Same Sex Marriage Archives - Talking Taiwan Podcast

Vickie Wang (王宇平) On Who Gets to Be Taiwanese and Stand-Up Comedy Part 2 Ep 344

Felicia Lin — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 11:51:28 +0000

In part two of our interview with Vickie Wang (王宇平), she talked about how the COVID lockdown of 2022 in Shanghai affected her mental health, her thoughts on the Great Recall movement in Taiwan last year, how she questions her Taiwanese-ness i.e. if she’s Taiwanese enough, generative propaganda, and how she got into stand-up comedy.

Vickie Wang a writer, interpreter, and stand-up comedian born and raised in Taiwan. Now based in New City York she co-produces a monthly stand-up show called Wang’s World Comedy.

Vickie will be emceeing this year’s Talking Taiwan Fundraising Gala on Friday, May 1.

As our emcee Vickie will bring her signature wit and energy to the evening. Purchase tickets to the Talking Taiwan

Fundraising Gala or to make a contribution visit: https://events.humanitix.com/talking-taiwan-2026-fundraising-gala/tickets

Day After Recall Analysis with Dr. Linda Gail Arrigo Ep 322

Felicia Lin — Wed, 30 Jul 2025 03:06:14 +0000

On July 27^th the day after Taiwan’s island wide historic recall vote of 24 Chinese Nationalist Kuomintang (KMT) legislators, I sat down with Linda Gail Arrigo, Ai Linda (艾琳達) to reflect on the results of the recall vote, and the impact of the civic mobilization behind the recall effort.

The Day of Taiwan’s Historic Recall Vote Ep 321

Felicia Lin — Wed, 30 Jul 2025 02:41:51 +0000

On July 26^th the day of the Taiwan’s historic recall vote to recall 24 Kuomintang (KMT) legislators we were with the Shān chú wēi hài (山除薇害) recall group in Taipei at Rongxing Garden (榮星花園) Rongxing garden, which is more like a park, for a sort of watch party with about a hundred volunteer recall campaigners. The recall vote results were being televised live on a series of oversized screens that had been set up in the park.

When we finally learned the results of the recall vote It was a shock. 0 of 24 legislators had been recalled. What a sad, disappointing day. I could see it in the faces of the recall volunteers and at the same time it was touching to see how they consoled each other as some could help but burst into tears. The leaders of the recall group asked everyone to join hands and to form a circle in a sign of solidarity and encouragement Carol and Eric shared their initial thoughts with us.

Sherry Chou Remembers Dr. Chen Wen-chen and Circumstances Surrounding his Mysterious Death Ep 305

Felicia Lin — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 13:31:38 +0000

In July of 2024, we brought Talking Taiwan to the Taiwanese American Conference at West Chester University and I sat down to interview Sherry Chou, the Director of Dr. Chen Wen-chen Memorial Foundation.

Dr. Chen Wen-chen was an assistant professor of statistics at Carnegie Mellon University when he and his family returned to his native Taiwan for a vacation in the summer of 1981. Dr. Chen’s permit to leave the country to return to the U.S. was rejected and so the Taiwan Garrison Command called in Dr. Chen for questioning regarding his political beliefs and activities in the United States. They questioned him on June 30th and July 2nd, but then on July 3, 1981, Chen’s body was found on the campus of National Taiwan University (NTU) in Taipei. At the time the autopsy reported that his death was due to a fall. Chen’s mysterious death shed light on how the work of Chinese Nationalist Kuomintang spies on U.S. campuses led to Chen’s interrogation by the Garrison Command.

Sherry and I talked about how and why it took 10 years to establish the Dr. Chen Wen-chen Incident Memorial Square at National Taiwan University (NTU), and the Rainbow Taiwan Independence Flag. Sherry also shared some memories of the Sunflower Movement, which you’ll hear Sherry refer to as sān yī ba, which is three one eight in mandarin Chinese, and a reference to March 18, 2014, the date that activists and students occupied Taiwan’s legislative yuan which became known as the Sunflower Movement.

