Talking Taiwan

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:   Kristina Wong and Valerie Soe are back to talk about the Auntie Sewing Squad. When they were last here (on episode 75) the Auntie Sewing Squad was about two months old with over 600 members. A lot has happened with the Auntie Sewing Squad since then. As you listen to the episode, you might be wondering why is there a dog crying in the background as Kristina talks to us? And what major announcement is Valerie going to make about yet another off-shoot project? You might want to go back and listen to episode 75 first or at least read this description of the Auntie Sewing Squad from their website:   The Auntie Sewing Squad was founded on March 24, 2020 by performance artist and comedian Kristina Wong as a casual effort to connect with other friends sewing homemade masks for essential workers due to the Federal Government’s failure to prepare them with proper personal protective equipment.   Auntie Sewing Squad has been featured on CNN, NBC, KCRW, Washington Post, Good Morning America and many more. We Go Down Sewing, a cross between an anthology, memoir, and a visual record of the work of the Auntie Sewing Squad will be published in Fall 2021 by University of California Press. The Aunties also collaborated with the Kronos Quartet on the film “Radical Care: The Auntie Sewing Squad” which uses music by Kronos and testimony and footage provided by the Aunties. We are a college course at San Francisco State University. We also have hosted two rounds of an online summer mask sewing camp for kids. Our relationship with various First Nations has extended to include fundraising and sending them sewing and relief supplies. We have sent several vans filled with sewing and hygiene supplies to the Seamstresses United Navajo & Hopi Nation for distribution throughout both reservations.   Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:   How the Auntie Sewing Squad has developed and changed since we last spoke How Kristina’s role has changed How masks, mask wearing and mask making have become a political statement How the Auntie Sewing Squad’s work is about supporting communities forgotten by the federal government such as first nations, incarcerated communities, poor communities of color, migrants at the border How sewing masks is a political statement for many of the aunties The Auntie Sewing Squad’s Core Values The Auntie Sewing Squad’s fiscal sponsor Art2Action which allows donations received by the Auntie Sewing Squad to be tax deductible Historian Shakedown Auntie Rebecca Solnit The Karl Marx quote that applies to the Auntie Sewing Squad How Auntie Care started with an offering of hand salve The Auntie Sewing Squad’s collaboration with the Kronos Quartet on the eight-minute short film, “Radical Care: The Auntie Sewing Squad” The press that the Auntie Sewing Squad has received Kristina’s Good Morning America appearance The coat and clothing drives that the Auntie Sewing Squad has organized for Lakota Nation and the Navajo Nation The book about the Auntie Sewing Squad, We Go Down Sewing The full-length documentary film about the Auntie Sewing Squad that’s in the works The crazy requests for masks that the Auntie Sewing Squad still receives Monk robe fabric that was donated to make masks How the Auntie Sewing Squad has become a sort of national network that supports various communities in need- from people affected by California wildfires to migrants in need of masks in Tijuana How Kristina’s show and live tour “Kristina Wong for Public Office” became a Zoom and an online experience The Auntie Sewing Squad’s Kid Sewing Summer Camp   Related Links:   The Auntie Sewing Squad’s website: http://auntiesewingsquad.com/   The Auntie Sewing Squad’s Core Values: http://auntiesewingsquad.com/about/#ourcorevalues   The Auntie Sewing Squad on Instagram: www.Instagram.com/AuntieSewing   Auntie Sewing Squad Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2764362993676831/   Auntie Sewing Squad Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/auntiesewing   The Auntie Sewing Squad’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQrlwkZu_l6F1d9D_M5ZnGQ     Ways to donate to the Auntie Sewing Squad: Tax-deductible donation link thanks to Art2Action who has waived the fiscal sponsor fees:  https://donorbox.org/auntie-sewing-squad   Kristina Wong PayPal General Donations using (Friends & Family):  k@kristinasherylwong.com   Kristina Wong Venmo General Donations HERE: “GiveKristinaWongMoney”     Kristina Wong with set pieces from her show “Kristina Wong for Public Office” Kristina Wong’s website: http://kristinawong.com/   Kristina Wong’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ilovekristinawong/   Kristina