Talking Taiwan

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

On this episode of Talking Taiwan I speak with Jason Chew about being a filmmaker. We talked about how he veered away from his traditional Taiwanese upbringing and parents' expectations that he become a lawyer.

As a filmmaker, he's worked with several different clients in both Taiwan (a funeral home and cosmetics company) and the U.S. He shared how one project with the NYPD required him to wear a bulletproof vest while cruising around with the NYPD to the scene of a crime.

When asked I him what inspires his creativity, Jason responded by asking "where don't you find inspiration… everything could be inspiration."

Check out the show notes on the Talking Taiwan website for some of the great film directors that have inspired Jason and a few of the classic films about Taiwan that he recommends.

Here's a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

• Jason's connection to musician Treya, who we interviewed in episode 55
• Jason's "traditional Taiwanese upbringing" and what a "traditional Taiwanese upbringing" means to him
• How he went from being on the path to attend law school to applying for film school
• What it was like attending NYU Film School in Singapore
• What Jason's film career has been like so far
• The difference between film editing, shooting, and directing
• What sets someone apart as a director
• What is cinematography
• Jason's short films
• The music video he worked on for Treya's song Magic
• The work that Jason did on the NYPD's Domain Awareness System (DAS) which is a sort of monitoring service
• How Jason and his colleagues rode around in an NYPD police car to crime scenes in response to alerts from the Shot Spotter, which is a series of microphones that listen for shots fired
• Jason's thoughts on Black Lives Matter
• Jason's work with Taiwanese companies
• Jason's parents' reaction to his choice to pursue a career as a filmmaker instead of law
• What inspires him as a cinematographer
• The crowdfunding campaigns on student films that he's worked on
• Jason's favorite films about Taiwan
• Films that he recommends for people who would like to know more about Taiwan
• Jason's work on the short film A Father's Son – A 90s Chinatown Noir Thriller, which is based on the characters from Henry Chang's NYPD Detective Jack Yu crime series novels
• What Jason enjoys the most about filmmaking
• How the pandemic has affected Jason
• What Jason is currently working on
• Jason's advice for people interested in pursuing filmmaking
• Jason's advice on how to push through tough challenging times

Related Links:

Jason Chew's website: https://www.jasonchew.com

Jason Chew on Instagram: @chewchomp

Roaming Dogs of Taiwan (short film): https://www.jasonchew.com/#/roaming-dogs/

The music video for Treya's song Magic: https://www.jasonchew.com/#/treya-lam-magic/

Treya's Talking Taiwan interview (episode 55): https://www.talkingtaiwan.com/treya-lam-talking-taiwan-ep-55/

Apartment Therapy: https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/

Film Director Tsai Ming-liang https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsai_Ming-liang

Film Shop: https://www.thefilmshop.org/

Ava Duvernay (Film Director): http://www.avaduvernay.com/

The short film project: A Father's Son - A 90s Chinatown Noir Thriller, which is based on the characters from Henry Chang's NYPD Detective Jack Yu crime series novels: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/chenxihao/a-fathers-son-a-90s-chinatown-noir-thriller

Stanley Kubrick (Film Director): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Kubrick

Akira Kurosawa (Film Director): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akira_Kurosawa

Cohen Brothers (Film Directors): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coen_brothers

Bong Joon-ho (Film Director): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bong_Joon-ho

Classic Films about Taiwan that Jason recommends:

Eat Drink Man Woman (Ang Lee film): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111797/

Yi Yi (Edward Yang film): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0244316/

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

In the spirit of giving, with Thanksgiving approaching and the holiday season soon upon us, I thought I'd share this interview from 2014 with Supei Liu one of the co-founders of Nomi Network. Hear Supei tell the story of how the desire to create more awareness about human trafficking led to the creation of Nomi Network, an organization which gives economic opportunities to empower women and to protect them from human trafficking. Last year, the organization celebrated its tenth year.