Dr. Chen Wen-chen’s memory was honored at Taiwanese American Conference’s 2024 memorial concert.

This episode is sponsored in part by the Taiwanese American Council of Greater New York.

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

Who Dr. Chen Wen-chen was
The events leading up to the mysterious death of Dr. Chen
Dr. Chen’s body was found on July 3, 1981, on the ground at National Taiwan University
Initial autopsy reported his death as a fall, but circumstances were suspicious
His death shed light on the activities of Kuomintang (KMT) spies on U.S. campuses
Why it took 10 years to establish the Dr. Chen Wen-chen Incident Memorial Square at National Taiwan University
Sherry also talked about the Rainbow Taiwan independence flag project
Sherry discussed her memories of the Sunflower Movement
Dr. Chen Wen-chen was honored at the Taiwanese American Conference’s 2024 Memorial Concert
Dr. Chen fundraised for Formosa Magazine, which drew the attention of KMT agents
Formosa Magazine is linked to the Formosa Incident, also known as the Kaohsiung Incident
Recent findings by the Transitional Justice Commission revealed that Dr. Chen had been under surveillance since 1979
Forensic evidence confirmed that Dr. Chen died before falling from a building
The Lin family murders occurred on February 28, 1980; Lin Yi-hsiung’s mother and his twin daughters were stabbed and killed and his oldest daughter survived
The death of Chen Wen-chen angered both local and overseas Taiwanese people
Sherry talked about a photo of protestors in the 1980s wearing paper bags over their heads to disguise their identities
The idea for the memorial started in 2011 with professors and students co-signing a petition
The initial proposal was just to place a sign on campus, not a square, but the university didn’t want even a sign
The social atmosphere in 2011 was different, with Taiwan moving closer to China under President Ma Ying-jeou
There were many ridiculous objections to the sign
The turning point came in 2014 when Dr. Yang Pan-chyr, a more progressive president, agreed to set up the memorial square
There was uncertainty about whether the university would change its stance after Dr. Yang left and Kuan Chung-ming became president
Kuan Chung-ming was unpopular, especially among the DPP and progressive community, due to his conservative views and ties to China
Dr. Yang tried to push for the sign before he left
After Kuan Chung-ming became president, he withdrew support for funding, and the Dr. Chen Wen-chen Foundation covered the costs
The public contributed to fundraising efforts through social media
Around 2016, there was a surge in advocacy for gender equality in Taiwan and its connection to Taiwanese sovereignty and identity
In 2016, Taiwan’s marriage equality movement gained attention with people protesting on the streets
On May 24, 2017, Taiwan’s Constitutional Court ruled that same-sex couples had the right to marry
Someone used photoshop to combine the rainbow flag and Taiwanese independence flags
Funds were raised through social media and distributed 1300 flags at events
The flags allowed people to express support for both marriage equality and national issues
2016 marked the beginning of more people expressing concern for both gender equality and national issues
LGBTQ individuals were more actively engaged in the Bluebird Movement, possibly due to increased mobilization since 2016
Sherry was previously the marketing director for Watchout, a media company
Watchout started at the end of 2013, around the time of the Sunflower Movement, capturing many photos from then
The company shifted focus to issues related to Taiwan’s independence and civil defense
Watchout published two books: Civil Defense Guide (covering disasters and war) and Active Civil Defense Guide (focused on war)
How Sherry got interest in feminism
She admires figures like Professor Fan Yun and Liu Wen for their feminist contributions
Sherry emphasized the importance of efforts from both Taiwanese communities in Taiwan and those outside of Taiwan in order to make significant change happen

Psychological Defense and Practices to Manage Stress for the People of Taiwan: A Talk with Dr. Hsiao-Wen Lo Ep 296

Felicia Lin — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 14:37:55 +0000

In July I sat down with Dr. Hsiao-Wen Lo (駱筱雯) who spoke at the Taiwanese American Conference- East Coast about Psychological Defense for the People of Taiwan.

Since 2020 Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense has been reporting the number of incursions China makes by sea and air into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone. These incursions now happen on a daily basis and already the tally for this year alone has surpassed the total number of occurrences that took place last year in 2023.