Wong’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYVB9LCGQewhp4LxlachKPQ   Kristina and Valerie’s previous Talking Taiwan interview about the Auntie Sewing Squad: https://www.talkingtaiwan.com/auntie-sewing-squad-combats-covid-19-one-mask-at-a-time-ep-75/     Valerie with a screen shot of “Radical Care: The Auntie Sewing Squad”   Valerie Soe’s blog: https://beyondasiaphilia.com/   Valerie’s previous Talking Taiwan interview about her documentary film, Love Boat Taiwan: https://www.talkingtaiwan.com/love-boat-taiwan-interview-asian-american-studies-professor-film-maker-valerie-soe-ep-66/     We Go Down Sewing, a cross between an anthology, memoir, and a visual record of the work of the Auntie Sewing Squad will be published in Fall 2021 by University of California Press   The Tom’s model: https://bit.ly/3oPzNUJ   Art2Action’s website: http://www.art2action.org/   Art2Action’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/art2action/       Kronos Quartet musician wearing a mask made by the Auntie Sewing Squad   Kronos Quartet musicians wearing masks made by the Auntie Sewing Squad   The Kronos Quartet: https://kronosquartet.org/     Historian Shakedown Auntie Rebecca Solnit’s article for The Guardian, “The way we get through this is together: the rise of mutual aid under coronavirus,” which features a mention of the Auntie Sewing Squad: https://bit.ly/2LDuK8d

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:   My guests on this episode of Talking Taiwan are Gary Reloj and Bonnie Chan, co-founders of the PPE Relief Initiative (PRI). I had Gary on as a guest previously in episode 79, only a couple of months into the COVID-19 pandemic. He talked about his own personal battle with COVID and the PPE Relief Initiative’s crowdfunding campaign. Since then, the PPE Relief Initiative has surpassed its goal of raising $30,000, and has also been selected by GoFundMe to be a featured campaign on their COVID page.   When asked about the mistakes they’ve made and lessons they learned, Gary responded that he’s not afraid of failure and embraces it as long as there’s something that can be learned from it.  Gary and Bonnie talked how they’ve tweaked things since phase one of the crowdfunding campaign and shared some of the work productivity tools that PRI uses. Bonnie offered some general advice for people interested in doing crowdfunding for a cause. The two also shared a lot of exciting updates.   Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:   What’s happened with the PPE Relief Initiative (PRI) since we first interviewed Gary about it Bonnie’s role in creating a strong brand identity for the PPE Relief Initiative How the PPE Relief Initiative got selected by GoFundMe to be a featured campaign and what it means for the campaign The PPE Relief Initiative’s next fundraising goal is $15,000 to support an additional 1,000 healthcare workers How the PPE Relief Initiative has grown and recruited new volunteers How the support that the PPE Relief Initiative is not only supplying healthcare workers with PPE but giving them emotional and moral support Some of the biggest challenges they faced in trying to reach their initial fundraising goal of $30,000 The failures and lessons learned during phase one of the PPE Relief Initiative’s crowdfunding campaign How some of the healthcare workers that PPE Relief Initiative has worked with who have had to resort to wearing garbage bags, bed covers, and men’s old clothing as PPE How important it is to have the right team of people working together to achieve goals together What they did when contributions to the GoFundMe Campaign plateaued and stalled How they tell and capture the stories of healthcare workers through their “Stories from the Frontlines” videos The note that went viral - written by KP Mendoza, a healthcare worker featured in one of PRI's "Stories from the Frontlines" videos The shift from first focusing more on individual donors, to phase two in which they are planning to focus more on partnerships with e.g. community organizations, businesses, and student groups Why Gary embraces failure How PPE Relief Initiative learned from the mistakes it made during its first phase and has improved its processes The work productivity tools that PPE Relief Initiative uses The importance of organization and setting up an infrastructure The goals of the second phase of PPE Relief Initiative’s Go Fund Me campaign The difference between GoFundMe and GoFundMe Charity The Promise Society, fiscal sponsor of the PPE Relief Initiative General advice for anyone interested in running a crowdfunding campaign The importance of email campaigns and data to PRI’s fundraising campaign PPE Relief Initiative’s plans to partner with a local politician to hold a virtual roundtable with healthcare workers giving testimony on