At the end of 2024 I sat down with Dr. Meng Chiang, the Executive Director of the 2024 Taiwanese American Conference- East Coast. We had a really wonderful heart-centered conversation about the conference theme Collective Memory and that led to collective trauma as it relates to the Taiwanese and Taiwanese American communities. We talked about the 4 types of trauma responses, the 4 Fs- flight, fight, freeze and fawn and post-traumatic growth.
This episode is dedicated to the memory of Sharon Huang, who passed away in December of 2025. She was a dear friend, mother, wife, sister, auntie, a community organizer and a cornerstone of the Taiwanese American community, especially in New York where she resided. Most notably she and her husband Patrick Huang ran the Brooklyn Artists Studio (BAS) and have supported the Taiwanese American Arts Council (TAAC) and Talking Taiwan. Together they have advocated for Taiwan democracy, human rights, and culture. The loss of Sharon is felt by so many who knew and loved her, she leaves behind family in the U.S. and Taiwan.
Mengchun “Meng” Chiang, PhD (she/her/hers), is a member of the Taiwanese American community. She has served in various community leadership roles, most recently as Executive Director of the Taiwanese American Conference East Coast (TACEC) in 2024.
Professionally, Meng is the founder of CHI Executive Consulting, LLC, where she provides leadership coaching and consulting services, specializing in workplace inclusion and organizational wellness. She is passionate about empowering leaders from diverse backgrounds, helping them enhance their communication, negotiation, and inclusive leadership skills. Meng regularly facilitates workshops to help leaders integrate their identities into effective leadership practices that drive business success and personal growth.
Meng is a licensed clinical psychologist with affiliations to Harvard Medical School, Carnegie Mellon University, the Tepper School of Business, and National Taiwan University. Her experience spans education, training, and leadership roles. She pioneered the Leadership and Connection for Asian Women+ Leaders program and served as Assistant Director of Training at Carnegie Mellon University.
In her free time, Meng enjoys traveling, practicing loving-kindness meditation, listening to music, taking walks, and grocery shopping.
Related Links:
CHI Executive Consulting, LLC: https://chiexecutiveconsulting.org/
Taiwanese American Conference East Coast (TACEC): https://tacec.org/
KITA Foundation: https://www.kitafoundation.org/
Brooklyn Artists Studio (BAS): http://bas-ny.org/
Taiwanese American Arts Council (TAAC): https://www.taac-us.org/
KMT aka Kuomintang: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuomintang
Martial Law in Taiwan: https://oftaiwan.org/history/white-terror/martial-law/
Study of Holocaust survivors finds trauma passed on to children’s genes: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/aug/21/study-of-holocaust-survivors-finds-trauma-passed-on-to-childrens-genes
White Terror: https://www.nhrm.gov.tw/w/nhrmEN/White_Terror_Period
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Terror_(Taiwan)
Jing-Mei White Terror Memorial Park: http://museu.ms/museum/details/18264/national-human-rights-museum
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jing-Mei_White_Terror_Memorial_Park
Transitional Justice Commission: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transitional_Justice_Commission#:~:text=The%20Transitional%20Justice%20Commission%20
United Nation Human Rights Office of High Commission definition of transitional justice:
https://www.ohchr.org/en/transitional-justice
Understanding the 4 Types of Trauma Responses: https://oldvineyardbhs.com/blog/understanding-the-4-types-of-trauma-responses/
Post-traumatic growth: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-traumatic_growth
https://www.apa.org/monitor/2016/11/growth-trauma
Republic of China (1912-1949): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_China_(1912%E2%80%931949)
History of Taiwan and Republic of China (1945-present): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Taiwan_(1945%E2%80%93present)
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