Recently, on October 14th, just days after President Lai Ching-te’s Double Ten Day speech, China’s military initiated the “Joint Sword-2024B” drills, a simulated blockade which took place in the Taiwan Strait and areas to the north, south and east of Taiwan. According to Taiwan’s MND, a record number of 153 Chinese military aircraft were detected around Taiwan within a 25-hour period.

We’ve previously discussed China’s gray zone military tactics and civil defense preparedness, on this podcast, but just as important is something called psychological defense.

In July we brought Talking Taiwan to the 53rd annual Taiwanese American Conference, East Coast that was held at West Chester University. That is where I sat down with Dr. Hsiao-Wen Lo (駱筱雯) who spoke at the conference about Psychological Defense for the People of Taiwan.

We also got into a discussion about the related topics of trauma and practices to manage stress and maintain good mental health.

This episode is sponsored in part by the Taiwanese American Council of Greater New York.

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

How Dr. Lo got interested in psychological defense
What is psychological defense
The importance of the mind-body connection
Types of trauma: psychological trauma, generational trauma, collective trauma
What is psychological warfare
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s psychological warfare tactics
The impact of long-term stress
Post traumatic growth
Fight or Flight states
Strategies to deal with stress
The erasure of Taiwan by China

Councilor Chen of New Taipei City: Talks About her Political Career and the Controversial Bills Passed by Taiwan’s Legislature Ep 295

Felicia Lin — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 13:42:18 +0000

In July we took the show on the road bringing Talking Taiwan to the 53^rd annual Taiwanese American Conference, East Coast that was held at West Chester University. I sat down and spoke with New Taipei City Councilor Chen Nai-Yu (陳乃瑜市議員). We spoke about how she went from being a journalist to a politician, working on Lai Ching-te’s presidential campaign, and the controversial bills that got passed in Taiwan’s legislature in May and that led to massive protests and the Bluebird Movement.

Special thanks to Bill Wu who sat in on the interview to provide translation assistance to City Councilor Chen, and to Anmy Lee for additional research and translation assistance.

This episode is sponsored in part by the Taiwanese American Council of Greater New York.

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

How Naiyu went from working as a journalist for 14 years to becoming a politician
Issues she’s focused on as a City Councilor
Anti-Han Kuo-yu rally in Kaohsiung
Naiyu’s work as a journalist
How her experience as a journalist prepared her to be a politician
The challenges she faced in working on Lai Ching-te’s presidential campaign
Cases of state-owned land on which people built personal mansions
The different communication styles and approaches to social media use of Lai Ching-te and Ko Wen-je
What Naiyu has to say about President Lai Ching-te’s personality and character
What could happen with the controversial bills that led to the Bluebird movement protests in Taiwan in May
Cases of ill-gotten assets and how the handling of ill-gotten assets could be reversed
Naiyu’s observations of the Bluebird movement
The most rewarding thing about being a City Councilor

Recently Debated Human Rights Issues in Taiwan: A Conversation with Michael Fahey Ep 294

Felicia Lin — Thu, 03 Oct 2024 06:30:58 +0000

I recently spoke with Michael Fahey about some developments on human rights related issues in Taiwan, including the anticipated ruling by Taiwan’s constitutional court on the Death Penalty. We spoke on September 16^th and Taiwan’s constitutional court made its ruling on September 20^th. At the time I had spoken to Michael about a campaign and online petition to expand access to dual nationality for long-term foreign permanent residents of Taiwan. To learn more about that check out episode 293.

Michael is an American lawyer and resident of Taipei since 1988. He is foreign counsel at Formosa Transnational (萬國) and also founder of Forward Taiwan.

Dual Nationality for Long-Term Foreign Permanent Residents of Taiwan: Our Discussion with Michael Fahey Ep 293

Felicia Lin — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 12:39:55 +0000

Did you know that there is a campaign underway in Taiwan that is calling for foreign permanent residents to be able to apply for dual nationality, effectively allowing them to obtain Taiwanese citizenship after 5 years without giving up their original passport?

