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Now that you’ve been in Taiwan for a while, what are some differences in the way that you’ve engaged with your identity compared to in the US?

What may be some strengths of being “Taiwanese-passing” in relation to the classroom or school community? Weaknesses?

In our experiences, AAPI ETAs often carry the burden of the double-standard. What do you think that means?

Do you have any questions for us?

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Crystal Lam (She, her, hers) Changhua & Hualien {2nd-year}                           Earl Grey Milk Tea, lite sugar no ice thx

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Crystal Lam (She, her, hers) Changhua & Hualien {2nd-year}                           Earl Grey Milk Tea, lite sugar no ice thx

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"Hong Konger American"
I grew up speaking Cantonese at home with my family. My parents are HK immigrants and rather traditional, so we celebrate most Chinese holidays and follow many family traditions. I attended a Taiwanese Chinese school until 6th grade and then continued learning Mandarin in college. In 2018, I took an intensive Mandarin course in Beijing and lived in China for the summer. This is my fourth time in Taiwan despite not having any family members here.

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Carol Sun / she her hers / Hualien 2019-2021 / jasmine green milk tea with pearls lite ice lite sugar

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Carol Sun / she her hers / Hualien 2019-2021 / jasmine green milk tea with pearls lite ice lite sugar

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Taiwanese American; Taiwanese-Chinese American; "American-born Chinese"

Parents born and raised in Taipei, Taiwan. Three of my grandparents are refugees from China and one is "Taiwanese" and Hakka/Hokkien.

I am first of my family to be born in the States. My heritage affects every aspect of my life and I admit I can’t be separated from it. At the same time, I seek to create a sense of myself outside of this category. It’s a journey of madness.

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INTRO: Name, pronouns, site+year, favorite tea order 

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INTRO: Name, pronouns, site+year, favorite tea order 

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QUESTIONS
[Choose 2-3 and type in a separate doc. Attach to your post when done]

What does “being” “AAPI” mean to you?

Reflecting upon this past year, how has your experience as an AAPI in the States changed in light of the pandemic?

Do you have any experiences in Asia? Which countries? Why did you choose to come to Taiwan?

Other comments/ questions about this interest group or community building in general.

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Jennifer Conner / she / ntc 2021 / panda milk tea no ice less sugar

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Jennifer Conner / she / ntc 2021 / panda milk tea no ice less sugar

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Taiwanese American
Casual racism elevated in light of pandemic.
Studied abroad in Shanghai for one semester. Came to Taiwan since I am half Taiwanese.

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Melody / she her hers / Yilan 2020-2021 / brown sugar milk tea

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Melody / she her hers / Yilan 2020-2021 / brown sugar milk tea

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FIlipino-American

I was born in the Philippines and went back for school there for a couple years. I have experience in Taiwan as a Critical Language Scholar in 2019 and lived with a wonderful host family. I enjoyed my time here and wanted to come back for a longer period of time.

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Vince Nguyen / he him his / Taitung 2020-21 / strawberry anything

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Vince Nguyen / he him his / Taitung 2020-21 / strawberry anything

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Vietnamese American
For me, being AAPI means that I carry this identity and am a part of a complex, marginalized community. I carry this identity with me and will face unique experiences because of it.

My experience as an AAPI has changed in the sense that I have felt more unsafe due to the negative sentiment associated with East Asians.

I have studied in Seoul, South Korea for a few months. I chose to come to Taiwan in order to experience living in another new Asian country

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Tara Guo (she/her/hers) [first year New Taipei City] oolong milk tea with boba

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Tara Guo (she/her/hers) [first year New Taipei City] oolong milk tea with boba

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My mom and dad are from Hong Kong and Fuzhou China, respectively. Spent most of my childhood in China, but eventually moved to the US.

I didn't grow up with many other Asians, so it wasn't until I got to college that I began to think critically and confidently about my AAPI identity.

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Amica Rapadas/ she, her, hers/ Yunlin 2019-2021/ mango green tea

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Amica Rapadas/ she, her, hers/ Yunlin 2019-2021/ mango green tea

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Filipino-American, born in the Philippines and moved to the US as a child

For the longest time, being AAPI to me was always being out of place since my family lived in Alabama.

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Jennifer Tam, she/her/hers, Hualien 2nd year, jasmine milk tea with taro balls (KQTEA!) half sugar half ice

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Jennifer Tam, she/her/hers, Hualien 2nd year, jasmine milk tea with taro balls (KQTEA!) half sugar half ice

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-born and raised in Brooklyn, NY but always identified more as Asian (Chinese/HK) than American (I guess feel more connected to my ethnicity/heritage than nationality), and also feel comfortable doing so
-grew up speaking Cantonese (parents from HK/Guangzhou), attended a Taiwanese-sponsored Chinese weekend school in NYC (learning Cantonese) and then self-taught Mandarin through dramas and music haha before taking it in high school and minor in college (taxi drivers in Hualien always make it a point that they can hear my Cantonese accent when I'm speaking Mandarin)
-second year in Hualien/Taiwan, been to China/HK/Macau to visit family/travel/study, studied for a summer in Seoul

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Cathy Liu | she her hers | Yilan 2021 | Taro milk tea

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Cathy Liu | she her hers | Yilan 2021 | Taro milk tea

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Chinese American/ABC
Being AAPI means being part of a large diaspora from Asian countries. It means sometimes not knowing where you belong, but being comfortable in that and being able to reflect on all the different cultures you experience

Being AAPI in 2020 means reflecting on how covid exposes people’s ignorant views of Asians and also recognizing my own privilege. It means connecting my struggles with the broader social inequities and racial tensions in the US

I have been to China multiple times to visit my grandparents and extended family. I’ve also visited Taiwan and Japan for touristy trips. I came to Taiwan because they speak Mandarin here and I wanted to learn more about the country

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Leann Pham / she/her / GX 2021 / wintermelon milk tea

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Leann Pham / she/her / GX 2021 / wintermelon milk tea

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What does “being” “AAPI” mean to you?

