Longing for a Place – The Early Years of the New York Taiwan Center
Author: Chao-ping Huang
The New York Taiwan Center recently just celebrated its 31st Anniversary. The Taiwan Center was the world’s first-ever overseas Taiwanese community center, and it is an important beachhead for supporters of the Democratic Progressive Party. For many Taiwanese Americans, it is also a second home that supports their dreams!
The Taiwan Center Association is located on Northern Boulevard in Flushing, Queens. Once home to a disco ballroom, the building was collectively purchased by overseas Taiwanese from the greater New York area in 1986 and was donated to be used as the Taiwan Center. In its lifetime it has undergone three renovations, and is currently registered as a non-profit organization under the name “Taiwan Center, Inc.” The establishment of the New York Taiwan Center inspired the establishment of other Taiwan Centers across the globe, and thus it is commonly referred to as the First Taiwan Center.
The Taiwan Center has now been expanded into a comprehensive community center open to residents of all ethnic communities, and it is actively serving as a bridge for Taiwanese and American cross-cultural education and exchange. It is also used as an event venue by many of Greater New York area’s Taiwanese organizations. The Center has also played an important role in the Democratic Progressive Party’s overseas political activities. Important figures such as President Tsai Ing-wen, former President Chen Shui-bian, former Vice-president Annette Lu Hsiu-lien, former Premieres of the Republic of China Frank Hsieh and Su Tseng-chang, and Yu Shyi-kun all have left important records of their political campaigns with the Taiwan Center.
When speaking of the grassroots foundations of the Taiwan Center, Founder and First President Lung-Fong Chen recalled the hardships of that early time as causing “a great deal of bitterness.” We are extremely thankful for the incredible support of the overseas Taiwanese community along the entire journey. Thanks to the participation of all of its supporters, the Taiwan Center was not only able to remain open, but moreover it changed from being thought of as a white elephant gift to being considered a treasure to all. Additionally, since the property value of the Center has increased, many people believe that the decision to purchase the Taiwan Center was made with good foresight.
Thirty years ago, Patrick Huang, a Taiwanese expat living in New York and a number of other people actively searched for a home for the overseas Taiwanese community. According to Lung-Fong Chen, originally everyone had their eyes on purchasing a Veteran’s Club on Bowne Street, and a price was negotiated. But the day before the contract was signed, a New York Times article was published that claimed that Flushing property prices would soon surge, so the seller decided not to sell the property after all.
But as the saying goes, “Heaven does not turn its back on those who are diligent,” and indeed, after a great deal of searching, the property on Northern Boulevard was finally found. Originally home a nightclub, this became the new home for New York’s overseas Taiwanese.
Located diagonally from the Taiwan Center is the 100-year-old Flushing Town Hall, on the right is the nearly 100-year-old historic Armory (currently being used as a branch office for the New York City Police Department), and on the left is the Quaker Meetinghouse, which has more than 300 years of history. The entire neighborhood is part of the famous Queens Historical Society Freedom Mile.
But, the price of the property was nearly $800,000, and with the additional cost of renovation, the estimated funds necessary would be $1.3 million. Considering the fact that the average person could buy a good house to settle down in for $200,000, this figure seemed astronomical at that time.
As Lung-Fong Chen explains, it was decided that the property for the Taiwan Center would be purchased through a shareholder method. A total of 37 shareholders, including Fon-may Fan and Ju-Cheng Lee collectively registered “Taitower Inc.,” with 50 shares each worth $12,500. Pooling their resources together, they purchased the property, and then rented it to the Taiwan Center for the symbolic price of $1 per year.
It was in this fashion that the New York Taiwanese finally had a new home, which officially opened on July 19, 1986. Tzu-tan Wu, the former director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York, was the first official from the Republic of China to enter the Taiwan Center.
But, in the dark days of October 1987, the US stock market crashed, and the just-opened Taiwan Center was facing a great financial crisis. Lung-Fong Chen recalls that even with fundraising, the Center’s finances were far from the amount needed to repay the bank loan. The cost of paying off the principal and interest, in combination with the Center’s own operating costs was a financial burden that pushed the Taiwan Center to the brink of collapse.
Another fundraising campaign was launched by the Taiwanese community, while two loan banks, Asia Bank and Great Eastern Bank agreed to refinance the Taiwan Center’s loans. This large-scale operation to save the Taiwan Center resulted in donations from over 400 individuals, and raised nearly $600,000, but it was still not enough to pay of the Center’s debts.
At the very last minute, the late politician Tron-Rong Tsai contributed by making a proposal to the Legislative Yuan, and Lung-Fong Chen also requested assistance from a Tainan relative who at the time was a member of the Kuomintang Central Standing Committee. Chen said of the exchange, “we talked from late evening until 5 o’clock the next morning.”
Lung-fong Chen said that in the end, the government agreed to make the Overseas Community Affairs Council a guarantor that would bear the interest. $400,000 was borrowed from International Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), which helped resolve the Center’s financial dilemma.
The story of the New York Taiwan Center’s rescue is perfectly described by the saying: “just when there seems to be no path through the endless mountains and rivers, suddenly a village appears amongst the willows and flowers.” The Taiwan Center was not only saved from being closed down, it is now a flourishing business. As Lung-Fong Chen said, “the Taiwan Center has fulfilled the hopes and dreams of the overseas Taiwanese!” Thankfully, the Taiwan Center has not fallen, and it has taken root in New York. We hope that it will continue to exist, forever standings in its place and acting as the “forever home” of New York’s Taiwanese population.
The New York Taiwan Center is located on Northern Boulevard in Flushing, Queens. It is the first overseas Taiwanese community center. The building behind the Taiwan Center is a nearly 100-year-old Armory, currently occupied by the New York Police Department
The New York Taiwan Center has become a community center for residents of all different ethnic groups, and the first choice for local Taiwanese events. You can enjoy delicious Taiwanese cooking here.
The Taiwan Center is the world’s first overseas Taiwanese community center. It was established 31 years ago and continues to act as a second home that supports the dreams of the New York Taiwanese population.
Source: Mrs. P. Chen 07/2017
Translated from 304. 心心念念一間厝 紐約台灣會館起家 / 黃兆平 /07/2017
