The Life Journey of a second generation Taiwanese American : Dr. Ho-Chi Tsai

by Ho-Chi Tsai

Hello!

My name is Ho Chie Tsai, and I am the founder of TaiwaneseAmerican.org.

A little about me: My parents immigrated to the U.S. in 1972, my dad as a physician-in-training, my mom as a housewife with twin boys in tow, but both very proud and active in the young Midwestern Taiwanese American community of the 70’s and 80’s. They raised me to be immensely proud of my heritage and never compromise on my identity as a Taiwanese American. I have been actively involved in the Taiwanese American community for as long as I can remember. During the late 1980’s through the 1990’s, I helped run Taiwanese American youth summer camp programs in the Midwest and East Coast. During my collegiate years, I helped to found one of the first Taiwanese American student organizations at my university and networked with other new organizations to form the first intercollegiate networks and conferences. Since those years, I have remained a frequent speaker at conferences and camps to help inspire pride in our unique Taiwanese American identity and encourage active involvement in our community.

In 2006, I felt it was time to do something bigger, so I created the website TaiwaneseAmerican.org to bring together the growing 2nd generation Taiwanese American community by highlighting the events, organizations, and emerging celebrities and voices of our community. I felt it was the best way for me to create a sense of unified identity through showcasing all the active and inspired youth, collegiate, and young professional programs at that time.

As our community continued to become more established through multiple generations, TaiwaneseAmerican.org’s presence has grown tremendously online and through social media channels like Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. People from all over the world continue to discover us and support our mission. Similarly, expectations from our community for us to represent the Taiwanese American voices and stories have also grown. Presently, our Facebook Page has over 16,000 followers, doubling from just three years prior. We have spearheaded or supported projects such as the “Write in Taiwanese” 2010 Census campaign, the 100 Passionate People Project, the Our Taiwanese American Story archive, and many others. We also have become a platform to help draw attention to the many artists, musicians, and actors who struggle for support in their non-traditional career paths. It is my belief that a well-rounded, strong, and influential image is necessary for people outside of our community to see the value and uniqueness of our Taiwanese heritage and identity. No one can deny our existence.

As a result, we have been successful as part of a larger community effort among both 1st and 2nd generation in solidifying the Taiwanese American community and identity. I have noticed the increasing pride from many corners of the Taiwanese American community that I have interacted with.

I promise to continue the good work that builds and reinforces our wonderful Taiwanese American community. We are in this together.