their experiences PRI’s plans to make an impact on policy regarding healthcare worker protection   Related Links:   PPE Relief Initiative’s (PRI) website: https://pperelief.org/   PRI’s social media accounts: PRI on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ppe.relief/   PRI’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ppe.relief.initiative/   PRI’s LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ppe-relief-initiative/   PPE Relief Initiative’s Go Fund Me crowdfunding campaign: https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/every-superhero-needs-armor-ppe-relief-for-healthcare-workers-fighting-covid-19   PPE Relief Initiative’s volunteer page: https://pperelief.org/join-our-team/   Healthcare workers (in New York and New Jersey) who’d like to apply for PPE can STILL do so here: https://pperelief.org/apply   Belinda and Mary (Mother & Daughter share their stories) with PRI: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNlmUL6iAMo   The note from healthcare worker KP Mendoza that went viral: https://helphopehonor.org/thank-you-to-our-heroes/kp-mendoza---do-not-call-me-a-hero-listen-to-an-icu-nurses-plea-for-fighting-the-coronavirus.html   PPE Relief Initiative’s YouTube channel: http://youtube.com/channel/UC_ncFI3RKutGY1D6QQL8cow     Recommended websites to recruit volunteers from:   Idealist: https://www.idealist.org/en/   Volunteer Match: https://www.volunteermatch.org/     Productivity tools that PPE Relief Initiative uses:   Workplace: https://www.workplace.com/   Asana: https://asana.com/   Google Drive:  https://www.google.com/intl/en_in/drive/   The Promise Society:  http://www.thepromisesociety.org/

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:   On this episode of Talking Taiwan I speak with Jason Chew about being a filmmaker. We talked about how he veered away from his traditional Taiwanese upbringing and parents’ expectations that he become a lawyer. As a filmmaker, he’s worked with several different clients in both Taiwan (a funeral home and cosmetics company) and the U.S. He shared how one project with the NYPD required him to wear a bulletproof vest while cruising around with the NYPD to the scene of a crime. When asked I him what inspires his creativity, Jason responded by asking “where don’t you find inspiration… everything could be inspiration.” Check out the show notes on the Talking Taiwan website for some of the great film directors that have inspired Jason and a few of the classic films about Taiwan that he recommends.   Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:   Jason’s connection to musician Treya, who we interviewed in episode 55 Jason’s “traditional Taiwanese upbringing” and what a “traditional Taiwanese upbringing” means to him How he went from being on the path to attend law school to applying for film school What it was like attending NYU Film School in Singapore What Jason’s film career has been like so far The difference between film editing, shooting, and directing What sets someone apart as a director What is cinematography Jason’s short films The music video he worked on for Treya’s song Magic The work that Jason did on the NYPD’s Domain Awareness System (DAS) which is a sort of monitoring service How Jason and his colleagues rode around in an NYPD police car to crime scenes in response to alerts from the Shot Spotter, which is a series of microphones that listen for shots fired Jason’s thoughts on Black Lives Matter Jason’s work with Taiwanese companies Jason’s parents’ reaction to his choice to pursue a career as a filmmaker instead of law What inspires him as a cinematographer The crowdfunding campaigns on student films that he’s worked on Jason’s favorite films about Taiwan Films that he recommends for people who would like to know more about Taiwan Jason’s work on the short film A Father’s Son – A 90s Chinatown Noir Thriller, which is based on the characters from Henry Chang’s NYPD Detective Jack Yu crime series novels What Jason enjoys the most about filmmaking How the pandemic has affected Jason What Jason is currently working on Jason’s advice for people interested in pursuing filmmaking Jason’s advice on how to push through tough challenging times   Related Links:   Jason Chew’s website: https://www.jasonchew.com   Jason Chew on Instagram: @chewchomp   Roaming Dogs of Taiwan (short film): https://www.jasonchew.com/#/roaming-dogs/   The music video for Treya’s song Magic: https://www.jasonchew.com/#/treya-lam-magic/   Treya’s Talking Taiwan interview (episode 55): https://www.talkingtaiwan.com/treya-lam-talking-taiwan-ep-55/   Apartment Therapy: https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/   Film Director Tsai Ming-liang https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsai_Ming-liang   