Taiwan History Archives | Talking Taiwan Podcast

Richard Chen: The History of Social Injustice and Discrimination Toward Asian Americans Ep 130

Felicia Lin — Mon, 17 May 2021 11:36:10 +0000

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

The wave of Anti-Asian hate crimes over the past year have largely been attributed to blaming the Chinese for the spread of the Coronavirus. However, Asian Americans have experienced hate, social injustice and discrimination since they started immigrating to the U.S. I’ve invited Richard Chen on to the podcast to talk about the history of discrimination toward Asian Americans, and some of the major events that have galvanized Asian Americans in the past. Richard is Creator of StopAAPIHate.us, Board member of Asian American Action Fund.

Founding moderator of the FB group Asians Now a FB group of Asian diaspora for social awareness.

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

What motivated Richard to create StopAAPIHate.us
Why the model minority myth is problematic
Asiatic exclusion league
Yellow Peril
Page Act
Chinese Exclusion Act
Geary Act
Tydings–McDuffie Act
Asiatic Barred Zone Act
Immigration Act of 1924
Burning of Santa Ana Chinatown
Japanese internment camps
The Murder of Vincent Chin
Rodney King Incident and the 1992 LA Riots

Eric Chang on China’s Breach of Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone: Threat or Bluff? Ep 127

Felicia Lin — Mon, 26 Apr 2021 10:51:09 +0000

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

My guest on this episode of Talking Taiwan is Eric Chang, a writer for Taiwan News. On April 18^th we spoke about China’s April 12^th incursion into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone, the largest one to date at the time. We also spoke about the longstanding military threat that China poses for Taiwan and the Asia Pacific region, what this means for Taiwan, how Taiwan has responded, the U.S.’s response and why it matters, and how the support and cooperation from neighboring countries is essential to keeping peace in the region.

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

The difference between a country’s airspace and ADIZ (air defense identification zone)
When Taiwan’s ADIZ was set up
When China’s ADIZ was set up
How China’s air intrusions increased during the last year of Trump’s presidency
What prompted China’s April 12^thincursion into Taiwan’s ADIZ
The Taiwan Relations Act
What the median line is
When Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense started to publicly report China’s incursions into Taiwan’s ADIZ
How many incursions there have been this year by China to Taiwan’s ADIZ
Alex Azar and Keith Krach’s visits to Taiwan
Taiwan’s response to China’s incursions
What damage China can do to Taiwan with their fighter planes
The strategy/motivation behind China’s incursions
The war of attrition
Gray zone tactics
How willing China is to attack Taiwan?
How concerned people in Taiwan are about the China’s military threat
China’s increasing military aggression in the Asia region
Taiwan’s defense abilities
The new multimission amphibious ships that Taiwan recently launched
Asymmetric warfare capabilities and how Taiwan can defend itself
U.S. arms sales to Taiwan
How the Biden administration has reacted to China’s April 12^thincursion
China’s
Good sources to learn about Taiwan’s military situation

Photo of a U.S. Captain on a destroyer sailing right alongside a Chinese aircraft carrier.

Tony Coolidge Talks About his Work with Indigenous Bridges Ep 113

Felicia Lin — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 07:58:34 +0000

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

This is part two of my interview with Tony Coolidge. Tony is the Founder of the Atayal organization, which is named after his mother’s indigenous tribe. In this interview Tony talks about his work with Indigenous Bridges through his nonprofit, the Atayal organization, and shares his perspectives on some of indigenous people he’s interacted with from around the world.

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

The work of Indigenous Bridges
Why Tony moved back to Taiwan in 2009
How Indigenous Bridges serves to connect indigenous people from all over the world
How the mission of the Atayal organization shifted from sharing the culture of indigenous people to connecting indigenous people with each other
How Indigenous Bridges is about building trusted relationships based on shared cultures and cultural exchange
The sister city relationship between Orlando, Florida and Tainan, Taiwan
Sister tribe programs that are being developed
The indigenous youth ambassador program of Indigenous Bridges
Virtual cultural exchanges and conferences that are now being developed due to the onset of COVID-19
The common experiences and challenges of indigenous people
Possible solutions to the economic hardship that is often experienced by indigenous people around the world
How the rights of indigenous people in the U.S. compares to Taiwan and other parts of the world
The connection between the Maori indigenous people of New Zealand and the indigenous people of Taiwan
The migration of Austronesian people and how they originated from Taiwan
What Tony learned from the Maori indigenous people of New Zealand
How the Maori are a source of pride for New Zealand
The government’s role in preserving indigenous culture
How indigenous rights are protected by the United Nations and indigenous people can create treaties with each other
The struggles in trying to return property to the indigenous people of Taiwan
How the recognition of tribes gives them access to resources
The fight over resources between the different indigenous people of Taiwan
How Tony hopes that his work reveals that Taiwan is a far more diverse and interesting place than people have originally thought
How former President Lee Teng-hui’s role in changing the perception of indigenous people in Taiwan
Tony’s experience representing indigenous people at the UN headquarters in New York