It means being seen as a part of a community that encompasses over 40 other ethnic groups

Reflecting upon this past year, how has your experience as an AAPI in the States changed in light of the pandemic?

Xenophobia exists in both American political parties.

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Megan Go/she her hers/Taichung 2020-2021/ oolong milk tea, half sugar, less ice

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Megan Go/she her hers/Taichung 2020-2021/ oolong milk tea, half sugar, less ice

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I was born in the Philippines and I lived there for 13 years before moving to the US. Taiwan is the closest country to the Philippines distance-wise and it has an interesting mix of heritages which I may share some roots with. Although I'm Filipino, I am ethnically Chinese so it's been difficult for me to figure out what to identity as and to deal with how people perceive me.

The meaning of AAPI changed through the years as I've explored my identity and cultures more through different phases of my life. Due to the prevalent colonial mentality I had growing up in the Philippines, I rejected my Asian identity as I migrated to the US. I started embracing this part of my identity more as I went to college.

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Elena Arduin (she/her) / Taitung 2021 / lychee tea

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Elena Arduin (she/her) / Taitung 2021 / lychee tea

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Adopted from China and grew up in Ohio. To me being AAPI is largely in regard to other people’s initial perceptions of me since I was raised in a white household. It is something I have a desire to explore more.
I visited China twice and chose Taiwan to have an immersive experience in an Asian country.

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Jason Burrell/he him his/Taichung 2020-2021/ All tea is good

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Jason Burrell/he him his/Taichung 2020-2021/ All tea is good

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Japanese/Thai American

Reflecting upon this past year, how has your experience as an AAPI in the States changed in light of the pandemic?

Not much felt different in my hometown, as lots of racial tension already existed.

Do you have any experiences in Asia? Which countries? Why did you choose to come to Taiwan?
Yes, Japan, mainland China, South Korea and Thailand. I have really only spent time in Japan and South Korea though. I thought Taiwan seemed interesting and have had family members that recommended it.

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Taiwanese American, but born in Taiwan and immigrated at a young age, can relate to "third culture kid" experience, lived in both areas of the US with large Asian communities and without

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Gabrielle Hsi / she her hers / Taichung 1st year

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Gabrielle Hsi / she her hers / Taichung 1st year

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Michael Shu/ he/him/his/ Kaohsiung 2021/ jasmine green milk bubble tea half sugar no ice

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Michael Shu/ he/him/his/ Kaohsiung 2021/ jasmine green milk bubble tea half sugar no ice

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Taiwanese American
I have been to Taiwan a few times. My parents are from Taiwan and each time they have acted as cultural guides for me and my siblings. I wanted to come to Taiwan partly to experience a glimpse of how my parents grew up, as my own guide.

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Daniel Pai (Pie)/ he/him/his/Taitung 2021/ jasmine milk tea

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Daniel Pai (Pie)/ he/him/his/Taitung 2021/ jasmine milk tea

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- Being AAPI means I am proud of and recognize the rich history and genealogy of Asians and those of Asian descent in (traditionally) European settler states.

- I went to international school in Beijing. My family is from Taiwan. I wanted to come to Taiwan to better understand my family and my relationship to indigenous Taiwanese as someone who has family on both sides (Han/aboriginal).

- I’m looking forward to investigating Asian Diasporic identity/history and unlearning/working through harmful internalized (yt-centric) ideologies.

- If you'd like to peruse my extremely long M.A. thesis on Asian Americans who grew up in Asia (~227 pages), let me know and I'd be happy to send it along. LINE ID: yummyturtle.

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Michelle Lin / (she/her/hers) / Changhua 2021 / wintermelon green tea or oolong 

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Michelle Lin / (she/her/hers) / Changhua 2021 / wintermelon green tea or oolong 

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-I have visited Taiwan for a week in 2016, and growing up I went to Saturday Chinese schools that were run by Taiwanese teachers.

-My parents are Burmese American and they've lived in Taiwan for ten years before immigrating to the US.

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theresa ginter / (she/her/hers) / changhua 2021 / brown sugar boba

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theresa ginter / (she/her/hers) / changhua 2021 / brown sugar boba

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- mom from okinawa, japan & dad from the united states
- grew up in japan, the us (nebraska, dc, hawai'i), and germany
- went to japanese saturday school for several years when i was younger
- visited taiwan for a week several years ago

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Ashley Du/ (she/her/hers)/ Changhua 2021/ I don't have a favorite kind of tea, I love all :D

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Ashley Du/ (she/her/hers)/ Changhua 2021/ I don't have a favorite kind of tea, I love all :D

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-I am Taiwanese American and visit Taiwan every summer to see family. I am so excited to finally come back for a longer period of time and meaningfully contribute to the island
-Being in the US during the rise of the coronavirus and heightened tensions toward immigrants, I have realized that my Asian identity fuels me in everything I strive for, both personally and professionally. Being nonwhite definitely has its burdens but creates opportunities for me to go against the grain and question the status quo while also affirming my racial experiences.