Atayal aboriginal school

A few days ago I visited an elementary school with 98% Atayal aboriginal children and youth. It was in the eastern part of Taiwan so I had to travel about 4 hours to get there (via bus, subway, bus, train, then walking). I traveled with three teacher supervisors from different parts of Taiwan and a local principal. The school is surrounded by green mountains everywhere and the village of Nana'o is very small with few food stalls, fruit stands, and some shops. There is water nearby and an Atayal cultural museum. We observed Mikael (Fulbright ETA) and another local teacher teach an English class (photo). There was so much excitement and energy in the room--the kind of energy one feels when you can just tell the students recognize what a privilege it is to be able to get an education. After the class, I met with the Principal, the two teachers, and a teacher supervisor to better understand the school's needs. It was a wonderful conversation with Chinese English translation throughout. We came up with some initial ideas for some possible programming that Mikael and I could do after school. Mikael is a talented photographer so we may find a way to combine our shared interests in artistic expression, cultural empowerment, and language learning CLICK HERE to see Mikael's photos of Atayal youth at Nana'o elementary school.

Art for the Atayal

Fr. Song-Cing Ding, 丁松青, has been living with the Atayal community in Chingchuan for 35 years. He is not only their mentor and friend, but a very talented artist and inspirational leader in the community. This past weekend, he (and many volunteers) organized a beautiful art exhibit, auction, and benefit where all the proceeds are given to the Atayal community. There were many incredible Atayal children, teens, adults, and elders performing songs, dances, and playing handmade traditional instruments. The Atayal children's choir also performed more modern music too. I was very moved by the whole event for many reasons. There was such a strong admiration and respect for the work and vision of Fr. 丁松青 and his longstanding dedication to the Atayal community. There was such a sense of family and friendship at the event. I loved the soul and heart that was so apparent in the music that was performed and hearing it in the original Atayal language was extra special. The art alone is reason enough to see the exhibit but the strong sense of connection was wonderful to feel. The exhibit includes painted stained glass with LED backlighting to illuminate the images. There are also numerous oil and pastel paintings of Atayal friends. 

Community Service in Schools

Yesterday, I gave a talk about community service to a large group of high school students. The students were from a variety of social action organizations including World Vision and a group called the Sunshine Club. The Sunshine Club, founded and directed by students offers tutoring and mentorship to local under-resourced students. I spoke about how I first got involved in community service and what I have gained over the years. I also gave examples of different programs I have been involved in. What I really wanted to communicate was that I view community service as a reciprocal relationship. I find it imperative to be open-minded when partnering with a community member and to keep your own assumptions, privilege, power, and biases in check. Social action entails self-reflection and the strong belief that all youth have incredible cultural strengths that need to be shared and encouraged. I also believe our efforts need to be informed by the cultural values and traditions of the communities we work with. All too often, people enter a community believing that they are the experts when in fact, they have not yet heard or understood the complex histories of the people they are working with. Professor Lisa Suzuki talks about entering a community in a way that "maintains the humanity and integrity of the group." I am looking forward to continuing these conversations with local Taiwanese high school students and learning more about the kinds of programs and relationships they are building here in Taipei and around the world.

Double Ten

October 10 is Double Ten day in Taiwan 雙十節 marking the beginning of the Wuchang uprising on October 10, 1911, which eventually led to the collapse of the Qing Dynasty in China and the creation of the National Republic of China. The Fulbrighters were invited guests of the Minister of Foreign Affairs at an incredible dinner and celebration. I had a chance to meet and shake hands with the President of Taiwan, Ma Ying-jeou. However, the absolute highlight of the evening was meeting and speaking with artists, musicians, and chefs from the Paiwan aboriginal tribe. I had the opportunity to sample various dishes and learn about their farming and culinary traditions. One dish is cooked in bamboo stalks with rice, beans, and meat. They also make wine from millet and flowers. There were several hundreds of dishes, numerous rooms filled with the most famous restaurants and incredible artists demonstrating their craft. They even had chefs from Din Tai Fung making xiao long bao in a separate area. My favorite foods were the hakka, Paiwan, and Indian cuisines. The hakka food was salty and flavorful with lots of pickled vegetables, and bean thread noodles. The Paiwan food was savory and cooked in leaves and bamboo, and the Indian food was spicy and smokey and the cumin flavor lingered in your mouth. I was so excited to talk with the other Fulbrighters and many of the new friends I made that evening. It was a true celebration. 

228 remembered

On February 28, 1947 an anti-government uprising against the Kuomintang (KMT) resulted in the massacre of 28,000 Taiwanese civilians. With a small population of only 6 million living in Taiwan at the time, most people had a family member or knew someone who was killed on that day. The massacre is officially referred to as the 228 "incident" but this minimizes this horrible event that has deeply effected the political history of Taiwan. The massacre began when the KMT confiscated contraband tobacco from a woman seller. They also took her life savings of the cigarettes. When she protested, the agents began to hit her and the surrounding bystanders protested. Violence erupted the next day.

One of the first (and most meaningful) places I visited in Taipei, was the 228 memorial. It was a humbling and inspiring place that truly seeks to honor the victims and family members of 228. There is a wall with a photo of each victim and a a place to write messages to those lost (photo). To consider 228 as an isolated event is misleading. It was only two years after 50 years of Japanese rule of Taiwan had ended. Originally the KMT was welcomed by most of the Taiwanese, but there were also many problems with the new government. There were new taxes for example, the price of rice rose 100X in a short period of time and economic mismanagement impacted small business owners. Moreover, for many individuals, who only knew a life in Japanese colonial rule, the transition posed many cultural challenges. For example, overnight, suddenly many Taiwanese who had only learned Japanese in school (like my parents), were forced to read and speak in Mandarin and they were now considered illiterate. I had a long talk with the tour guide who felt so adamant about giving me the most detailed and accurate remembrance of the impact of this transition from Japanese rule to KMT rule. It was so fascinating and I appreciated her so much. She shared with me that it wasn't until 1995 that people could speak openly about the event. It is now honored as Peace Memorial Day 和平紀念日.

The memorial has old video footage of the transition from Japanese to the KMT rule, numerous old documents, and chilling photos of the massacre. The surrounding peace park also pays tribute to the victims who lost their lives. There was also an incredibly exhibit on Human Rights around the world. I look forward to returning to the 228 memorial as I learn more about Taiwanese history.

Full Moon Admiring

We have been celebrating the Moon Festival, or Mid-Autumn Festival in Taipei. One of the oldest customs is Shang Yue or Full Moon Admiring, 賞月. It is based on the traditional saying “At the mid-autumn night, the moon becomes especially bright.” (月到中秋分外明). So we spent much of the evening just watching the beautiful full moon and talking with one another. It was a clear and crisp night and we could hear fireworks in the background and Taipei 101 kept changing colors. In old times, when it was hard to travel long distances, the Moon Festival was selected as the time when family members could return to their homes. Hence, the full moon is said to represent happiness from family gatherings, so the Moon Festival is also known as the Tuan Yuan Festival (family reunion,團圓) in Taiwan. We were fortunate to receive many different kinds of delicious moon cakes from our friends here. These cakes symbolize warm family reunions and happy wishes for the future. My favorite mooncakes are the ones with two eggs. I was also given a beautifully wrapped mooncake filled with dates, fruit, nuts, and dried shrimp.