Tony Coolidge: Finding his Indigenous Roots in Taiwan Ep 112

Felicia Lin — Mon, 18 Jan 2021 14:02:14 +0000

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

Did you know that there are 16 indigenous tribes officially recognized in Taiwan and up to 29 self-identified tribes? Also, Taiwan’s current President Tsai Ing-wen’s paternal grandmother was from the Paiwan tribe. My guest on this episode of Talking Taiwan is Tony Coolidge. Tony is the Founder of the Atayal organization, which is named after his mother’s indigenous tribe. In this interview Tony talks about finding his indigenous roots and the indigenous people of Taiwan. This is part one of a two part interview.

In part two of our interview, Tony will talk about his work with Indigenous Bridges through his nonprofit, the Atayal organization.

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

How Tony discovered his indigenous roots
Tony memories of his mother and the lessons she taught him
Tony’s mother’s connection to Taiwan and her indigenous roots
The first time that Tony visited Taiwan and met his mother’s family
Tony’s mother’s village Wulai
The documentary film that was made about Tony’s month-long trip to Taiwan with his brother during which time he met with several indigenous peoples and learned more about the culture
Tony’s mother’s struggles as an indigenous person and why she may have hidden her indigenous background from him
The pressure that Tony’s grandfather (his mother’s father, who was the chief/mayor of Wulai) had to show allegiance to the Chinese under the Kuomintang regime
How the indigenous peoples’ identity was suppressed under the Kuomintang regime and led to discrimination and abuse of indigenous people
The discrimination that indigenous people faced under the rule of the Kuomintang and Japanese
How the discrimination and abuse of indigenous people has changed over time
Tony’s desire to preserve indigenous culture
How policies of former President of Taiwan, Chen Shui-bian and the changing attitudes of the media contributed to changing people views of the indigenous peoples of Taiwan
Some key facts about the Atayal tribe (that Tony’s mother belonged to)
The mountainous and lowland indigenous tribes of Taiwan
How many indigenous tribes are presently recognized in Taiwan
The story of how the Atayal tribe’s custom of headhunting was ended
How Tony’s sons are learning the Atayal language
Tony started his nonprofit organization in 2001
In 2004 Tony’s nonprofit had its first indigenous cultural festival in Orlando, Florida
Alice the teacher of indigenous cultures that Tony met in 2004 and how she was instrumental in arranging the trip during which much of the documentary about Tony’s life was filmed
Tony’s trip to Taiwan in December 2004- January 2005 with his brother and the documentary film crew
How the trip to Taiwan affected Tony’s brother
How the death of Tony’s father-in-law happened in the middle of the trip and film
The challenges that Tony and his brother faced during the trip
The similarities and differences amongst Taiwan’s indigenous tribes
How the lives of indigenous peoples changed overnight when the Japanese removed them from their villages in the mountains
How have the indigenous peoples of Taiwan have adjusted over time
Social issues facing young indigenous peoples
The story of an indigenous policeman, Sakino who created a hunting, survival club through with he passed down indigenous knowledge
The most memorable moments of Tony’s 2004 trip to Taiwan
The abandoned village in the mountains (in Pintung) that Tony visited in the documentary film
How the 16 tribes now recognized in Taiwan were mostly originally mountainous tribes because the lowland tribes have been assimilated so long ago
Research has shown that more than 70% of Taiwanese have some indigenous DNA

Talking Taiwan’s Top 5 of 2020 End of Year Review Ep 109

Felicia Lin — Mon, 28 Dec 2020 11:51:23 +0000

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

Since March of this year, we’ve been publishing new episodes of Talking Taiwan on a weekly basis, so for our last episode of 2020, we thought it would be fun to look back and see which were the top five episodes of the year. It comes as no surprise that 2 of the episodes are related to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Through it all, it’s been amazing to see our listenership grow. In fact, I’ve really enjoyed hearing from listeners who’ve reached out to tell me how much they’ve enjoyed listening to Talking Taiwan. Thanks for all of the positive feedback. We look forward to continuing to deliver new episodes about interesting people and stories connected to Taiwan.

Which episode was your favorite of 2020? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Don’t forget to check out our new feature starting in the new year called “Talking Taiwan Shorts.” We will be creating 100 short one-minute videos for our YouTube channel highlighting a GREAT segment from one of our podcast episodes. Be sure to check out Talking Taiwan’s YouTube channel, or go to our website here for “Talking Taiwan Shorts.”

