide for foreigners and global Taiwanese who wish to start their business in Taiwan. Paolo took his Masters in Business Administration from National Taiwan University with extensive training in strategy consulting under a joint program at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.     Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:   Ramon’s background and current solo business Paolo’s background and current solo business Ramon’s definition of what a solo business is The pros and cons of running a solo business What Ramon and Paolo like about running a solo business How studies show that businesses started by a solo founder are more likely to be successful than a business started by several co-founders What it takes to be a successful and long-lasting solopreneur Advice for people wanting to start a solo business Paolo’s first small business A hundred-thousand-dollar business vs. a million-dollar business What types of business ideas might be better suited for a hundred-thousand-dollar business Taiwan as a place to start a business and do business The challenges of doing business in Taiwan Resources offered by Paolo’s website: www.startupintaiwan.com How Taiwan is focused on building itself as a tech hub Taiwanese culture and customs as they relate to gift giving The importance of “guanxi” when it comes to doing business in Taiwan How Taiwan compares as a place to do business in the world Tips that Paolo has for foreigners wanting to have a business in Taiwan Banking in Taiwan Ramon’s invitation for people to visit www.SmartHustle.com Ramon’s invitation for people to visit www.GrowYourSolo.com The 5 businesses that Ramon has started including the latest one, Zone of Genius And how Ramon sold 2 of his small businesses Flippa, a company that specializes in selling online companies How to create a business that is more saleable   Related Links: To view all related links for this article, click link below: https://talkingtaiwan.com/ramon-ray-and-paolo-lising-how-to-become-a-solopreneur-in-taiwan-and-the-u-s-ep-168/