Film Shop: https://www.thefilmshop.org/   Ava Duvernay (Film Director): http://www.avaduvernay.com/   The short film project: A Father’s Son - A 90s Chinatown Noir Thriller, which is based on the characters from Henry Chang’s NYPD Detective Jack Yu crime series novels: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/chenxihao/a-fathers-son-a-90s-chinatown-noir-thriller   Stanley Kubrick (Film Director):  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Kubrick   Akira Kurosawa (Film Director): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akira_Kurosawa   Cohen Brothers (Film Directors): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coen_brothers   Bong Joon-ho (Film Director): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bong_Joon-ho     Classic Films about Taiwan that Jason recommends:   Eat Drink Man Woman (Ang Lee film): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111797/   Yi Yi (Edward Yang film): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0244316/

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:   In the spirit of giving, with Thanksgiving approaching and the holiday season soon upon us, I thought I’d share this interview from 2014 with Supei Liu one of the co-founders of Nomi Network. Hear Supei tell the story of how the desire to create more awareness about human trafficking led to the creation of Nomi Network, an organization which gives economic opportunities to empower women and to protect them from human trafficking. Last year, the organization celebrated its tenth year.   Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:   The work that Nomi Network does The story of the Cambodian girl who inspired Diana Mao, Supei Liu and Alissa Moore-Williams to found Nomi Network How their desire to raise awareness of human trafficking grew into creating an organization How Diana, Supei and Alissa all had full-time jobs when they started Nomi Network How Supei became the first full-time employee of Nomi Network Supei’s background in corporate America What Supei does for Nomi Network How Nomi Network is about creating economic opportunities for women and children at risk of being trafficked Prevention as one of the keys to dealing with human trafficking How Supei works directly with the women that Nomi helps How Nomi Network started a program in India in 2012 The social issues that the women Nomi Network helps have to deal with The challenges that the Nomi Network has faced Nomi’s “Buy Her Bag Not Her Body” campaign Products made by survivors and women at risk Nomi’s key accomplishments How Nomi was awarded one of the top nonprofits in 2014 Supei’s connection to Taiwan Sex trafficking in other parts of the world including Taiwan How her early experiences have shaped her Supei’s advice for those wanting to create an organization or to work for a specific cause   Related Links:    Nomi Network: https://nominetwork.org/     Nomi Network products: https://www.buyherbagnotherbody.com/   Nomi Network on Facebook: www.facebook.com/nominetwork   Nomi Network on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nominetwork/   Nomi Network on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nominetwork   Nomi Network on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7UaUlyqMy2B1KL1S2_l5HQ

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:   In 2013 I spoke with Andrew Yang who was the CEO of Venture for America at the time. He was at his office and multi-tasking during our interview, so when you listen to the interview, you’ll hear some background noise and typing. At the time he talked about being invited to the White House amongst several things.   Who would have predicted that a few years later that he would be running as a Democrat for the 2020 U.S. President election?   Many now know him as the Presidential candidate who proposed something called the “Freedom Dividend.” With the 2020 U.S. Presidential election results unfolding, and Joe Biden recently declared President-elect, some say that there may place for Andrew in the Biden administration. I thought it would be a good time to share this interview that I did with Andrew.     Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:   Andrew’s involvement with the Entrepreneur Challenge and Competition and connection with the Taiwanese American Professionals What is Venture for America? What it was like for Andrew to be invited to the White House and speak to President Barack Obama about Venture for America? How Venture for America was modeled after Teach for America What cities Venture for America was in (at the time of the interview) and where they were planning to expand to What types of startups Venture for America works with How long is the bootcamp that Venture for America fellows are required to go through and what are they taught How many fellows there were in Venture for America (at the time of the interview) What are some of the things that the fellows have done/accomplished How Jeff Weiner the CEO of LinkedIn has agreed to join Venture for America’s investment council The highlights of being involved with Venture for America for Andrew What’s the most challenging thing about running an organization like Venture for America What motivates Andrew with Venture for America Who are some of Andrew’s role models in the nonprofit space What’s the difference between a struggling and successful entrepreneur What advice Andrew has for someone wanting to start a community-based organization What Andrew’s future plans are for Venture for America Andrew’s book Smart People Should Build Things Andrew’s thoughts on Taiwan and the entrepreneurship of the Taiwanese people   Related Links:   Venture for America: www.ventureforamerica.org   Teach for America: https://www.teachforamerica.org/   Charity Water: https://www.charitywater.org/   Donors Choose: https://www.donorschoose.org/   Angela Lee Duckworkth’s TED talk about Grit: https://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_grit_the_power_of_passion_and_perseverance?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare     Smart People Should Build Things by Andrew Yang: https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B00DB3D7EY&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_BVrSFb10ZBV39   Andrew Yang’s campaign website for the 2020 U.S. Presidential election: https://www.yang2020.com/   Taiwanese American Professionals- New York (TAP-NY): https://tap-ny.org/

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:   Jason Wang, the Founder of Cypress River Advisors spoke with me about how his advisory firm which is normally not in the business of producing PPE, was able to start the production of face shields at scale in four weeks in Taiwan during the COVID-19 pandemic. The effort which is called Face Shields for the First Line, donates face shields to health care and essential workers.   We also talked about how they cut down on the shipping costs and minimized waste by using polypropylene a material lighter in weight than acrylic and flat packaging due to the origami design of the face shield.   Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:   What’s it been like being in Taiwan during the Coronavirus pandemic Jason’s, upbringing and career path before he relocated to Taiwan and founded Cypress River Advisors What brought Jason back to Taiwan What Cypress River Advisors does How Cypress River Advisors has been impacted by COVID-19 How this advisory firm had no prior experience producing PPE but its Face Shield for the First Line effort was able to produce and ship their first face shields in four weeks Why Jason decided to start Face Shields for the First Line How Face Shields for the First Line began with producing intubation shields and then face shields The origami design of the face shields and light-weight materials used to cut down on shipping costs What bra elastic has to do with Face Shields for the First Line What’s been most challenging with Face Shields for the First Line What’s been most rewarding about Face Shields for the First Line How Jason manages the business of Cypress River Advisors and Face Shields for the First Line How fatherhood has changed his outlook on life The future direction of Face Shields for the First Line   Related Links:   Face Shields for the First Line Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/faceshieldsforthefirst     Face Shields for the First Line donated to Elmhurst Hospital in Queens, NY   Face Shields for the First Line on Spotfund: https://spot.fund/faceshieldsforthefirst   Cypress River Advisors: https://www.cypressriveradvisors.com/   A conversation between Taiwan’s Vice President Chen Chien-jen and Ellen J. MacKenzie (Dean, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health) on Friday, April 24, about Taiwan’s early and effective response to the coronavirus. Chen Chien-jen received a Doctor of Science degree in epidemiology and human genetics from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in 1982. Chen and MacKenzie discussed the specific measures Taiwan took to control the spread of the virus and how Vice President Chen’s public health training played a role. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReI6ROZNbkk&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR27S_KP92dg_hotNY0SD89V76gbPQKw-_9U76MfuXzUVo-HizO6dpslOMs   TECRO: www.taiwanembassy.org/us_en/index.html   The open source intubation shield box (aka "Aerosol Box") designed by Taiwanese doctor, Lai Hsien-yung: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vWPikcRHVE8YUmZlvgHyb2Nj6hvtxof8   Cypress River Associates COVID-19 Tracker Dashboard: https://cypressriveradvisors.shinyapps.io/covid-19/     Quick video of how to put together the Face Shields for the Front Lines origami face shield: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=207286267217061

