How TaiwaneseAmerican.org Chronicles Evolving Taiwan Identity
Founded in 2006, TaiwaneseAmerican.org serves as an online archive preserving stories that shape Taiwanese America. In this episode of Zoom In Zoom Out, editor-in-chief Leona Chen reflects on how the identity has evolved across generations, how Taiwan’s stories are told overseas and how the island nation’s shifting global status continues to influence their community.
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In 2006, a small online project set out to preserve stories of a community often caught between two homelands. Nearly two decades later, TaiwaneseAmerican.org has become a living archive of Taiwanese-American identity — one that continues to evolve with every generation.
Editor-in-Chief Leona Chen says the site began with a simple goal: to document history and inspire pride. “We were founded in 2006, so we turn 20 next year,” she said. “It was envisioned to be this archive where we could contribute to the history of Taiwanese Americans, but also serve as inspiration for those who are interested in what this identity means to them.”
Growing up in Fremont, California, Chen experienced what she calls “Taiwanese America” firsthand. “There were so many Taiwanese Americans around me, but also Taiwanese American institutions,” she said. “I went to a Taiwanese school where we learned Taiwanese Taigi as our primary language, and Mandarin was the secondary optional one. Our textbooks were written by volunteers who taught us about Taiwanese industry and history.”
That early exposure, Chen said, gave her “a profound sense of scrappiness and this desire that we were writing our history together.”
Now, through the digital archive, she’s helping others do the same. TaiwaneseAmerican.org profiles people from all walks of life — from activists to artists — offering what Chen describes as “100 role models to look up to.”
The platform also highlights stories from those who grew up in areas without large Asian populations. “I love those stories so much because it shows what curiosity can lead you towards,” Chen said. During the pandemic, many young Taiwanese Americans turned to learning their grandparents’ native language online. “Even being able to say a couple of phrases in Taiwanese opened up their grandparents to them and unlocked all of these stories.”
As Taiwan’s international profile rises, Chen has witnessed how perceptions have shifted abroad. “Over in D.C., you no longer have to do this whole long preamble explaining what Taiwan is,” she said. “There’s a very acute awareness and a sophisticated understanding around the importance of Taiwan.”
Still, that visibility can bring pressure. “If the framing is always around defense and geopolitical tension, then of course that’s what people are going to ask about,” she said. For Chen, the challenge is to keep the conversation human — about people and culture, not just politics.
She also sees complexity, not controversy, as the defining feature of Taiwan’s story. “I wonder if that’s because we sort of conflate controversial with complex,” Chen said. “Taiwan is very complex. And I would really encourage people to lean into that and be inspired by the fertility of that kind of complexity.”
From bubble tea to black bears, Chen believes creativity is key to expressing Taiwanese culture in all its forms. “There’s no simple narrative, no simple way of sharing Taiwanese culture,” she said. “So what do you do with that? You become creative.”
Looking ahead, Chen hopes Taiwanese Americans will feel free to explore any passion without worrying about losing their roots. “I hope it just frees up their ability to pursue anything they want and not feel like it undermines or threatens their sense of Taiwanese identity,” she said.
For her, the future of Taiwanese America is as open-ended — and full of stories — as the archive she curates.
