The Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA) was granted a formal trademark for the name “Taiwanese American Heritage Week [TAHW].” The week — an annual celebration of all things Taiwanese — begins today in Washington.
“This annual observance of TAHW offers us Taiwanese Americans an excellent opportunity to share our unique and proud heritage with the American public and to express our gratitude to our adopted country,” FAPA president Mark Kao (高龍榮) said.
Initiated in 1999, the week features events in US states from Oregon to Florida and in cities from San Diego in the west to Boston in the east. The US Patent and Trademark Office granted the TAHW trademark last month, but FAPA only just announced it.
“Taiwanese Americans having their own heritage week reinforces the understanding amongst the American public that Taiwan is not a province of China, but a free, democratic and independent nation-state, separate from China,” Kao said.
In 2000, then-US president Bill Clinton said: “The people of Taiwan have made invaluable contributions to every sector of our society.”
“Celebrating your unique heritage, you provide our country with a needed source of strength and inspiration, helping to forge a brighter future for us all,” Clinton added.
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