Here's a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

• The work that Nomi Network does
• The story of the Cambodian girl who inspired Diana Mao, Supei Liu and Alissa Moore-Williams to found Nomi Network
• How their desire to raise awareness of human trafficking grew into creating an organization
• How Diana, Supei and Alissa all had full-time jobs when they started Nomi Network
• How Supei became the first full-time employee of Nomi Network
• Supei's background in corporate America
• What Supei does for Nomi Network
• How Nomi Network is about creating economic opportunities for women and children at risk of being trafficked
• Prevention as one of the keys to dealing with human trafficking
• How Supei works directly with the women that Nomi helps
• How Nomi Network started a program in India in 2012
• The social issues that the women Nomi Network helps have to deal with
• The challenges that the Nomi Network has faced
• Nomi's "Buy Her Bag Not Her Body" campaign
• Products made by survivors and women at risk
• Nomi's key accomplishments
• How Nomi was awarded one of the top nonprofits in 2014
• Supei's connection to Taiwan
• Sex trafficking in other parts of the world including Taiwan
• How her early experiences have shaped her
• Supei's advice for those wanting to create an organization or to work for a specific cause

Related Links:

Nomi Network: https://nominetwork.org/

Nomi Network products: https://www.buyherbagnotherbody.com/

Nomi Network on Facebook: www.facebook.com/nominetwork

Nomi Network on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nominetwork/

Nomi Network on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nominetwork

Nomi Network on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7UaUlyqMy2B1KL1S2_l5HQ

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

In 2013 I spoke with Andrew Yang who was the CEO of Venture for America at the time. He was at his office and multi-tasking during our interview, so when you listen to the interview, you'll hear some background noise and typing. At the time he talked about being invited to the White House amongst several things.

Who would have predicted that a few years later that he would be running as a Democrat for the 2020 U.S. President election?

Many now know him as the Presidential candidate who proposed something called the "Freedom Dividend." With the 2020 U.S. Presidential election results unfolding, and Joe Biden recently declared President-elect, some say that there may place for Andrew in the Biden administration. I thought it would be a good time to share this interview that I did with Andrew.

Here's a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

• Andrew's involvement with the Entrepreneur Challenge and Competition and connection with the Taiwanese American Professionals
• What is Venture for America?
• What it was like for Andrew to be invited to the White House and speak to President Barack Obama about Venture for America?
• How Venture for America was modeled after Teach for America
• What cities Venture for America was in (at the time of the interview) and where they were planning to expand to
• What types of startups Venture for America works with
• How long is the bootcamp that Venture for America fellows are required to go through and what are they taught
• How many fellows there were in Venture for America (at the time of the interview)
• What are some of the things that the fellows have done/accomplished
• How Jeff Weiner the CEO of LinkedIn has agreed to join Venture for America's investment council
• The highlights of being involved with Venture for America for Andrew
• What's the most challenging thing about running an organization like Venture for America
• What motivates Andrew with Venture for America
• Who are some of Andrew's role models in the nonprofit space
• What's the difference between a struggling and successful entrepreneur
• What advice Andrew has for someone wanting to start a community-based organization
• What Andrew's future plans are for Venture for America
• Andrew's book Smart People Should Build Things
• Andrew's thoughts on Taiwan and the entrepreneurship of the Taiwanese people

Related Links:

Venture for America: www.ventureforamerica.org

Teach for America: https://www.teachforamerica.org/

Charity Water: https://www.charitywater.org/

Donors Choose: https://www.donorschoose.org/

Angela Lee Duckworkth's TED talk about Grit: https://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_grit_the_power_of_passion_and_perseverance?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare

Smart People Should Build Things by Andrew Yang: https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B00DB3D7EY&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_BVrSFb10ZBV39

Andrew Yang's campaign website for the 2020 U.S. Presidential election: https://www.yang2020.com/

Taiwanese American Professionals- New York (TAP-NY): https://tap-ny.org/

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

Jason Wang, the Founder of Cypress River Advisors spoke with me about how his advisory firm which is normally not in the business of producing PPE, was able to start the production of face shields at scale in four weeks in Taiwan during the COVID-19 pandemic. The effort which is called Face Shields for the First Line, donates face shields to health care and essential workers.

