On October 10th of this year, it is the 114th National Day of the Republic of China. As in previous years, Taiwanese people in the greater New York area gathered at PS 20 in Queens on October 4th to hold a grand flag-raising ceremony, celebrating the birthday of their homeland – the Republic of China.
When the flag with the blue sky, white sun, and a wholly red earth rose slowly, tears welled up in the eyes of these overseas Taiwanese, filled with emotions of excitement, pride, and nostalgia in their hearts. Because that flag represents the country they dearly miss, symbolizes the true bloodline of the Chinese nation, and fosters the deepest bond among overseas compatriots, making them as close as brothers.
The flag-raising ceremony in Queens has been held consecutively for thirty years, enduring through windy and rainy weather and even during the peak of the pandemic, with each event organized through personal contributions and active participation of various community organizations.
In the bustling modern society, why do so many people volunteer and put in effort to organize such a grand celebration? These Taiwanese answer that it stems from their genuine love for their homeland. The small island has preserved the essence of Chinese culture as the “Land of Propriety,” instilling courage and freedom in Taiwanese through Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, shaping their qualities and character.
The leader of the National Day event changes every year and is elected by the community leaders. This year, Wang Jinzhi, Director of the National Day Celebration Committee, took on the role for the fourth time. He is a member of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission and the founder and current chairman of the Greater New York Area Emergency Relief Association. Coordinating 45 community leaders to hold meetings, raise funds, and organize this year’s National Day celebration.
Wang Jinzhi views leading the National Day preparation as an “honorable aspect of life.”
“Although we have been in the United States for 40 years, our blood is still Chinese. We love America, and we love our hometown and our motherland. The patriotic enthusiasm is heartfelt and genuine.” Wang Jinzhi said, “So when there is this annual National Day event, I feel that if I have the extra strength, if I can do what we want for our hometown, our motherland, and our Taiwan when I have the ability, why not do it? I see this as an honor in life.”
Wang Jinzhi believes that Taiwan’s greatest strength lies in the preservation of traditional Chinese culture.
“Taiwan is where the best of Chinese culture is preserved – with intact Confucian ideals that promote democracy and freedom in Taiwan’s roots.”
At the latest preparatory meeting, Wang Jinzhi stated, “With democracy and freedom comes human rights, and with rights comes human value. Therefore, we passionately love our Republic of China. Even overseas, we hold a flag-raising ceremony every year. Seeing the flag slowly rise brings tears to everyone’s eyes. The spirit is indescribable. We are busy working, with sweat on our backs, but we are earnest and dedicated. Everyone has different perspectives and thoughts, but we all love our country.”
The traditional Chinese culture not only makes Taiwan proud and unique internationally but also spreads kindness to people from other countries. Wang Jinzhi emphasized Taiwan’s warmth by mentioning that foreigners visit Taiwan not only for its beautiful scenery but also for its hospitality and welcoming nature. This courteous reputation is what touches people the most in the Land of Propriety.
When asked about this year’s event, Wang Jinzhi mentioned that he arranged for an “Understanding Overseas Community Groups” segment, where Taiwanese community organizations introduced their purpose and activities, each having only 8 minutes to present. Selecting 9 groups out of 70 was the event’s main challenge this year.
“We even had to time with stopwatches to ensure that the total duration did not exceed ninety minutes.” Therefore, due to limited time, other community groups were unable to perform on stage. Wang Jinzhi felt sorry about this but still upheld the principles of fairness and openness. “Everyone wants recognition. As the ancients said, ‘not worry about lack but inequality,’ so we had each attending community group introduce themselves at every preparation meeting.”
The “Greater New York Emergency Relief Association” was one of the groups scheduled to introduce themselves during the National Day event but was omitted due to time constraints. Wang Jinzhi explained that, in the seven years since its establishment, he and twenty directors have handled over two hundred emergency relief cases, ranging from accidents, sudden illnesses to various emergencies, promptly arriving on the scene.
“We established this association to lend a helping hand in the most urgent moments. Missing the best opportunity may never come back.” Wang Jinzhi said, “The core value of life is not money but how you utilize your surplus money and energy to help others, providing support to them during their most difficult times. I believe this is the greatest significance and the core value of life.”
The unwavering patriotic spirit of the Taiwanese people is not only evident during the annual National Day celebrations but also ingrained in their daily lives. The community of Taiwanese has a foundation called the “Kindhearted People Foundation” – this group has been self-funding for over a decade and dedicated its efforts to assisting people in countries of Central and South America in the name of Taiwan.
President Weng Yantian has been in the United States for over 40 years and has been involved in leadership roles in various other organizations. He initially managed the Helping Hand Foundation’s work in New Jersey but later founded his charity organization to continue his philanthropic work.
“Our foundation aims to assist vulnerable groups in the third world because many of them can only afford one meal a day.” Weng Yantian mentioned that the foundation has only over twenty members and operates with minimal office expenses, having the office set up at home. They cover travel expenses personally, using all funds raised for poverty alleviation projects; over a decade he led volunteers to Central and South America, delivering donations in over ten containers, establishing thirty households in Taiwan Villages in Nicaragua and over a hundred wooden houses with vocational training centers in El Salvador, providing support such as computers, sewing classes, empowering locals to be self-sufficient.
When asked why he uses his funds to help the less fortunate in the name of Taiwan, Weng Yantian replied, “Because we identify with our country.”
