The 19th Orange County Taiwan Heritage Week opened on May 4th at the Orange County Overseas Chinese Cultural and Educational Services Center, kicking off a series of exciting and enriching celebration activities.
The opening day featured a tasting of Taiwanese cuisine and a technology seminar, attracting nearly 300 guests. In addition to Orange County Supervisors Vicente Sarmiento and Scott Voigts, and the presence of the mother of U.S. Congressman Ted Lieu, Federal Congresswomen Young Kim and Michelle Steel, Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner, and Irvine Mayor Farah Khan, among many other elected officials, sent representatives to congratulate and commend the contributions of Taiwanese Americans to the advancement of American politics, economy, and society.
Consul General Ji Qin-yao of the Los Angeles Economic and Cultural Office delivered a speech at the opening ceremony, thanking the Orange County Heritage Week Organizing Committee, the Orange County Taiwanese Association, the Orange County Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce, the Orange County Chinese Lions Club, the Orange County Chinese Chamber of Commerce, the Orange County Taiwanese Medical and Dental Association, the Taiwanese Public Affairs Council Orange County branch, and the Taiwanese American Citizens League Orange County Elite chapter for their collaborative efforts in launching a diverse range of celebratory activities and sharing Taiwanese traditions and culture with the American community.
Orange County Taiwan Heritage Week is led by organizers Lu Yao-xun, Lin Cui-yun, Huang He-fen, Xu Zhan-sheng, and Zhang Xin-zhu. Lu Yao-xun, a council member for overseas Chinese affairs, noted in his speech that during President Carter’s term in 1977, Congress established Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Week; during President Bush’s term in 1990, the celebration was expanded to Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Since its establishment in September 2005, the Orange County Center has held Taiwan Heritage Week activities every year, even celebrating online during the pandemic. The rich and diverse culture of Taiwan is an important part of the multicultural tapestry that makes up the United States.
The opening day’s Taiwanese cuisine tasting included dishes such as fried rice noodles, sticky rice, sausages, cold tofu skin salad, sesame balls, taro cake, pork blood cake, swiss rolls, and braised dishes.
Following the meal, product designer Li Jian-yun and product director Zhang Shun-yi from “Nuwa Creates” introduced the effectiveness of intelligent robots developed and manufactured in Taiwan in fields such as education, retail, catering, and long-term care, showcasing the latest developments in Taiwan’s high technology.
Among the honored guests and community leaders attending the event were Xie Jia-shu, Chen Qi-geng, Hong Chen-feng, Hu An-ying, Zheng Xue-cheng, Zhang You-fan, Qiu Chui-huang, Cai Wen-hui, Fu Jin-lang, Xu Zheng-xiong, Yang Chi-xun, Fu Jia-kang, Wang Meng-en, Kang Qiu-xia, Guo Xiu-mei, Zeng Zhao-hua, Zhang Yi-zhen, Pan Mei-hong, Shen Bai-wen, Chen Feng-tao, Wang Song-ru, Zhang Zhu-ping, Yang Bo-sheng, Hu Jia-hui, Ye Xu-min, Huang Jian-cheng, Yang Yi-wen, and Zhang Shu-hua. Overseas Youth Cultural Ambassadors from the Orange County chapter (FASCA OC), advisors Wu Jun-yi, Rong Yu-xian, and Lai Mei-hui, also led their members to assist and support the event.
The 2024 Orange County Taiwan Heritage Week series of activities also include a medical seminar on the 11th, a performance of “Songs of the Land” by the Formosa Circus on the 21st, a night of classic Taiwanese music on the 25th, the Tainan Dragon Leap 400-Year Photography Exhibition and Tourism Seminar on the 26th, and a “Taiwan Day” event organized by the American Major League Baseball on the 29th. Everyone is welcome to participate enthusiastically.
For more information on activities, please visit the Orange County Center’s official website (www.ocac.gov.tw/la1), or join the Orange County Center’s Facebook group (OCAC in Santa Ana) to stay updated on the latest event news.