We also talked about how they cut down on the shipping costs and minimized waste by using polypropylene a material lighter in weight than acrylic and flat packaging due to the origami design of the face shield.

Here's a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

• What's it been like being in Taiwan during the Coronavirus pandemic
• Jason's, upbringing and career path before he relocated to Taiwan and founded Cypress River Advisors
• What brought Jason back to Taiwan
• What Cypress River Advisors does
• How Cypress River Advisors has been impacted by COVID-19
• How this advisory firm had no prior experience producing PPE but its Face Shield for the First Line effort was able to produce and ship their first face shields in four weeks
• Why Jason decided to start Face Shields for the First Line
• How Face Shields for the First Line began with producing intubation shields and then face shields
• The origami design of the face shields and light-weight materials used to cut down on shipping costs
• What bra elastic has to do with Face Shields for the First Line
• What's been most challenging with Face Shields for the First Line
• What's been most rewarding about Face Shields for the First Line
• How Jason manages the business of Cypress River Advisors and Face Shields for the First Line
• How fatherhood has changed his outlook on life
• The future direction of Face Shields for the First Line

Related Links:

Face Shields for the First Line Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/faceshieldsforthefirst

Face Shields for the First Line donated to Elmhurst Hospital in Queens, NY

Face Shields for the First Line on Spotfund:

https://spot.fund/faceshieldsforthefirst

Cypress River Advisors:

https://www.cypressriveradvisors.com/

A conversation between Taiwan's Vice President Chen Chien-jen and Ellen J. MacKenzie (Dean, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health) on Friday, April 24, about Taiwan's early and effective response to the coronavirus. Chen Chien-jen received a Doctor of Science degree in epidemiology and human genetics from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in 1982. Chen and MacKenzie discussed the specific measures Taiwan took to control the spread of the virus and how Vice President Chen's public health training played a role.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReI6ROZNbkk&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR27S_KP92dg_hotNY0SD89V76gbPQKw-_9U76MfuXzUVo-HizO6dpslOMs

TECRO: www.taiwanembassy.org/us_en/index.html

The open source intubation shield box (aka "Aerosol Box") designed by Taiwanese doctor, Lai Hsien-yung: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vWPikcRHVE8YUmZlvgHyb2Nj6hvtxof8

Cypress River Associates COVID-19 Tracker Dashboard: https://cypressriveradvisors.shinyapps.io/covid-19/

Quick video of how to put together the Face Shields for the Front Lines origami face shield: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=207286267217061

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

In part two of my interview part two with Dr. Peter Tsai, he talks about how he was called out of retirement to help address the shortage and demand for N95 masks with the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic. Dr. Tsai is the Taiwanese American inventor of the N95 mask technology who has come out of retirement to figure out how to sterilize N95s for reuse, and to help scale up production of the masks.

Special Thanks to HoChie Tsai of TaiwneseAmercan.org for making this interview possible.

Here's a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

• How Dr. Tsai was contacted and came out of retirement because of the demand and shortage of N95 masks
• How he tested whether or not N95 masks could be sterilized
• The shelf life of N95 masks
• The experiments that Dr. Tsai conducted to determine how to sterilize N95 masks so that they could be reused
• COVID-19 can survive for 28 days on smooth surfaces
• If N95 masks get wet, submerged in water, or come into high humidity it won't have charge decay, however if washed with soap and water N-95 masks will lose their effectiveness
• The stories of how people found Dr. Tsai
• How Dr. Tsai has worked harder than he did before retiring
• Dr. Tsai's relationship with Oak Ridge Labs, and how he was able to help them scale up their production of N95 masks
• Why there's been a shortage of N95 masks
• How he's been nicknamed the "screwdriver professor"
• Research-oriented vs. industry-oriented science
• Why Dr. Tsai decided to come out of retirement to work on N95 technology and what's next

Related Links:

TaiwaneseAmerican.org article about Dr. Peter Tsai, "Our Dad Invented the N95 Mask: Our Taiwanese American Story":

http://www.taiwaneseamerican.org/2020/09/peter-tsai-n95-inventor/

Washington Post article about Dr. Peter Tsai, "The retired inventor of N95 masks is back at work, mostly for free, to fight covid-19": https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2020/07/07/peter-tsai-n95-mask-covid/

NBC News article about Dr. Peter Tsai, "Taiwanese immigrant who invented N95 mask on working amid COVID-19 racism": https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/taiwanese-immigrant-who-invented-n95-mask-working-amid-covid-19-n1233777

CNN News Article: https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/15/health/n95-mask-inventor-coronavirus-sanjay-wellness-trnd/index.html

Dr. Peter Tsai is the Taiwanese American inventor of the technology behind the N95 mask, the piece of personal protective equipment that has become such a part of our everyday vernacular since the onset of the global Coronavirus pandemic. With the shortage of N95 respirators at the beginning of the pandemic, Dr. Tsai was called out of retirement to figure out how to sterilize N95s for reuse, and to help scale up production of the masks. In part one of my interview with him he talks about his roots and early career. Dr. Tsai also explains how the technology behind the material of N95s works, offers some suggestions on how to make more protective D.I.Y. masks, and why everyone should wear masks.

Next week we'll be sharing part two of my interview with Dr. Tsai next week, in which he talks about how he was called out of retirement and what has happened since.

Here's a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

• What it was like growing up as one of 10 children
• One of his early childhood inventions
• Why he decided to pursue further studies in the United States
• What it was like when he first arrived in the U.S. and what his expectations were
• The biggest challenge Dr. Tsai faced when first arriving in the U.S.
• The tough decision that Dr. Tsai had to make about his two daughters while he was still working on obtaining his PhD degree
• When and how Dr. Tsai started working on the material that is now used for the N95 mask
• How adding an electrostatic charge to fibers improves their filtration efficiency
• How the "corona charge" (yes, the same word "corona" but different in meaning from the Coronavirus "corona") when added to microfibers improves filtration efficiency by 10 times
• The first use of this charged fabric technology was for air filtration in 1992
• In 1995 the U.S. was set to issue new standards for respirators, which is now called the N95
• The 95 of "N95" mask refers to the fact that it needs to filter out 95% of submicron particles
• How the science behind charging fibers works
• The misconception that the size of a fabric's pores need to be smaller than particles to block them
• Electrostatic charged media is good material for respirators
• The comparison between cloth masks (which are made of woven material) and N95 masks (which are made of nonwoven material)
• Cloth masks with higher filtration efficiency must be compactly woven, thicker or higher weight
• How cloth masks are good shields to contain the virus inside a mask avoid infecting others
• Cloth masks are not ideal but they can contain the spread of the virus to others
• Dr. Tsai's recommendations regarding wearing cloth masks
• The most commonly found types of nonwoven materials that can be used as a filter for a D.I.Y. mask
• How to test if a fabric is hydrophobic
• How a MERV 14 home use filter (typically used for air filters) is electrostatically charged and hydrophobic and good to use as a filter for a D.I.Y. mask
• Dr. Tsai explains why he thinks everyone needs to wear a mask (whether its cloth or N95)
• How Dr. Tsai is working on making high filtration efficiency materials more breathable
• Research on the material used for the N95 mask began in 1987, then in 1992 the technology used for the N95 mask was first developed
• The material has been improved from 1992-2018
• How Dr. Tsai is motivated to innovate by the changing needs of the industry

Related Links:

TaiwaneseAmerican.org article about Dr. Peter Tsai, "Our Dad Invented the N95 Mask: Our Taiwanese American Story":

http://www.taiwaneseamerican.org/2020/09/peter-tsai-n95-inventor/

Washington Post article about Dr. Peter Tsai, "The retired inventor of N95 masks is back at work, mostly for free, to fight covid-19": https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2020/07/07/peter-tsai-n95-mask-covid/

