The annual “Taiwanese Heritage Celebration” hosted by the Arizona Diamondbacks, a Major League Baseball (MLB) team, took place on August 8th (Saturday) at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona. On that day, the Diamondbacks played against the Los Angeles Dodgers, with Taiwanese communities and baseball fans from Arizona and beyond coming together at the stadium to showcase Taiwanese culture through the baseball game.
This year’s “Taiwan Day” was organized by the Diamondbacks, with China Airlines as the main sponsor and the Taiwanese American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Phoenix (TACCGP) as the official supporting partner, collaborating on cultural content and on-site experiences.
Before the event, 1,600 limited edition official commemorative jerseys for “Taiwan Day” were sold out, indicating that “Taiwan Day” is becoming an important annual event for the Taiwanese community in Greater Phoenix.
President of TACCGP, Huang Xi-Heng, expressed that “Taiwan Day” is not just a baseball game, but also a platform for different generations of Taiwanese people in the U.S. to connect, share culture, and showcase Taiwan to mainstream society. Many fans return to the stadium year after year wearing their “Taiwan Day” jerseys, symbolizing the continued attention to Taiwanese culture on the American mainstream stage.
With the increase in Taiwanese families and professionals in the Greater Phoenix area in recent years, “Taiwan Day” has also become a cultural platform that connects new immigrants with long-term residents. For many new immigrant families, the limited jerseys have become not only souvenirs but also symbols for identifying each other and fostering a sense of community belonging.
This year’s event featured pitcher Jake Kalish, who previously played for the Uni-President Lions in the Chinese Professional Baseball League. Kalish was arranged by the Diamondbacks to appear on the big screen wearing the Uni-President Lions jersey and interact with fans in the cultural experience area.
Prior to the game, the third-floor cultural experience area featured Mandopop music, Taiwanese cultural demonstrations, and interactive activities. TACCGP collaborated with the team to plan the playing of Mandopop songs, adhering to relevant copyright regulations, in hopes of exposing fans of different backgrounds and ages to Taiwanese culture through music.
Another cultural performance during this year’s “Taiwan Day” was led by Taiwanese American pageant winner and Phoenix-based Taiwanese dance teacher Celine Huang, who incorporated elements of Hakka tea-picking culture, tung blossoms, and Meinong floral umbrella into the dance.
The dancers combined tea-picking movements with umbrella formations, blending the Hakka folk song “Heavenly God Drops Water” with modern rhythms. The improved Meinong floral umbrellas used in the performance were personally cut, designed, and made by the dancers, transforming traditional culture into an art form suitable for international stages.
Electric Third Prince, a Taiwanese electronic music artist, was also a highlight of this year’s “Taiwan Day”.
Considering the high temperatures in Arizona in August and the safety of participants, this year’s event did not schedule a long dance performance by Electric Third Prince but had him appear intermittently in the cultural experience area for interactions and photo opportunities with fans, allowing American attendees to get up close with Taiwanese folk culture.
During the pre-game stadium introductions, Electric Third Prince was also featured on the big screen by the Diamondbacks and took part in the D-backs Legends Race, incorporating elements of Taiwanese culture into Major League Baseball events.
One of the Electric Third Prince performers is a Taiwanese-American high school student whose mother is from Taiwan and father is American. Through his participation in cultural activities, he introduces Taiwanese culture to American audiences based on his personal experiences. After last year’s event ended, when he left the stadium dressed as Electric Third Prince, American fans were curious about the unique attire and its cultural background.
Huang Xi-Heng introduced that this year’s third-floor cultural experience area involved over 50 volunteers, performers, and community partners, showcasing Taiwanese culture, Hakka culture, creative industries, traditional games, and family interactive activities.
Participating organizations included the Phoenix Chinese School, the North American Taiwanese Engineers’ Association, Taiwanese associations, China Airlines, Taiwan Tourism Bureau, and others, presenting Taiwan’s distinctive features from cultural, educational, tourism, and community perspectives.
In the event planning process, TACCGP paid special attention to the safety and experience of volunteers, performers, and cultural exhibitors, coordinating arrangements in consideration of the high temperatures in Arizona.
From limited jerseys, Mandopop music, Hakka dances, to Electric Third Prince’s cultural performance, “Taiwan Day” brings Taiwanese elements to diverse groups of fans at Major League Baseball stadiums, providing overseas Taiwanese new generations with the opportunity to understand, inherit, and share Taiwanese culture in their own way.