Below are links to the top five Talking Taiwan episodes of 2020. Wishing you a wonderful rest of 2020, and a Happy New Year!

CORRECTION: At the 15:32-minute in the interview, Dr. Keating remarks, “We are 75 years at the end of World War I.” What he meant to say is that, “We are 75 years at the end of World War II.”

Professor Scott Simon: Taiwan’s Indigenous Peoples and Their Connection to Ecology Ep 99

Felicia Lin — Sun, 18 Oct 2020 16:00:03 +0000

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

Dr. Jerome Keating’s Books: Mapping, Paradigm Shifts, and his Favorite Quotes Ep 98

Felicia Lin — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 04:38:17 +0000

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 Paradigms that 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

Understanding the History of Taiwan through Dr. Jerome Keating Ep 97

Felicia Lin — Mon, 05 Oct 2020 10:00:32 +0000

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

Dr. Jerome Keating has been living in Taiwan for over 30 years. Initially he came over to Taiwan to work on the MRT. He has written several books about Taiwan. We invited him on to the podcast to talk about this latest book, Taiwan The Struggle Gains Focus. Dr. Keating also reflected on how Taiwan has changed in the past 30 years, and we discussed things past and present including Taiwan’s complicated international status, amendment of the constitution, changing the official name of Taiwan (which is the Republic of China) and redesigning the passport and flag of Taiwan.

In part two of our interview, Dr. Keating will talk about his other writings, what he plans to write next, and how the owners of a popular New York-based Taiwanese American restaurant sought his advice before opening their restaurant.

CORRECTION: At the 14:40-minute in the interview, Dr. Keating remarks, “We are 75 years at the end of World War I.” What he meant to say is that, “We are 75 years at the end of World War II.”

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

What motivated Dr. Keating to write his latest book, Taiwan The Struggle Gains Focus
Who the book was intended for and who Dr. Keating writes for
How Taiwan has changed in the last 30 years
The semi-martial-like atmosphere of Taiwan when Dr. Keating arrived in 1988
Keating’s first book Island in the Stream and what motivated him to write it
What intrigues Dr. Keating about Taiwan as a subject matter
How the San Francisco Peace Treaty (signed in 1951) left Taiwan in a limbo status
How the US position on Taiwan 75 years after World War II is still undecided
The circumstances surrounding “Taiwan” aka the Republic of China losing its seat in the United Nations in 1971, which included a proposal to have 2 Chinas in the United Nations
The Republic of China and People’s Republic of China’s claims on China
How Taiwan has never had a seat in the United Nations
The Republic of China framework and constitution that Chiang Kai-shek and the Kuomintang brought to Taiwan
Keating’s thoughts on amending Taiwan’s constitution
Changing the official name and flag that represent Taiwan
Submissions for the new Taiwan passport cover design
The Taiwan Civil Government wanting to make Taiwan the 51^st state of the United States
How Dr. Keating sees Taiwan’s future

Professor Andrew Morris: The Relationship Between Taiwan Baseball and its History Ep 96

Felicia Lin — Mon, 28 Sep 2020 08:21:44 +0000

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

With major league baseball playoffs soon upon us, we thought that this episode might appeal to our baseball fans. It seems like a distant memory now, when about a month into the Coronavirus pandemic, Taiwan was the only place on the planet where live professional baseball was being played. My guest on this episode is Professor Andrew Morris whose research on baseball in Taiwan presents a fascinating new angle and way of seeing Taiwan’s history. I came across his writings and research when I was doing some research for my interview (episode 77) with Richard Wang the English-speaking broadcaster of CPBL games in Taiwan.

How important is baseball to Taiwan? Did you know that there’s a baseball related image featured on Taiwan’s currency or that Taiwan’s little league baseball team won 17 times from 1979 to 1996?

Interestingly, Professor Morris began our interview by sharing his own mistaken assumption of baseball as a symbol of American culture in Taiwan. He went on to explain that baseball was introduced to Taiwan by Japan, while it was a colony of Japan from 1895-1945. We covered a broad range of topics including how baseball survived the arrival of the Kuomintang in Taiwan, the rise of Taiwan’s little league team, the establishment of a professional baseball league in Taiwan (CPBL) which has had its ups and downs, and the short-lived Taiwan Major League.

