Member Spotlight: Kimberley Chu

Kimberley Chu

Where did you grow up?
Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Was there a large Taiwanese presence in your community when you were growing up?
I grew up in a predominantly Italian neighbourhood - there weren't any other Asians in our school except for me, my sisters and another family (and they were Chinese). However, I did grow up surrounded by the Taiwanese community in Toronto as my parents were very involved in the community.

Now?
Some of my closest friends are from the Taiwanese community I grew up with and I'm a member of one of the few Taiwanese Churches left in Toronto.

Can you share with us any interesting stories or ideas about being Taiwanese-Canadian?
I've always felt that being Taiwanese was much like being a part of a special club because there's so few of us. Walking around a grocery store or the mall and hearing people speak Taiwanese practicaly makes me jump for joy! I quickly turn around to see if I know them! It fills me with pride when I hear other speak As for being Taiwanese-Canadian, it makes me feel good when I meet Taiwanese elders and they're shocked at 'how well' I speak Taiwanese (not well at all but I guess I make a good first impression) given that I was born in Canada. I give tribute to my parents for this because they always made us speak to them in Taiwanese.

What is your profession currently?
I'm an Executive Assistant for an oil and gas consulting company

Did your Taiwanese heritage influence your current career path? If so, can you tell us what role your heritage played in what you do now?
I would say that being Asian had an influence in my career path. Growing up, I always thought that I should go into the law or medicine fields. Be a doctor or be a lawyer - good money. My parents never pushed me towards these but I always felt that this was what they would want me to do. I eventually got into the Science stream in University but got suspended for a year because I didn't have high enough grades to continue. This quickly lead me to look at my other options.

My parents were very supportive and encouraged me to go in Business as they thought I had the mind for it. I did 3 years of community college and 2 years of university resuting in a Business diploma and Degree in Commerce. Had I not flunked out of Science, I would have never thought about Business School.

What advice can you give other young Taiwanese-(north) American women about pursuing a career in North America and maintaining ties to their Taiwanese identity?
Do what you want - not what you think others would like you to do. In the end, it's you that's going to be in that career for the rest of your life, not them. Find your passion and see what career path you can take to inlcude that passion. I've always like helping people so being an Executive Assistant allows me to do that.

Remember the path you took to get to where you are in your life. Don't forget about what makes you unique and give back to your community (Taiwanese and non-Taiwanese) to share your knowledge and experiences.

Member Spotlight: Cathy Chang

Cathy Chang

Where did you grow up?
Toronto, Ontario

Was there a large Taiwanese presence in your community when you were growing up?
I don't remember any Taiwanese people in our immediate neighborhood or in elementary school. Despite this, I remember always being surrounded by Taiwanese people because we were involved in the Taiwanese community in Toronto. When I reached high school I realized that the Taiwanese community in Toronto was quite large.

Now?
I'm still in Toronto and it seems like there are more Taiwanese people now than before. It's hard to gauge though because some Taiwanese people also identify themselves as Chinese.

Can you share with us any interesting stories or ideas about being Taiwanese-Canadian?
That's a hard question to answer without having something to compare it to. As a kid I discovered that I had a Canadian accent and my American friends thought it was quite fascinating. I also got to visit different Canadian cities as a result of attending TCA (Taiwanese-Canadian Association) conferences. This is an annual conference held over the Canada Day long weekend where children and adults get together to learn or exchange ideas about Taiwanese issues.

What is your profession currently?
I am a Cytotechnologist. I look at cells from all areas of the body and determine if they are cancerous or not.

Did your Taiwanese heritage influence your current career path? If so, can you tell us what role your heritage played in what you do now?
My career path was influenced by my interests rather than heritage. My field is quite small so I suppose I've significantly increased the Taiwanese presence in it!