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:   In part two of my interview part two with Dr. Peter Tsai, he talks about how he was called out of retirement to help address the shortage and demand for N95 masks with the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic. Dr. Tsai is the Taiwanese American inventor of the N95 mask technology who has come out of retirement to figure out how to sterilize N95s for reuse, and to help scale up production of the masks.   Special Thanks to HoChie Tsai of TaiwneseAmercan.org for making this interview possible.    Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:   How Dr. Tsai was contacted and came out of retirement because of the demand and shortage of N95 masks How he tested whether or not N95 masks could be sterilized The shelf life of N95 masks The experiments that Dr. Tsai conducted to determine how to sterilize N95 masks so that they could be reused COVID-19 can survive for 28 days on smooth surfaces If N95 masks get wet, submerged in water, or come into high humidity it won’t have charge decay, however if washed with soap and water N-95 masks will lose their effectiveness The stories of how people found Dr. Tsai How Dr. Tsai has worked harder than he did before retiring Dr. Tsai’s relationship with Oak Ridge Labs, and how he was able to help them scale up their production of N95 masks Why there’s been a shortage of N95 masks How he’s been nicknamed the “screwdriver professor” Research-oriented vs. industry-oriented science Why Dr. Tsai decided to come out of retirement to work on N95 technology and what’s next     Related Links:   TaiwaneseAmerican.org article about Dr. Peter Tsai, “Our Dad Invented the N95 Mask: Our Taiwanese American Story”: http://www.taiwaneseamerican.org/2020/09/peter-tsai-n95-inventor/   Washington Post article about Dr. Peter Tsai, “The retired inventor of N95 masks is back at work, mostly for free, to fight covid-19”: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2020/07/07/peter-tsai-n95-mask-covid/   NBC News article about Dr. Peter Tsai, “Taiwanese immigrant who invented N95 mask on working amid COVID-19 racism”: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/taiwanese-immigrant-who-invented-n95-mask-working-amid-covid-19-n1233777   CNN News Article: https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/15/health/n95-mask-inventor-coronavirus-sanjay-wellness-trnd/index.html

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:   Dr. Peter Tsai is the Taiwanese American inventor of the technology behind the N95 mask, the piece of personal protective equipment that has become such a part of our everyday vernacular since the onset of the global Coronavirus pandemic. With the shortage of N95 respirators at the beginning of the pandemic, Dr. Tsai was called out of retirement to figure out how to sterilize N95s for reuse, and to help scale up production of the masks. In part one of my interview with him he talks about his roots and early career. Dr. Tsai also explains how the technology behind the material of N95s works, offers some suggestions on how to make more protective D.I.Y. masks, and why everyone should wear masks.   Next week we’ll be sharing part two of my interview with Dr. Tsai next week, in which he talks about how he was called out of retirement and what has happened since.   Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:   What it was like growing up as one of 10 children One of his early childhood inventions Why he decided to pursue further studies in the United States What it was like when he first arrived in the U.S. and what his expectations were The biggest challenge Dr. Tsai faced when first arriving in the U.S. The tough decision that Dr. Tsai had to make about his two daughters while he was still working on obtaining his PhD degree When and how Dr. Tsai started working on the material that is now used for the N95 mask How adding an electrostatic charge to fibers improves their filtration efficiency How the “corona charge” (yes, the same word “corona” but different in meaning from the Coronavirus “corona”) when added to microfibers improves filtration efficiency by 10 times The first use of this charged fabric technology was for air filtration in 1992 In 1995 the U.S. was set to issue new standards for respirators, which is now called the N95 The 95 of “N95” mask refers to the fact that it needs to filter out 95% of submicron particles How the science behind charging fibers