NBC News article about Dr. Peter Tsai, "Taiwanese immigrant who invented N95 mask on working amid COVID-19 racism": https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/taiwanese-immigrant-who-invented-n95-mask-working-amid-covid-19-n1233777

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

Earlier this year, I spoke with Professor Scott Simon about his research on Taiwan's indigenous peoples. He is a Professor in the School of Sociological and Anthropological Studies and Co-holder of the Research Chair in Taiwan Studies at the University of Ottawa. He's done research in Taiwan since 1996, spent an accumulated 10 years of residence in the country, and published 3 books about Taiwan. We talked about Taiwan as the cradle of Austronesian peoples and culture, and what the designation of a group of people as "indigenous" means from an international law perspective. What's interesting to me is how Professor Simon's work invites us to think of Taiwan as a Pacific island nation rather than a renegade province of China.

Here's a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

• How Professor Simon got interested in the indigenous peoples of Taiwan
• How there were a lot of changes pertaining to the indigenous peoples of Taiwan around 1996
• The indigenous people that Professor Simon met while in Taiwan
• What brought Professor Simon to Taiwan initially in 1996
• How Professor Simon had initially planned to obtain his PhD in China but ended up doing it in Taiwan
• How Professor Simon's research on Taiwan's indigenous peoples and economic development led him to study the ecology and environment, and the study of Austronesian peoples
• The connection between the Bhatani Islands of the Philippines and Taiwan
• The similarity between the CHamoru language (of the people of Guam) with the Truku language of the Taiwanese indigenous people and Tao language spoken in Taiwan's Orchid Island
• Looking at Taiwan as a Pacific island nation and not just as connected to China
• Taiwan's connection to Guam, Marieta Islands, Carolina Islands, Maori of New Zealand and Easter Island
• Book recommendations for people wanting to learn more about Taiwan's indigenous peoples
• The difference between categorizing a group of people as indigenous vs. an ethnic minority
• The three nations in Asia that recognize indigenous peoples
• The political implications that come with a group of people being declared indigenous

Related Links:

Professor Scott Simon's author page on The Center for International Policy Studies of the University of Ottawa website: https://www.cips-cepi.ca/author/scott-simon/

Undoing Fieldwork in a Time of Epidemic by Scott Simon: https://cascacultureblog.wordpress.com/2020/04/20/undoing-fieldwork-in-a-time-of-epidemic/

Professor Scott Simon's books:

Tanners of Taiwan: Life Strategies and National Culture: https://books.google.com/books/about/Tanners_of_Taiwan.html?id=ostwAAAAMAAJ

Sweet and Sour: Life-Worlds of Taipei Women Entrepreneurs: https://books.google.com/books/about/Sweet_and_Sour.html?id=gFyqAuPTAgkC

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

In part two of my conversation with Dr. Keating, we spoke about his other books on mapping and paradigm shifts. Dr. Keating also shared some of his favorite quotes including the one that encapsulates why he writes about Taiwan. And he talked about meeting with Trigg Brown and Josh Ku the owners of the popular Taiwanese American restaurant Win Son, who I interviewed in episode 60.

Since his book, Taiwan The Struggle Gains Focus features some great photos of him with several influential Taiwanese celebrities, politicians and individuals, I asked him to reflect on some of the most memorable individuals he's met.

Here's a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

• Keating's books about Taiwan, that were written before Taiwan The Struggle Gains Focus
• How Taiwan The Struggle Gains Focus will probably be the last book Dr. Keating will write about Taiwan
• Keating's book about the mapping of Taiwan
• What maps can tell us about the mapmaker, trade, and economies
• The role that the Spice Islands played in bringing the West to Asia
• Dutch settlement of Anping, Taiwan
• Spanish occupation of Taiwan
• How the Portuguese named Taiwan "Ilha Formosa"
• Keating's book about paradigms, The Paradigmsthat Guide Our Lives and Drive Our Souls
• The three realms of paradigms: science, metaphysics/teleology, phenomenology
• Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
• Examples of paradigm shifts that have happened in the world of physics (science)
• What Dr. Keating plans to write about next
• Coronavirus and the paradigm shift that it has caused
• Keating's writing process and why he writes
• Keating's favorite quotes
• How the owners of the Taiwanese American restaurant Win Son (featured in episode 60), Trigg Brown and Josh Ku sought out Dr. Keating for his perspective on Taiwan's history
• Keating's thoughts on the late president Lee Teng-hui and on some of well-known politicians and personalities from Taiwan that he's met
• An African quote that sums up why Jerome writes about Taiwan
• Where you can buy Dr. Keating's books and learn more about him

