The United States celebrates its 250th anniversary of independence with grand Independence Day celebrations held throughout the country. In Southern California, the Taiwanese community seized the rare opportunity and on July 4th (Saturday), formed multiple “Team Taiwan” parade teams in Huntington Beach, Lake Forest, and Hacienda Heights to introduce Taiwan to the mainstream society through tourism floats, Taiwanese culture, traditional arts, and unique cultural creations.
During the parade, crowds of people waved, cheered, and applauded, with many actively inquiring about Taiwan’s tourism and culture. Some even shared their experiences of traveling to Taiwan, making “Team Taiwan” one of the most eye-catching international cultural teams in this year’s Southern California Independence Day parades.
Various Taiwanese community groups in Southern California participated in Independence Day parades in different cities, showcasing the unity and cohesion of the overseas Taiwanese community. Ma Bow-yuan, Director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles, stated, “This represents that Taiwanese Americans not only cherish their cultural heritage but also actively integrate into the local society, enjoying life, engaging in community service, and enthusiastically participating in various public activities alongside American friends.”
He emphasized that wherever Taiwanese people go in the world, they exhibit kindness, warmth, and positivity, which are aspects of Taiwan that they can be proud of.
Ma Bow-yuan, along with over twenty colleagues and their families, participated in the Huntington Beach parade. He said, “When a good friend hosts a celebration, inviting us to join, we are happy to join in the festivities.”
He noted that the Independence Day parade is one of the most important public events in American communities and serves as the most direct and effective platform for introducing Taiwan to mainstream society. This year coincides with the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, making the series of celebration activities historically significant and symbolizing the deepening Taiwan-US partnership.
The Huntington Beach Independence Day parade, with a 122-year history, is one of the oldest and largest Independence Day parades in American history, also being one of the most representative national celebration events on the West Coast. This year, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles created a large tourism float, “DISCOVER TAIWAN,” leading nearly a hundred volunteers and Miss Taiwanese American in the procession.
The float integrated Taiwan’s iconic landmarks such as Taipei 101, Taiwan High-Speed Rail, Sun Moon Lake, Jiaoxi Hot Springs, indigenous cultures, Mazu Temple procession, pearl milk tea, and oolong tea, along with the tourism mascot “Oh-Bear” and the symbol of American freedom, the bald eagle, making it a focal point of the parade. Volunteers along the route distributed Taiwan tourism folding fans and unique cultural products, interacted warmly with the spectators, and even had American citizens share their photos from trips to Taiwan, chanting, “I love Taiwan!”
In the Lake Forest Independence Day parade, Team Taiwan participated for the third consecutive year. Celebrating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, the team kicked off with the Statue of Liberty, led by a retired US Navy officer and a Taiwanese American lady riding a convertible car, followed by the 10-foot Taipei 101, a large American bald eagle off-road vehicle, bubble tea angels, mountain dance performances, and the Team Taiwan group, effectively showcasing the fusion of Taiwanese and American cultures to continuous applause from the audience along the route.
In Hacienda Heights, hosting the Independence Day parade for over fifty years, the event was held in a grand manner this year. The AI Education Foundation mobilized over seventy Taiwanese compatriots around the theme of “Beautiful Taiwan” to create a float for the festive occasion. Led by Miss Taiwanese American, the procession featuring the Third Prince and Formosan black bear interacted with the public, attracting many families to stop, take photos, and allowing more American citizens to get acquainted with Taiwanese culture through the parade.
Pan Yi-ling, President of the AI Education Foundation and Overseas Compatriot Affairs Commissioner, expressed her honor to lead over seventy Taiwanese compatriots to participate in the 250th anniversary celebrations of the founding of the United States. She expressed her hopes of deepening the friendship between Taiwanese and American people through cultural exchanges, community participation, and public service to help more American citizens understand and appreciate Taiwan.
After the parade, the AI Education Foundation set up booths for the i-Compatriot Card, TCML Taiwan Chinese Language Learning Center, and Taiwan tourism promotion to introduce overseas compatriot services, Chinese language education, and Taiwanese tourism to the public. Many attendees scanned QR codes to learn about the courses, with some expressing their desire to travel to Taiwan.
Ma Bow-yuan mentioned that besides the Independence Day parade, the Economic and Cultural Office continues throughout the year to promote Taiwan through cultural, tourism, and community events to help more American citizens get to know Taiwan. He believes that American Independence Day parades are not just community celebrations but also crucial platforms for Taiwan to showcase its cultural soft power to the world.
This year, with the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, various Taiwanese associations in Southern California across multiple cities and generations came together to participate in Independence Day parades and enjoy fireworks in the evening. Through cultural exchanges, community involvement, and public service, they replaced conventional propaganda, bringing “Team Taiwan” into mainstream American communities and making Taiwanese elements shine in this year’s Independence Day celebrations, adding a new chapter to people-to-people exchanges between Taiwan and the United States.