An online petition for this proposal was launched on August 19th and they are trying to collect 5,000 signatures to support it by October 19^th: https://join.gov.tw/idea/detail/951c745d-4484-4923-953f-4cdaefe7f344

I recently spoke with Michael Fahey, about this campaign which was initiated by Crossroads and Forward Taiwan. We talked about many of the most common concerns raised by a proposal like this, given the sensitive position that Taiwan is in due to the threats it faces from the PRC (People’s Republic of China).

Michael is an American lawyer and resident of Taipei since 1988. He is foreign counsel at Formosa Transnational (萬國) and also founder of Forward Taiwan.

If you’d like to sign the online petition to expand access to dual nationality for long-term foreign permanent residents of Taiwan, please note a few things:

1) In order to be able to sign the petition you must be a citizen of Taiwan or holder of an A(P)RC (Alien Permanent Resident Certificate) and have a Taiwan mobile number.

2) When filling out the petition form it’s best to use a computer not a smart phone but have your phone nearby and have patience when going through the process.

3) Whether or not you are personally able to sign the petition, please consider also sharing this with friends, family or colleagues who would and are able to support it.

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

How the proposal to expand access to dual nationality for long-term foreign permanent residents of Taiwan came about
The case of Michael Boyden, a British citizen and permanent resident of Taiwan
How Taiwan’s nationality law was drafted in the 1920s and how it compares with other countries laws on nationality
How Taiwan’s nationality law is not symmetrical for native-born Taiwanese and naturalizing foreign citizens
How expanding access to dual nationality for long-term foreign permanent residents of Taiwan could make Taiwan more resilient
How immigration could be a way to deal with Taiwan becoming a super-aged society
Concerns about whether this proposal will make it easier PRC (People’s Republic of China) citizens to immigrate to Taiwan and become citizens
PRC (People’s Republic of China) citizens are governed by a different law; the act for the relations between peoples of the mainland and the Taiwan region
The proposal is to change the nationality law not the act for the relations between peoples of the mainland and the Taiwan region
How to handle concerns about PRC citizens who’ve naturalized in third countries using their foreign citizenship to come and naturalize in Taiwan
How the fear that crime would go up is unfounded because foreign nationals in Taiwan commit crimes at a rate of 50 percent of the native population
What exactly is being proposed
The procedure for foreign permanent residents in Taiwan to obtain dual Taiwanese citizenship
The types of people and special cases that have been granted dual Taiwanese citizenship
The standards required for foreign permanent residents in Taiwan to be granted dual Taiwanese citizenship
Cases of foreign permanent residents in Taiwan that applied and failed to attain dual Taiwanese citizenship
How the process to get the nationality law amended could actually be a very long process that could take 5-20 years
Arguments for and against the proposal
How people who wish to sign the online petition must be citizens of Taiwan and have a Taiwan mobile number
When filling out the petition it’s best to do so on a computer and not on a smart phone, but to keep your mobile phone nearby
Have patience in filling out the online petition form because the interface is a bit difficult to use
How foreign permanent residents can’t get household registration and how that limits them
Reasons people would like to get dual Taiwanese citizenship
How to deal with individuals who have dual nationalities
How male citizens of Taiwan under the age of 36 are required to serve in the military
How Taiwan could take steps to ensure that people serve in the military

UN Membership for Taiwan: A NYC Press Conference, Peace Truck, and a Rally Ep 292

Felicia Lin — Mon, 23 Sep 2024 11:53:19 +0000

Since 1992, the Taiwanese American Council of Greater New York has promoted UN membership for Taiwan and organized the UN for Taiwan rally and march to coincide with the UN General Assembly. This year the UN for Taiwan rally and march was held on Saturday, September 14th.

In September the UN General Assembly takes place at the United Nations headquarters in New York City. This year, the 79th session of the UN General Assembly opened on Tuesday, September 10th and will conclude on Monday, September 30th. The theme of the General Debate is “Leaving no one behind: acting together for the advancement of peace, sustainable development and human dignity for present and future generations.”

