A member of the US Congress has introduced a resolution to commemorate Taiwanese-American Heritage Week and recognize the “significant contributions of Taiwanese Americans and the important role they play in strengthening the fabric of United States society.”
The resolution was introduced this week by Oregon Democrat David Wu (吳振偉) — the first Taiwan-born US member of Congress — and was supported by 26 co-sponsors.
It names a number of prominent Taiwanese-Americans including Lee Yuan-tseh (李遠哲), 1986 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry; Min Kao (高民環), co-founder and chairman of Garmin Ltd; Vienna Teng, popular musician and songwriter; and Jason Wu (吳季剛), the fashion designer who created first lady Michelle Obama’s inaugural gown.
Taiwanese-American Heritage Week was started 11 years ago by the Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA).
“Taiwanese Americans have greatly enriched the fabric of American society and the mutual understanding between the peoples of the United States and Taiwan. I encourage Congress and the American people to absorb the legacy, culture and achievements of the Taiwanese American community,” Wu said.
Taiwanese-American Heritage Week is celebrated in mid-May.
When the week was first celebrated in 1999, then-president Bill Clinton said in a letter to FAPA: “Americans of Taiwan descent can be proud of their roots and of their vital role in the continued growth of our nation. This observance offers us an opportunity to learn more about the outstanding contributions that men and women from Taiwan have made to our nation and the world.”
FAPA President Bob Yang (楊英育) said this week: “The industriousness, ingenuity and innovation of the people of Taiwan and of Taiwanese Americans have contributed to Taiwan’s economic miracle. It has become a classic success story in international economics text books.”
“Their quest and aspiration for human rights and freedom led to Taiwan’s political miracle. Taiwan’s transition to democracy has become a shining example in and for the region,” he said.
NATIONAL SECURITY: Authorities are working to confirm the identities of the military personnel involved and investigating possible illegal conduct and regulatory violations Authorities are probing possible national security implications after Kinmen police and immigration officers on Sunday found a Chinese woman allegedly posing as a tourist while engaging in prostitution involving more than 10 military personnel. The woman, surnamed Chen (陳), has since been deported, authorities said, adding that investigators are still working to confirm the identities of those implicated, as the records only listed code names and aliases. The case stemmed from a report received by the Kinmen District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday last week from the Jinhu Precinct of the Kinmen County Police Bureau. On Sunday, police, along with the National Immigration
GLOBALGIVING: ‘ Caving to external pressure is not acceptable for an organization that has cultivated justice reform and human rights for 30 years,’ one NGO said A slew of non-government organizations (NGOs) have withdrawn from the GlobalGiving fundraising platform after it announced it would use “Chinese Taipei” instead of “Taiwan” from next month. The Taiwan Good Rice Association wrote on Facebook on Friday that it was informed on April 28 via a teleconference call of the change, which was made because the platform wanted to operate in China. Taiwan Good Rice is to terminate all cooperative relationships with GlobalGiving in response to the platform’s “unilateral and non-negotiable” decision to remove references to Taiwan, the NGO said. “Taiwan is in the official name of Taiwan Good Rice Association and the
HEAVY WEATHER: Typhoon Jangmi is due to crash straight into the Ryukyus as airlines look to shift flights to larger aircraft or cancel flights to Okinawa entirely Taiwan’s international air carriers announced flight adjustments over the weekend as Typhoon Jangmi is forecast to hit the Ryukyu Islands today and tomorrow. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) upgraded Jangmi from a tropical storm to a typhoon at 8am yesterday, with the eye located 580km south of Naha city. It was moving north at 19kph. Today, China Airlines’ CI-120, CI-121, CI-122 and CI-123 flights between Taoyuan and Naha, Okinawa, have been canceled as well as CI-132 and CI-133 between Kaohsiung and Naha. EVA Air’s BR-112, BR-113, BR-186 and BR-185 flights between Taoyuan and Naha are also canceled. Low-cost carrier Tigerair Taiwan canceled IT-230,
MULTIPRONGED APPROACH: China has sought to pressure Palau across a number of fronts, but the island nation has staunchly resisted overtures to ditch Taiwan Palau has been firm in backing Taiwan despite Chinese pressure that uses tourism economics, cyberattacks and criminal infiltration as tools to threaten the Pacific ally into renouncing its recognition of Taiwan as a sovereign state. The Presidential Office yesterday announced that Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) would visit Palau from Saturday to Wednesday next week at the invitation of Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr. Whipps in April said in an interview that China had outspokenly asked Palau to “denounce Taiwan.” “And we have said: ‘We have no enemies, but nobody tells us who our friends are,’” he said. Whipps has told reporters multiple times
RSS