Last month, the New York Times published two articles on the termination of Peace Corps programs, but failed to mention the Fulbright Program, a cultural exchange initiative that is also managed by the US government.
The Fulbright Program, like the Peace Corps, in March terminated all grants worldwide in the wake of COVID-19. Unlike Peace Corps volunteers, repatriated Fulbright grantees do not get assistance with self-quarantine upon return, guaranteed health coverage for two months, preference for federal jobs or significant financial compensation.
As a Fulbright English teaching assistant in Taiwan then, all I knew was that Fulbright would pay for my return ticket back to the US.
Ultimately, I chose to stay after my Fulbright ended as a private citizen in Taiwan. Throughout March, the US Department of State consistently sent warnings about being stranded abroad as Taiwan shut its borders to all visitors and the number of flights decreased.
However, I remained firm in my decision. The costs of returning home to metro Atlanta — financial or not — outweighed the advantages for me as a first-generation, recent college graduate from a low-income background.
Returning home would mean incurring costs while self-quarantining, finding health insurance in the US and being an added financial burden to my family every time they buy essential items.
Right now, life on the small island is as normal as it can be during a pandemic. The gym checks my temperature when I step through the entrance. Museums require me to write down my contact information in case someone is later found to be infected. Soap dispensers that used to be empty are now being constantly refilled. Spray bottles of 75 percent alcohol are everywhere and used religiously.
And most importantly, no one is hurling racist remarks at me.
I am extremely lucky to be “stuck” in Taiwan during this time. On Jan. 21, Taiwan reported its first coronavirus case during the Lunar New Year break. In the blink of an eye, I saw the entire country strengthen its infrastructure for conveying information to its people.
President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) social media team upped its game, and I quickly followed her Instagram account to see her quirky and fun posts so that I could stay up-to-date about the pandemic. I also friended Taiwan’s Centers for Disease Control (CDC) account on Line, a popular messaging app in Taiwan. Every day, I get messages that include a link to the CDC’s daily coronavirus news conference, graphics on Taiwan’s case totals, and information on how to buy my mask rations. (I can get nine surgical masks every two weeks under the National Health Insurance program for US$1.50.)
By the time classes resumed in late February (after a two-week delay), the Ministry of Education established new school health guidelines, including contingency plans if a student or a teacher got infected.
On my first day back, schools immediately questioned me along with everyone else about our travels during the break. In both elementary schools that I taught at, administrators established their own school policies, changing classroom configurations, prohibiting group projects and making staff eat lunches at their desks instead of gathering together.
As of April 30, Taiwan had five consecutive days of no new reported cases to its total of 429 cases and six deaths. Even with the low number of cases, I have witnessed increased caution in the general public. Families were choosing to eat at home instead of at restaurants.
Even in comparatively rural Yunlin County, where only five cases were reported, the majority of residents still wear masks outside their homes. I was — and still am — immensely grateful that everyone was careful and meticulous to prevent new infection clusters.
There was not one instance where I doubted the decisions that Taiwan’s government made in regards to COVID-19. The nation quickly implemented comprehensive contact tracing, closed its borders, and made wearing masks mandatory on public transit. People subjected to the required 14-day quarantine received daily monetary compensation.
Globally, Taiwan is already recognized as the model for pandemic response.
Taiwan has also increased surgical mask production to 19 million masks a day since January. Its capability in mask production has led to Tsai’s now-famous #TaiwanCanHelp mask diplomacy, where numerous countries worldwide receive large mask donations from Taiwan.
All of these measures by Taiwan were done in a timely manner in comparison to the measures taken by the administration of US President Donald Trump. As I read the news daily in Taiwan, I am continuously dumbfounded by the decisions that US government officials make.
US citizens — domestic and abroad — look to the government as a source of guidance and comfort in these difficult times. Instead, they are now calling Poison Control about ingesting disinfectants and following Trump’s example in ignoring the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendations for face coverings.
The Trump administration must stop placing blame on foreign actors and take responsibility for the havoc that has occurred and is continuing to occur within US borders.
Back in January, the US government did not acknowledge the severity of COVID-19 or take any preventative measures as the virus ravaged Asia.
The US CDC did not recommend face coverings in February even as asymptomatic community transmission was prevalent. It was not until mid-March when cases skyrocketed that the US decided to shut down.
I moved to Taiwan originally as part of a one-year cultural exchange program to promote global citizenship and positive Taiwan-US relations. I am expected to coteach English to elementary-school students, learn Mandarin and Taiwanese history, and dispel myths like “Americans eat burgers and fries all the time” for my second and third-graders.
I did not anticipate explaining to them why some Fulbrighters returned to a country more dangerous than Taiwan when the program ended. And I definitely did not anticipate explaining to Taiwanese why both Trump and US Vice President Mike Pence refused to wear masks to show selflessness and their unity with the American people.
With the upheaval of economies and a disruption in the power hierarchies, I fully expect Taiwan to come out of this pandemic with increased influence on the global stage, beginning in the realm of public health and beyond — one donated “Made in Taiwan” mask at a time.
Rachel Wong was a 2019-2020 English teaching assistant in Yunlin County as part of the Fulbright Program sponsored by the US Department of State.
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