works The misconception that the size of a fabric’s pores need to be smaller than particles to block them Electrostatic charged media is good material for respirators The comparison between cloth masks (which are made of woven material) and N95 masks (which are made of nonwoven material) Cloth masks with higher filtration efficiency must be compactly woven, thicker or higher weight How cloth masks are good shields to contain the virus inside a mask avoid infecting others Cloth masks are not ideal but they can contain the spread of the virus to others Dr. Tsai’s recommendations regarding wearing cloth masks The most commonly found types of nonwoven materials that can be used as a filter for a D.I.Y. mask How to test if a fabric is hydrophobic How a MERV 14 home use filter (typically used for air filters) is electrostatically charged and hydrophobic and good to use as a filter for a D.I.Y. mask Dr. Tsai explains why he thinks everyone needs to wear a mask (whether its cloth or N95) How Dr. Tsai is working on making high filtration efficiency materials more breathable Research on the material used for the N95 mask began in 1987, then in 1992 the technology used for the N95 mask was first developed The material has been improved from 1992-2018 How Dr. Tsai is motivated to innovate by the changing needs of the industry   Related Links:   TaiwaneseAmerican.org article about Dr. Peter Tsai, “Our Dad Invented the N95 Mask: Our Taiwanese American Story”: http://www.taiwaneseamerican.org/2020/09/peter-tsai-n95-inventor/   Washington Post article about Dr. Peter Tsai, “The retired inventor of N95 masks is back at work, mostly for free, to fight covid-19”: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2020/07/07/peter-tsai-n95-mask-covid/   NBC News article about Dr. Peter Tsai, “Taiwanese immigrant who invented N95 mask on working amid COVID-19 racism”: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/taiwanese-immigrant-who-invented-n95-mask-working-amid-covid-19-n1233777

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:   Earlier this year, I spoke with Professor Scott Simon about his research on Taiwan’s indigenous peoples. He is a Professor in the School of Sociological and Anthropological Studies and Co-holder of the Research Chair in Taiwan Studies at the University of Ottawa. He’s done research in Taiwan since 1996, spent an accumulated 10 years of residence in the country, and published 3 books about Taiwan. We talked about Taiwan as the cradle of Austronesian peoples and culture, and what the designation of a group of people as “indigenous” means from an international law perspective. What’s interesting to me is how Professor Simon’s work invites us to think of Taiwan as a Pacific island nation rather than a renegade province of China.   Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:   How Professor Simon got interested in the indigenous peoples of Taiwan How there were a lot of changes pertaining to the indigenous peoples of Taiwan around 1996 The indigenous people that Professor Simon met while in Taiwan What brought Professor Simon to Taiwan initially in 1996 How Professor Simon had initially planned to obtain his PhD in China but ended up doing it in Taiwan How Professor Simon's research on Taiwan’s indigenous peoples and economic development led him to study the ecology and environment, and the study of Austronesian peoples The connection between the Bhatani Islands of the Philippines and Taiwan The similarity between the CHamoru language (of the people of Guam) with the Truku language of the Taiwanese indigenous people and Tao language spoken in Taiwan’s Orchid Island Looking at Taiwan as a Pacific island nation and not just as connected to China Taiwan’s connection to Guam, Marieta Islands, Carolina Islands, Maori of New Zealand and Easter Island Book recommendations for people wanting to learn more about Taiwan’s indigenous peoples The difference between categorizing a group of people as indigenous vs. an ethnic minority The three nations in Asia that recognize indigenous peoples The political implications that come with a group of people being declared indigenous     Related Links:   Professor Scott Simon’s author page on The Center for International  Policy Studies of the University of Ottawa website: https://www.cips-cepi.ca/author/scott-simon/   Undoing Fieldwork in a Time of Epidemic by Scott Simon: https://cascacultureblog.wordpress.com/2020/04/20/undoing-fieldwork-in-a-time-of-epidemic/   Professor Scott Simon’s books:   Tanners of Taiwan: Life Strategies and National Culture: https://books.google.com/books/about/Tanners_of_Taiwan.html?id=ostwAAAAMAAJ   Sweet and Sour: Life-Worlds of Taipei Women Entrepreneurs: https://books.google.com/books/about/Sweet_and_Sour.html?id=gFyqAuPTAgkC