Dr. Jerome Keating's website: http://www.jeromekeating.com/

Related Links:

Dr. Keating's book, The Mapping of Taiwan, Desired Economies, Coveted Geographies

Anping, Taiwan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anping_District

Dr. Keating's book, The Paradigms that Guide Our Lives and Drive Our Souls:

Thomas Kuhn (The American physicist and philosopher who introduced the term paradigm shift): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Kuhn

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Thomas-S-Kuhn

Jonathan Edwards (Puritan Theologian): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Edwards_(theologian)

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jonathan-Edwards

Ralph Waldo Emerson (Transcendentalist Essayist, Philosopher and Poet): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Waldo_Emerson

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/emerson/

https://www.biography.com/writer/ralph-waldo-emerson

Alfred North Whitehead (Mathematician Philosopher, and notable figure in process philosophy):https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/whitehead/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_North_Whitehead

The True Believer by Eric Hoffer: https://www.amazon.com/True-Believer-Thoughts-Movements-Perennial/dp/0060505915

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs: https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs

Henry David Thoreau (Essayist, Philosopher and Poet):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_David_Thoreau

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Henry-David-Thoreau

Episode 60 of Talking Taiwan featuring Trigg Brown and Josh Ku of the Taiwanese American restaurant Win Son: https://www.talkingtaiwan.com/trigg-brown-josh-ku-win-son-taiwanese-restaurant-nyc/

Dr. Keating's piece written in memoriam, Lee Teng-Hui: https://taiwaninsight.org/2020/08/08/in-memoriam-lee-teng-hui/?fbclid=IwAR03XDnv4-SMpaWQMuLDlDGUCsmcQohq6aK8R0DWS1Cll8OvSnr1ZuX8gYc

Lee Teng-hui: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Teng-hui

Su Beng: http://aboutsubeng.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Su_Beng

Peng Ming-min: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peng_Ming-min

Taiwan Foreign Correspondents Club: https://taiwanfcc.org/

Taiwan The Struggle Gains Focus: http://www.smcbook.com.tw/smc/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=61651&search=Taiwan+The+Struggle+Gains+Focus

Taiwan, the Search for Identity

Taiwan, the Struggles of a Democracy

Island in the Stream http://www.smcbook.com.tw/smc/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=55&search=island+in+the+stream

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

Few contemporaries are more qualified than Dr. Jerome Keating on understanding the history of Taiwan. He has been living in Taiwan for over 30 years. Initially he came over to Taiwan to work on the MRT. He has written several books about Taiwan. We invited him on to the podcast to talk about this latest book, Taiwan The Struggle Gains Focus.

Dr. Keating also reflected on how Taiwan has changed in the past 30 years, and we discussed things past and present including Taiwan's complicated international status, amendment of the constitution, changing the official name of Taiwan (which is the Republic of China) and redesigning the passport and flag of Taiwan.

In part two of our interview, Dr. Keating will talk about his other writings, what he plans to write next, and how the owners of a popular New York-based Taiwanese American restaurant sought his advice before opening their restaurant.

CORRECTION: At the 14:40-minute in the interview, Dr. Keating remarks, "We are 75 years at the end of World War I." What he meant to say is that, "We are 75 years at the end of World War II."