“We identify with our country, so even though we are abroad, we are still willing to contribute our efforts to help our country. We have traveled to South America and even Africa, representing our country through personal expenses.” He said.
One time, Weng Yantian saw locals walk for three hours just to receive a bag of rice, which deeply touched him. Later, he brought Taiwanese youth to show them how fortunate they are, “I feel that living in the United States is very lucky, so I help the poor by giving them essential living supplies. Doing good deeds gives us a sense of fulfillment and makes us want to do more.”
Weng Yantian was actively involved in preparing for the National Day celebrations. He believes that Taiwan’s value lies in “preserving traditional culture and providing freedom to the people.”
“Although the Republic of China is small, just a tiny place, it has preserved the essence of Chinese traditional culture, representing the freest place where Chinese people are in the world. Hence, we love our motherland.” He said, “Because our hearts carry the ideals of propriety, righteousness, loyalty, filial piety, faith in peace that were taught from childhood.”
Furthermore, providing freedom to the people is invaluable, according to Weng Yantian, freedom is priceless, and “many places in the world do not have it.” Therefore, he hopes that Taiwan can continue to maintain this status and become a beacon of democracy and freedom, inspiring the world through action.
At the National Day event, another organization that delivered a speech was the “East Coast Chinese Academic Association,” led by President Xiao Xinghua, a data analyst who teaches at the New York University Medical College. She described the association, established for 50 years, as aiming to be the largest academic exchange platform for overseas Chinese in the United States.
“People often say that Taiwan Semiconductor is our ‘protector,’ we, the East Coast Chinese Academic Association, aim to bring together industry, government, and academia to become a ‘mountain guard’ to bless the prosperity of our country!” Xiao Xinghua said, although their association donates annually to support National Day events, this year marked their first direct involvement in preparation. They prepared a campus folk song and a choir song, “Jinshan Ancient Trail.”
“It basically says: when we reach the summit, the world will see Taiwan.” She said. “Our ancestors planted the seeds, and we have to continue the legacy and pass it on to the younger generation. National Day is the country’s birthday, the warmest, most united, and joyful day of the year, where we gather to bless our country.”
Xiao Xinghua highlighted that what makes overseas Taiwanese most proud is democracy and freedom, “We are the masters of our destinies, each striving towards our goals. We are free to develop, and as long as we work hard, we will achieve. This is our greatest source of pride.”
67-year-old Huang Kairong, former president of the “Greater New York Hakka Association,” introduced his organization at the National Day event and then led four dancers to the stage, performing a Hakka song, showcasing the beauty of Hakka culture.
“Celebrating the country’s birthday overseas requires everyone’s effort.” He said. “We Hakka people always aim to settle wherever we go. When I came to the US without a penny, it is through pursuing one step at a time that I have come this far and am now capable of giving back.”
Huang Kairong’s life story itself is a tale of perseverance: due to an unfavorable experience during a job interview at the New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority, he went to college at the age of 65 and is currently a student majoring in electromechanical engineering at Stony Brook University, “I even have to retake calculus, which is a challenge for me, but I find it very worthwhile.”
In 2019, Huang Kairong organized a gathering of Hakka representatives worldwide in Washington, aimed at inheriting the spiritual wealth of the Hakka people.
“We Hakka people have a spirit of unity and righteousness. There is a Martyrs’ Temple in Taiwan to commemorate the young heroes who sacrificed to protect their homeland, symbolizing our unity.” He said. “Hakka culture is extensive; in three days and nights, we couldn’t cover all of it, but simply put, it emphasizes diligence, frugality, and rootedness.”
One different aspect of this year’s event was the participation of the younger generation of students studying abroad in the flag-raising ceremony for the first time. Representing the Taiwanese students, President Yang Hezhen of the “Columbia University Student Association” expressed his pride in participating in the celebration.
“Being able to celebrate Taiwan’s birthday with the elderly, middle-aged, and youth generations fills me with honor.” Yang Hezhen stated. This is because “Taiwanese have a strong sense of cohesion and unity.”
Yang Hezhen sang the American national anthem at the celebration on October 4th, representing the youth, and agreed that the most beautiful aspect of Taiwan is its people.
“The greatest virtue of Taiwan is our warmth and mutual spirit of care, which has been passed down from generation to generation.” He said. “As the old saying goes, when compatriots meet, tears well up in their eyes. Our spirit of mutual care, empathy, and compassion is deeply infectious, and I believe this is the greatest strength of us Taiwanese.”
Yang Hezhen, a statistics major, is currently a graduate student at Columbia University and is undecided on whether to stay in the United States or return to Taiwan after graduation. Nonetheless, he believes that regardless of being in Taiwan or overseas, influenced by the philosophy of ‘cultivate the self, regulate the family, govern the nation,’ Taiwanese people aspire to serve their motherland after completing their education.
“Because we have received so much from our country in terms of education and healthcare, whether promoting Taiwan internationally or returning to Taiwan to contribute after completing our studies, it is our duty.” He said. “Because Taiwan will always be our home, we should seek our maximum personal benefit, then transform this benefit into contributions to the country. Coupled with Taiwan’s international standing, we hope to let the Taiwan flag fly high globally within our limited opportunities.”
The 114th National Day flag-raising ceremony concluded, and these overseas Taiwanese returned to their daily lives with an unextinguished patriotic spirit, determined to strive forward and pass down the precious traditions of Chinese culture, ensuring Taiwan is always visible to the world.