What advice can you give other young Taiwanese-(north) American women about pursuing a career in North America and maintaining ties to their Taiwanese identity?
First, find your passion and let that lead you into a career. Your passion may involve Taiwanese issues or it may not. In either case you can still retain your Taiwanese identify by remembering the lessons your parents taught you about culture, history, manners, and even food! Pass on this knowledge by sharing it with friends, both Taiwanese and non-Taiwanese. By doing this you may even find a way to incorporate these into your career.

TsuAnn Kuo Recognized as Community Leader by TACL

TsuAnn Kuo Recognized as Community Leader by TACL
By Michi Fu

On June 14th, 2009, Dr. TsuAnn Kuo was recognized by the Taiwanese Citizens League for being a community leader during the TACL Community Scholarship Ceremony. Joann Lo, co-coordinator of NATWA II, was to introduce the honoree and had prepared the excerpted words below:

“Tsuann has been a bridge between the 1st and 2nd generations of Taiwanese Americans. She is a past president of Taiwanese American Heritage Fund and on the honorary board of advisers for TAP—Taiwanese American Professionals. Tsuann often facilitates workshops and discussions between the 1st and 2nd generations, trying to help each side understand the other. NATWA II would not exist if it were not for Tsuann pushing and working for it…Among her many awards, Tsuann was featured as the "2006 Local Hero of the Year" by KCET, chosen as "Our Role Model" by LA18 TV Station, and received TAP's 2007 Pioneer in Community Service Award.”

In Joann Lo’s place, I had the impossible task of trying to summarize the strengths of one of our own role models. How would one encapsulate her intellect and creativity, her integrity and generosity, the effects of her networking and mentoring, her graceful charm…the list goes on. Simply said no introduction could properly recognize TsuAnn for what she is: a bridge between generations and cultures.

Dr. Kuo graced the audience with a discussion of how one can negotiate being Taiwanese and American in a meaningful manner. The evening ended with first and second generation participants alike pondering how they might work towards interacting in bicultural worlds for improved family and community relations. That is the impact of our very own TsuAnn Kuo.

You Just Don’t Understand Me: Improving Intergenerational Communication

You Just Don’t Understand Me: Improving Intergenerational Communication
By Yu Chi Huang (YoYo)

It was very interesting to learn the different ways of how two Taiwanese generations communicate with each other through Dr. Michi Fu’s research in Asian American Women. She has demonstrated various ways of how the two generations can improve their communication skills such as listening more than talking. She gave various examples of how our culture can impact the way we think, analyze and communicate with each other.

In many Asian families, bad communication skills are the primary roots of internal family conflicts. Many would rather avoid the topic than to discuss why each other is upset. I can relate this to my own family because I usually do not see much communication going on but people will be upset for no reason. Through the act between the daughter and mother fighting over who the daughter should get married to, I know that most of us can definitely relate to this similar situation because pride or “face” in Taiwanese is the primary reason of our existence. The parents usually worry about who their daughter will marry because they in turn will be part of the future family which translates to the “topic of discussion” when family or friends come over.

As Dr. Fu suggested a communication solution called reciprocation, it helped the two generations to open up communication by reciprocating each other’s tone of voice. Both were able to stay calmer and talk to each other without being offensive. During the third time around, the listening solution has bridged the two generations because both parties were able to explain the reasons behind their argument. Both parties have reasons to justify their actions, both have good intentions but they were not communicated well in the first round. This has helped me to realize that proper communication is the key to understanding each other. Instead of assuming the opposite party does not understand, one has to understand which point the other party is trying to make first.

I have also learned to listen more than talking when it comes to talking with the elders, family, friends who care about you. The more I listen and take in, the more viewpoints I see which in turn helps me to make my final decision. Finally, culture awareness has also made me understand certain things my family say so I am able to absorb and filter their thoughts to the direct point. In the end, they want what is the best for me so I do not see the bad side of their argument anymore.

Taiwanese Identity and Giving Back to Our Community

Taiwanese Identity and Giving Back to Our Community
By Kimberley Chu

In the NATWA II Roundtable Discussion, we talked about communities (how we receive and give back) and what it means to be Taiwanese American / Canadian.

We started off by talking about communities and what we receive from them. In our daily lives, we have many communities we are a part of: cultural (Taiwanese), professional (Musicians, Publishing, etc.), social (mothers, women, etc.), to name a few.

What do we receive from these communities? A sense of belonging and power, share a common background and experiences, pass along knowledge (paying it forward) and growth.

How do we give back to these communities? How you give and receive are very much related. You provide / do something for the community and the community provides you with opportunities to grow. Although you’re giving, you’re also receiving in return. Being a part of many different communities increases your exposure to different opportunities.

We then moved on to what it means to be Taiwanese. Ethnicity. History. Politics. Educate and defend. More opportunities. The ability to find your niche. Food. Culture.

What does it mean to be Taiwanese-American / Canadian?
Having multiple identities. Makes you more open. You experience more. Have multiple perspectives.

For Canadians, there is a cultural mosaic, you can have dual citizenship, there are cultural pockets where you can live your entire life without having to speak English, you’re encouraged to retain your mother tongue, there is also funding for cultures / events / organizations.

For Americans, the perception is that you choose to be American, you can’t have dual citizenship, backlash for those that don’t speak American (not viewed as being American), selfish mindset, entitlement and freedom from superstition.

It was a good discussion that brought up a lot of good key points. For me, it made me think more about my identity and communities I’m a part of. Being surrounded by Taiwanese women made me relax, allowed me to know that I’m surrounded by those that understand me as a woman, but most importantly as a Taiwanese woman. I didn’t have to defend myself or my culture, explain why I believe Taiwan should be an independent country, how I support it or why I do it.

Thank you ladies for a great weekend and for allowing me to ‘let my hair down’.

NATWA Night

Saturday Night NATWA Dinner
By Deana Chuang

On Saturday, April 18, 2009, from 7:00 to 9:00 pm, the North American Taiwanese Women’s Association capped off a weekend of workshops and sightseeing by feasting on a dinner banquet at the hotel. Local NATWA chapters provided entertainment throughout the evening, which included dance performances, elaborate skits, musical performances, and a surprisingly funny stand up comedy routine.

As the attendees dined on a duo of chicken and fish and peach cobbler, NATWA II members also contributed to the evening’s festivities with their own performance. Jen Shyu, an artist based in New York City, created a performance that showcased the responses to questionnaires sent out by Linda Chen to NATWA II members about their Taiwanese American/Canadian identity. Interspersed between the readings of the anonymous responses by individual NATWA II members, Ms. Shyu sang Taiwanese folk music that she accompanied with the piano or a moon guitar.

At the close of the evening, NATWA II members sold t-shirts, books, and CDs, a fundraiser for future events and activities. A good time was had by all as we looked forward to 2010 in Toronto.

Icebreaker/Welcome

Icebreaker/Welcome to NATWA Annual Conference
By Annie Chen

This year's NATWA II Conference kicked off with icebreakers and a welcoming session on Friday, April 17th at 6:30pm. Members trickled in dragging their assorted luggages, lamenting their delayed flights and the abnormally warm weather in Atlanta. Luckily for our growling stomaches, Joann Lo's mom provided us with fresh buns with a variety of fillings to tide over our time-zone-confused appetites.

As we launched into name and geographic placements in the introductions, we also welcomed the first member of NATWA III Dylan O'Malley-Lo, the 8-month old baby boy that Joann so graciously allowed us to hand around the entire weekend long.

From members in Toronto to Washington DC to New York and Los Angeles, the NATWA II group was well representative of different ages (though
no one looked a day over 25), career paths and interests.

As tempted as I was to lead the group into a rowdier, definitely-ice-breaking game involving singing and charades, we instead opted for the calmer "Two Truths and a Lie". Learning about whether or not members had gone bungee jumping, truly liked stinky tofu or had tattoos was definitely eye-opening and a great way to start the convention. Many of the members who had not yet arrived were even given the opportunity to fill in their two truths and a lie when a group of us ate a last meal together on Sunday April 19th, bringing the conference full circle.