Here's a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

• What motivated Dr. Keating to write his latest book, Taiwan The Struggle Gains Focus
• Who the book was intended for and who Dr. Keating writes for
• How Taiwan has changed in the last 30 years
• The semi-martial-like atmosphere of Taiwan when Dr. Keating arrived in 1988
• Keating's first book Island in the Stream and what motivated him to write it
• What intrigues Dr. Keating about Taiwan as a subject matter
• How the San Francisco Peace Treaty (signed in 1951) left Taiwan in a limbo status
• How the US position on Taiwan 75 years after World War II is still undecided
• The circumstances surrounding "Taiwan" aka the Republic of China losing its seat in the United Nations in 1971, which included a proposal to have 2 Chinas in the United Nations
• The Republic of China and People's Republic of China's claims on China
• How Taiwan has never had a seat in the United Nations
• The Republic of China framework and constitution that Chiang Kai-shek and the Kuomintang brought to Taiwan
• Keating's thoughts on amending Taiwan's constitution
• Changing the official name and flag that represent Taiwan
• Submissions for the new Taiwan passport cover design
• The Taiwan Civil Government wanting to make Taiwan the 51st state of the United States
• How Dr. Keating sees Taiwan's future

Related Links:

Dr. Jerome Keating's website: http://jeromekeating.com

Dr. Jerome Keating's books:

Taiwan The Struggle Gains Focus: http://www.smcbook.com.tw/smc/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=61651&search=Taiwan+The+Struggle+Gains+Focus

Island in the Stream: http://www.smcbook.com.tw/smc/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=55&search=island+in+the+stream

Taiwan, the Struggles of a Democracy

Taiwan, the Search for Identity

The Mapping of Taiwan, Desired Economies, Coveted Geographies

The Paradigms that Guide Our Lives and Drive Our Souls

Ma Ying-jeou (former President of Taiwan): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ma_Ying-jeou

The Sunflower Movement: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunflower_Student_Movement

Submissions for the new Taiwan passport cover design: https://taiwanpassport.tw/publish_page/international_standard/page=1

The winning design for Taiwan's new passport cover: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/03/taiwan-demotes-republic-of-china-reference-on-new-passports?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other&fbclid=IwAR1Kr3MQb9g2-xXto_udk7Sbez0v5gSTFvxqeT0eZOscdvfxywHhukTmAxE

San Francisco Peace Treaty: http://www.taiwandocuments.org/sanfrancisco01.htm

About the Taiwan Civil Government: https://international.thenewslens.com/article/85225

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

With major league baseball playoffs soon upon us, we thought that this episode might appeal to our baseball fans. It seems like a distant memory now, when about a month into the Coronavirus pandemic, Taiwan was the only place on the planet where live professional baseball was being played. My guest on this episode is Professor Andrew Morris whose research on baseball in Taiwan presents a fascinating new angle and way of seeing Taiwan's history. I came across his writings and research when I when I was doing some research for my interview (episode 77) with Richard Wang the English-speaking broadcaster of CPBL games in Taiwan.

How important is baseball to Taiwan? Did you know that there's a baseball related image featured on Taiwan's currency or that Taiwan's little league baseball team won 17 times from 1979 to1996?

Interestingly, Professor Morris began our interview by sharing his own mistaken assumption of baseball as a symbol of American culture in Taiwan. He went on to explain that baseball was introduced to Taiwan by Japan, while it was a colony of Japan from 1895-1945. We covered a broad range of topics including how baseball survived the arrival of the Kuomintang in Taiwan, the rise of Taiwan's little league team, the establishment of a professional baseball league in Taiwan (CPBL) which has had its ups and downs, and the short-lived Taiwan Major League.