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:   In part two of my conversation with Dr. Keating, we spoke about his other books on mapping and paradigm shifts.  Dr. Keating also shared some of his favorite quotes including the one that encapsulates why he writes about Taiwan. And he talked about meeting with Trigg Brown and Josh Ku the owners of the popular Taiwanese American restaurant Win Son, who I interviewed in episode 60. Since his book, Taiwan The Struggle Gains Focus features some great photos of him with several influential Taiwanese celebrities, politicians and individuals, I asked him to reflect on some of the most memorable individuals he’s met.   Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:   Keating’s books about Taiwan, that were written before Taiwan The Struggle Gains Focus How Taiwan The Struggle Gains Focus will probably be the last book Dr. Keating will write about Taiwan Keating’s book about the mapping of Taiwan What maps can tell us about the mapmaker, trade, and economies The role that the Spice Islands played in bringing the West to Asia Dutch settlement of Anping, Taiwan Spanish occupation of Taiwan How the Portuguese named Taiwan “Ilha Formosa” Keating’s book about paradigms, The Paradigmsthat Guide Our Lives and Drive Our Souls The three realms of paradigms: science, metaphysics/teleology, phenomenology Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Examples of paradigm shifts that have happened in the world of physics (science) What Dr. Keating plans to write about next Coronavirus and the paradigm shift that it has caused Keating’s writing process and why he writes Keating’s favorite quotes How the owners of the Taiwanese American restaurant Win Son (featured in episode 60), Trigg Brown and Josh Ku sought out Dr. Keating for his perspective on Taiwan’s history Keating’s thoughts on the late president Lee Teng-hui and on some of well-known politicians and personalities from Taiwan that he’s met An African quote that sums up why Jerome writes about Taiwan Where you can buy Dr. Keating’s books and learn more about him     Dr. Jerome Keating’s website: http://www.jeromekeating.com/   Related Links:   Dr. Keating’s book, The Mapping of Taiwan, Desired Economies, Coveted Geographies   Anping, Taiwan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anping_District     Dr. Keating’s book, The Paradigms that Guide Our Lives and Drive Our Souls:   Thomas Kuhn (The American physicist and philosopher who introduced the term paradigm shift): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Kuhn   https://www.britannica.com/biography/Thomas-S-Kuhn   Jonathan Edwards (Puritan Theologian): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Edwards_(theologian)   https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jonathan-Edwards   Ralph Waldo Emerson (Transcendentalist Essayist, Philosopher and Poet): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Waldo_Emerson   https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/emerson/   https://www.biography.com/writer/ralph-waldo-emerson   Alfred North Whitehead (Mathematician Philosopher, and notable figure in process philosophy):https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/whitehead/   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_North_Whitehead     The True Believer by Eric Hoffer: https://www.amazon.com/True-Believer-Thoughts-Movements-Perennial/dp/0060505915     Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs     Henry David Thoreau (Essayist, Philosopher and Poet):   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_David_Thoreau   https://www.britannica.com/biography/Henry-David-Thoreau     Episode 60 of Talking Taiwan featuring Trigg Brown and Josh Ku of the Taiwanese American restaurant Win Son: https://www.talkingtaiwan.com/trigg-brown-josh-ku-win-son-taiwanese-restaurant-nyc/     Dr. Keating’s piece written in memoriam, Lee Teng-Hui: https://taiwaninsight.org/2020/08/08/in-memoriam-lee-teng-hui/?fbclid=IwAR03XDnv4-SMpaWQMuLDlDGUCsmcQohq6aK8R0DWS1Cll8OvSnr1ZuX8gYc   Lee Teng-hui: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Teng-hui   Su Beng: http://aboutsubeng.com/   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Su_Beng   Peng Ming-min: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peng_Ming-min   Taiwan Foreign Correspondents Club: https://taiwanfcc.org/       Taiwan The Struggle Gains Focus: http://www.smcbook.com.tw/smc/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=61651&search=Taiwan+The+Struggle+Gains+Focus     Taiwan, the Search for Identity     Taiwan, the Struggles of a Democracy       Island in the Stream http://www.smcbook.com.tw/smc/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=55&search=island+in+the+stream