Delegates from the Taiwan United Nations Alliance or TAIUNA, an NGO from Taiwan have been coming to New York for the past twenty years to call for Taiwan’s membership in the UN.

On Friday, September 13th representatives from TAIUNA held a press conference in Ralph Bunche Park, which is across from the United Nations Headquarters. The open letter from TAIUNA Chairman Yet-Min Lin addressed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was read. The full letter will be posted in the Related Links section of the Talking Taiwan website for this episode. The letter urged the UN to hold a formal hearing to clarify the interpretation of UNGA Resolution 2758.

China’s distortion of Resolution 2758 has been used to block Taiwan from being included in the UN.

TAIUNA (The Taiwan United Nations Alliance) was founded on October 24, 2003:

To realize UN’s purposes and to foster justice, peace and security for Taiwan and the world.
To promote Taiwanese understanding of and education on the UN and its related organizations.
To elevate the global perspectives of the Taiwanese people and to participate in such international activities as human rights protection, humanitarian assistance, and environmental protection.
To campaign for Taiwan’s membership in the UN and to make Taiwan a Normal State both in name and in fact in the world community.

Talking Taiwan covered TAIUNA’s press conference in Ralph Bunche Park on Friday, September 13th. On Saturday, September 14th we stopped by the “Peace Pop-up Truck” organized by the Taipei Economic Cultural Office of New York (TECONY) with the theme being “UNity through Peace: Chip in with Taiwan.” Afterward we also participated in the UN for Taiwan rally and march.

Bluebird Movement: 3 Experts Discuss the Controversial Bills Leading to Protests at the Legislative Yuan Ep 286

Felicia Lin — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 15:29:03 +0000

After fights broke out in Taiwan’s legislative yuan on May 17^th sending several legislators to the hospital, the public gathered in protest outside of the legislative yuan. There have been over 30,000, 100,000 and 70,000 people gathered at three of the major protests which are being called the Bluebird movement. The name is a play on the name of the road nearby the legislative yean where protests began (青島東路).

I spoke with Taipei Times columnist Michael Turton and his son Sebastian on May 27^th about the controversial bills that have caused such widespread dissent. Sebastian shared what he saw at the protests in Taipei on Tuesday, May 22 and Friday, May 24.

I also spoke with Sean Su after a set of the controversial legislative reform bills passed on May 28^th.

There have been protests all over Taiwan in 15 different cities, and even globally. The New York Bluebird, a group of politically conscious New York City-based Taiwanese have worked with Keep Taiwan Free to raise funds for a billboard in New York’s Times Square to promote awareness of the Bluebird movement. The billboard will appear on Tuesday, June 4 at 6:00pm.

Same Sex Marriage Archives - Talking Taiwan Podcast

Vickie Wang (王宇平) On Who Gets to Be Taiwanese and Stand-Up Comedy Part 2 Ep 344

Related Links:

Day After Recall Analysis with Dr. Linda Gail Arrigo Ep 322

Related Links:

The Day of Taiwan’s Historic Recall Vote Ep 321

Related Links:

Sherry Chou Remembers Dr. Chen Wen-chen and Circumstances Surrounding his Mysterious Death Ep 305

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

Related Links:

Psychological Defense and Practices to Manage Stress for the People of Taiwan: A Talk with Dr. Hsiao-Wen Lo Ep 296

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

Related Links:

Councilor Chen of New Taipei City: Talks About her Political Career and the Controversial Bills Passed by Taiwan’s Legislature Ep 295

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

Related Links:

Recently Debated Human Rights Issues in Taiwan: A Conversation with Michael Fahey Ep 294

Related Links:

Dual Nationality for Long-Term Foreign Permanent Residents of Taiwan: Our Discussion with Michael Fahey Ep 293

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

Related Links:

UN Membership for Taiwan: A NYC Press Conference, Peace Truck, and a Rally Ep 292

Related Links:

Bluebird Movement: 3 Experts Discuss the Controversial Bills Leading to Protests at the Legislative Yuan Ep 286

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