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

How Professor Morris got interested in the topic of baseball and the history of Taiwan
How baseball in Taiwan is not as it seems on the surface, a symbol of American culture in Taiwan
What were some of the most surprising and interesting things that Professor Morris has learned about baseball in Taiwan over the course of his research
The role of Taiwan’s Indigenous people in the game of baseball in Taiwan
What baseball tells us about Taiwan’s Japanese colonial era
How Chiayi (嘉義) is known as the spiritual home of baseball and how that was captured in the film Kano
How “Kano,” is the nickname of the old Chiayi Agricultural and Forestry Vocational High School, which comes from the two Japanese words “Ka-gi No-rin”
The Kano baseball team became the best team in Taiwan and is remembered by the Japanese
How Kano is remembered as an example of the success of Japan’s colonialism in Taiwan
Baseball as a pathway for Indigenous peoples during Taiwan’s Japanese colonial period
Professor Morris’ thoughts about the film Kano and its historical accuracy
The Japanese influence that we still see in Taiwanese baseball today
How after the Kuomintang arrived in Taiwan, around 1946, they tried to remove and erase Japanese culture, but baseball was allowed to remain
What happened to baseball after the Kuomintang arrived in Taiwan
How baseball games were played in the aftermath of the 228 massacre and a famous baseball coach was killed in the 228 massacre
Taiwan’s little league baseball team and how it served to bolster Republic of China (ROC) nationalism
The 1968 legend of what led Taiwan creating a little league team and participating in the little league world series
How in 1969, the Taiwanese little league team played in the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, PA for the first time and won
Between 1969-1996 the Taiwanese little league team won the Little League World Series 17 times and became a source of pride for the Taiwanese who watched the games late at night
The story (from the 70s) of how a coach of a little league team comprised mostly of Black players sensed the anti-Chinese and anti-Taiwanese sentiment against the Taiwanese little league team
How the Taiwanese little league team became a source of Taiwanese pride (different from ROC pride)
How the KMT hired Chinatown thugs to beat up the pro-Taiwanese little league fans and fights would break out between them after little league games
What happened to Taiwan’s little league team
The legacy of Taiwan’s little league team
How the American little league teams that were able to beat Taiwan’s little league team were celebrated an ESPN made a 30 for 30 film about this
The story behind the image of the youth baseball team that appears on Taiwan’s 500 dollar bill
The establishment of the CPBL and its game throwing and gambling scandals
The short-lived Taiwan Major League (TML) and how it differed from the CPBL
How baseball has been tied to Taiwan’s national identity in the past but that has changed as Taiwan has become more democratic
The research that Professor Morris is working on now
Professor Morris’ recommendations of other books on the subject of baseball in Taiwan

The Coming Collapse of China: Gordon Chang Discusses His Books Ep 86

Felicia Lin — Mon, 20 Jul 2020 11:37:26 +0000

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

In 2015, I spoke with Gordon Chang, author and political commentator about his views on China and his books, The Coming Collapse of China, and Nuclear Showdown: North Korea Takes On the World. I recently invited him back on Talking Taiwan, to listen to that episode, check out episode 85.

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

How Gordon went from practicing law to writing The Coming Collapse of China and becoming a political commentator who focuses on news about China
How Gordon’s views of China changed after he worked and lived there from 1996-2001
How the Chinese Communist Party is going in the wrong direction
What kind of reactions Gordon’s book, The Coming Collapse of China received
What’s going to happen if China does collapse?
China’s predatory trade policies
How China’s ban of certain websites and social media platforms delegitimizes the Chinese Communist Party
Gordon’s impressions of Taiwan
How Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement was inspired by Taiwan’s Sunflower Movement
Dissent in Hong Kong, Tibet and the Uighurs in Xinjiang
Gordon’s book Nuclear Showdown: North Korea Takes On the World
How Gordon believes that the U.S. should be calling out China on North Korea
Gordon’s thoughts on the premise of the film The Interview and the cyber hacks on Sony
If Gordon has another book in the works

We recently invited Gordon back to Talking Taiwan to talk about the Hong Kong Security Law in Episode 85.

Taiwan History Archives | Talking Taiwan Podcast

Richard Chen: The History of Social Injustice and Discrimination Toward Asian Americans Ep 130

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

Related Links:

Eric Chang on China’s Breach of Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone: Threat or Bluff? Ep 127

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

Related Links:

Tony Coolidge Talks About his Work with Indigenous Bridges Ep 113

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

Related Links:

Tony Coolidge: Finding his Indigenous Roots in Taiwan Ep 112

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

Related Links:

Talking Taiwan’s Top 5 of 2020 End of Year Review Ep 109

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

Related Links:

Professor Scott Simon: Taiwan’s Indigenous Peoples and Their Connection to Ecology Ep 99

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

Related Links:

Dr. Jerome Keating’s Books: Mapping, Paradigm Shifts, and his Favorite Quotes Ep 98

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

Related Links:

Understanding the History of Taiwan through Dr. Jerome Keating Ep 97

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

Related Links:

Professor Andrew Morris: The Relationship Between Taiwan Baseball and its History Ep 96

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

Related Links:

The Coming Collapse of China: Gordon Chang Discusses His Books Ep 86

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

Related Links: