對台美團體未來的新思維
作者 蘇希三
謝謝董事們辛勞地籌備，讓台灣同鄉會的新春晚會再回人間聖路易。特別感謝謝昌宏董事，他挑起總策劃的重擔，雖然臨時有要事需要出國，仍然拼到最後一天。若有人願意代替他本來計畫要兼扮的財神爺，還有機會試看看。什麼話都不需要講，出現時間也自己決定，給大家、你、跟家人一個意外的驚奇。願意的人請私訊給我 (groh.hisam@gmail.com 或314-488-5150)
正式的宣告總是不好聽，我來試看看避免在餐會時煞風景，就在這裡聊聊同鄉會的某些話題。看看能不能激起些許漣漪，引發鄉親社區的前進。歡迎提出疑問或討論。
長話短說，我們需要找出繼續玩下去的理由、方法、與策略。其實最根本的是該談談我們在聖路易要怎麼活下去，要活出什麼來。
以前，旅居聖路易，想的都是如何發揮最大的生存效益，賺最多的錢、買最便宜的東西、存款繼續增加、謀取更多的福利、還有，該搬去那個較好的地方。
現在留下來的人好像心情不同了。新來的人也好像沒有以前那些負擔了。大家較關心什麼時候去哪裡旅遊、回台灣、吃哪家館子，不是嗎？
我們當中還有共同需求嗎？若沒有，那就幾乎沒有見面聚會的理由了。那只能提供見面聚會的同鄉會自然就會消風，沒有人想參加了。
用社會學觀點來想，應該有，不過需要去找，去談，去開發，去經營。
同是天涯移居人或寄居人，我們有什麼共同點跟共同需求呢？簡單說，就是共同的認同。不錯，有的人具有多樣認同的條件可以加入其他群體去取暖或收取福利，而不需被某一項認同綁住。
我們之間的共同點可以說是來自台灣，接受過現代台灣的滋潤與洗滌，帶著台灣氣質跟優缺點，跟住在聖路易地區，繼續活在台灣跟美國的大傘下面。
無論如何不可能完全變成其他族群。我們的喜怒哀樂只有在同鄉圈子裡才可能得到欣賞或體諒。當我們站在大社會裡，我們需要一個讓其他族群的人爭眼敬佩的共同理由。
如果我們曾經覺得某某族群的人了不得，就表示我們的族群也可能讓人另眼相看。這就是我們此後在聖路易可以努力、發揮的地方。也是因為這樣同鄉會早已把宗旨改為台美人文化傳統的發展與展現，而交誼活動變成「匯聚大家能量」的手段與過程。這跟早期同鄉會以交誼為主大不相同。
談到交誼也是有新的空間可發展。以前強調「跟老朋友見面」，現在需要強調「認識新朋友」、「拓展人脈」。
有了認同，有了平台之後，除了自我感覺良好之外，又怎樣？認同與認同感都是需要不斷經營、保養、維護的。因為事實是認同感也是競爭、打壓、霸凌的標的、藉口、或媒介。這是有些人不願意涉入的原因。尤其是夾在兩個互相排斥的認同感之間的人更覺為難。有人偏愛輕鬆地順流漂浮，有人選擇逆流而上。這也是自然現象。此外，真的沒有了嗎？
有一件事情就是靠「認同感」做基礎的。鄉親之間互相作伴、提攜、提供舞台、互相欣賞鼓勵、拌嘴。其實這很簡單。因為最古老也是最普及跟最通行的娛樂就是聊天。聊天不但可娛樂，還有調節身心、教育、訓練、跟拓展人脈的功用。這次，也可以說是今後，我們設計特別的聊天節目作為餐會的主題活動。不但每個人都可能受邀扮演名嘴當眾聊聊，也可能臨時扮演訪談者帶動大家。鄉親之間互相學習、互相鼓勵本來就是家常便飯，不必擔心出糗。
這是新方向、新氣象、新作風、新希望的第一步。2017年顯然是新時代的開始。我們也不例外。
星期六下午見。
蘇希三 1/20/2017
Thanks to the member of the board for the hard work of planning and preparation that brings the Lunar New Year gathering back to the community of Taiwanese Americans in St. Louis, with special thanks to Roger Hsieh, who carries the burden of the coordinator working through the last day before the event even when his visit to Taiwan is unexpectedly moved up. Anyone willing to take his place playing the role of “god of fortune” the opportunity is still open for trying. The god of fortune decides when to appear, without saying anything, and give oneself and the family a surprising joy. Those willing to try please send me a private message to groh.hisam@gmail.com or call 314-488-5150.
Since official announcements are always boring, I would try to avoid messing up the atmosphere by doing that in the dinner party of our Lunar New Year celebration but blabbing about some issues relevant to the TAA-STL, Taiwanese Association of America in St. Louis. I am trying to see if some ripples can be stirred up to facilitate the advancement of our community of Taiwanese Americans in St. Louis. You are welcome to raise questions or jump into discussions.
Making the long stories short, we need to figure out the reasons, methods, and strategies to continue the games. The most fundamental is, perhaps, how we can make a living and live up our lives here in St. Louis.
In the past, living in St. Louis as guests, we were concerned about how to maximize the ultimate effect of being here, such as, making the most monetary return as we could, buying the stuffs at lowest prices, increasing the numbers in the saving accounts, obtaining as much benefit as possible, and also, where might be a better place to move to.
Those who stay in St. Louis after a while seem to have different frames of mind nowadays. The newcomers don’t seem to have the similar burden as the predecessors did. We are concerned about when and where to take a sightseeing tour, to visit homeland Taiwan, to dine out, aren’t we?
Are we having common requirements or needs? If not, then there might be no reason for us to meet in a gathering. The TAA-STL that can only provide occasion for meeting together would lose the function and lack the incentives for people to become members.
There should be some reasons which need to be searched, talked about, developed, and managed, sociologically speaking.
Being migrants or sojourners of similar conditions, what do we have in common? In a nutshell, it is our common identity. It is true that some people carry multiple identities on their back and be able to join other groups for warming themselves or obtaining benefits, without being tied to any particular sense of identity.
The commonality we share is perhaps that we all come from Taiwan, have received and being nourished and washed by the contemporary Taiwan culture, carry similar merits and shortages of Taiwanese attributes and, currently live in the St. Louis area continuing to live under the umbrellas of Taiwan and USA.
Now matter how we try nobody can change the identity from one to another completely. Our emotions can be only understood, tolerated, or appreciated, in the circle of our fellows of similar homeland culture. We need common or similar reasons for others to admire to in the society at large.
If we have ever admire that people with certain racial/ethnic group identity are awesome it means it is possible our identity can receive similar respect, more or less. This is something we can work on and unleash our energy for. This is why the TAA-STL has changed the purposes to the development and display of our heritage of Taiwanese Americas using social activities as means and processes for gathering the energy and efforts together. This is quite different from the past when we placed the mingling as the main purpose in the old time when the TAA-STL was first formed.
Talking about friendship-orientation there is new space to paint. While we provide opportunities to meet old friends in the past we need to emphasize making new friends and expand networking nowadays.
So what is next, with shared identity and the related platforms, besides having good feeling about ourselves? Common identity and the sense of identification all need to be managed, maintained, continuously. Practically, the sense of identification is also target, excuse, or media of competition, suppression, and bullying, This is why some people stay away from it’s dilemma, especially when getting caught in between two mutually exclusive identities. Some people prefer floating downstream light-heartedly while others choose to swim against the current. This is also a scenery of nature. Are there anything else?
There is one thing that is built and dependent on identity. The homeland people tend to accompany, support, provide opportunity, appreciate, encourage, bicker one another. This can be facilitated very easily because the most ancient yet popular entertainment is chatting. Chatting is not only entertaining but also help to balance state of minds and body, facilitate education, training, and expanding networking. In this coming dinner gathering, or perhaps from now on, we can design special process to make chatting the highlight program of the gathering. Every participant will have opportunity not only to play the role of talk-show guests and chat in public but also play the role of talk-show host to inspire and lead the chatting involving all. Mutual learning, encouragement among the homeland people are household activities and we have no reason to feel embarrassed about making a fool of ourselves.
This is the first step of a new direction, new atmosphere, new style, and new hope. 2017 is obviously the beginning of a new era and we will not be exempted.
See you Saturday afternoon.
Anthony H. Su 1/20/2017
Source from 蘇希三 01/2017
Posted in 01/2017