Here's a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

• How Professor Morris got interested in the topic of baseball and the history of Taiwan
• How baseball in Taiwan is not as it seems on the surface, a symbol of American culture in Taiwan
• What were some of the most surprising and interesting things that Professor Morris has learned about baseball in Taiwan over the course of his research
• The role of Taiwan's Indigenous people in the game of baseball in Taiwan
• What baseball tells us about Taiwan's Japanese colonial era
• How Chiayi (嘉義) is known as the spiritual home of baseball and how that was captured in the film Kano
• How "Kano," is the nickname of the old Chiayi Agricultural and Forestry Vocational High School, which comes from the two Japanese words "Ka-gi No-rin"
• The Kano baseball team became the best team in Taiwan and is remembered by the Japanese
• How Kano is remembered as an example of the success of Japan's colonialism in Taiwan
• Baseball as a pathway for Indigenous peoples during Taiwan's Japanese colonial period
• Professor Morris' thoughts about the film Kano and its historical accuracy
• The Japanese influence that we still see in Taiwanese baseball today
• How after the Kuomintang arrived in Taiwan, around 1946, they tried to remove and erase Japanese culture, but baseball was allowed to remain
• What happened to baseball after the Kuomintang arrived in Taiwan
• How baseball games were played in the aftermath of the 228 massacre and a famous baseball coach was killed in the 228 massacre
• Taiwan's little league baseball team and how it served to bolster Republic of China (ROC) nationalism
• The 1968 legend of what led Taiwan creating a little league team and participating in the little league world series
• How in 1969, the Taiwanese little league team played in the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, PA for the first time and won
• Between 1969-1996 the Taiwanese little league team won the Little League World Series 17 times and became a source of pride for the Taiwanese who watched the games late at night
• The story (from the 70s) of how a coach of a little league team comprised mostly of Black players sensed the anti-Chinese and anti-Taiwanese sentiment against the Taiwanese little league team
• How the Taiwanese little league team became a source of Taiwanese pride (different from ROC pride)
• How the KMT hired Chinatown thugs to beat up the pro-Taiwanese little league fans and fights would break out between them after little league games
• What happened to Taiwan's little league team
• The legacy of Taiwan's little league team
• How the American little league teams that were able to beat Taiwan's little league team were celebrated an ESPN made a 30 for 30 film about this
• The story behind the image of the youth baseball team that appears on Taiwan's 500 dollar bill
• The establishment of the CPBL and its game throwing and gambling scandals
• The short-lived Taiwan Major League (TML) and how it differed from the CPBL
• How baseball has been tied to Taiwan's national identity in the past but that has changed as Taiwan has become more democratic
• The research that Professor Morris is working on now
• Professor Morris' recommendations of other books on the subject of baseball in Taiwan

Related Links:

Professor Andrew Morris' Cal Poly webpage: https://history.calpoly.edu/faculty/andrew-morris Professor Andrew Morris' Digital Commons page (which has full text of some of his articles): http://bit.ly/ADMorrisDC

Colonial Project, National Game: A History of Baseball in Taiwan (Asia Pacific Modern Book 6) by Andrew D. Morris: https://amzn.to/3cALcmf

Kano vocational school of forestry and agriculture: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Chiayi_University

Kano (film): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2247566/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kano_(film)

ESPN Films 30 for 30: Little Big Men

(A film about the Kirkland National Little League of Kirkland, Washington, which defeated the Puzih little league of Chiayi County, Taiwan. The Kirkland, Washington team, was the first American little league team to win the Little League World Series in over a decade): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1717745/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1982_Little_League_World_Series

Book recommendations about baseball in Taiwan:

Playing in Isolation: A History of Baseball in Taiwan by Junwei Yu: https://www.amazon.com/Playing-Isolation-History-Baseball-Taiwan/dp/0803211406

Empire of Infields: Baseball in Taiwan and Cultural Identity, 1895-1968 by John J. Harney: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=John+J.+Harney%2C+Empire+of+Infields%3A+Baseball+in+Taiwan+and+Cultural+Identity&ref=nb_sb_noss

Taking in a Game: A History of Baseball in Asia by Joseph Reaves: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Joseph+Reaves%2C+Taking+in+a+Game%3A+A+History+of+Baseball+in+Asia&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

Taiwan's professional baseball league the CPBL's English website: http://www.cpbl.com.tw/eng/history/

Watch Taiwan's professional baseball league CPBL teams Rakuten Monkeys and Uni Lions on the Eleven Sports Taiwan Twitter account:

https://twitter.com/ElevenSportsTW