On Tuesday evening this week (September 3rd), the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball hosted the Arizona Diamondbacks at Oracle Park in San Francisco. The game was named Taiwan Cultural Night. Over a thousand enthusiastic supporters of Taiwanese culture, including members of Taiwanese-American communities, gathered at the stadium to cheer on the Giants and celebrate Taiwan-U.S. exchanges.
The celebration event was co-organized by the Tourism Bureau of the Republic of China (Taiwan), the Taiwan office in San Francisco, EVA Air, and the San Francisco Giants baseball team.
A highlight of the event was the special appearance of Jensen Huang, the founder and CEO of NVIDIA, who threw the first pitch of the game. Huang is considered a pride of the Taiwanese community. Fans of Huang eagerly awaited his arrival at the stadium to take photos with him. Huang arrived on time, delighted his fans by taking photos with them one by one, and signed autographs for them as well.
Shih Yibin, a pearl milk tea shop owner in the San Francisco Bay Area, waited in the long line to have a photo taken with Huang. In an interview with Dajiyuan, he mentioned that he has been in the United States for 24 years and has noticed a significant increase in Taiwan’s recognition in the country in recent years. He expressed pride in this aspect and hoped that American society could appreciate Taiwan’s freedom and democracy.
Mrs. Wang Zhengyi, after taking a photo with Huang, revealed to Dajiyuan that she would be representing the Bay Area in a national beauty pageant for Asian-American women at the end of this year. Her husband is an employee at NVIDIA, and she came to support Huang with him specifically today. She mentioned her joy in having the opportunity to celebrate cultural exchanges between Taiwan and the U.S. with a group that shares her cultural background.
During the pre-game press conference, Lai Mingchi, the head of the Taiwan office in San Francisco, expressed his gratitude to Huang for supporting the event. He hoped that through this event, the cohesion of the Taiwanese community could be strengthened and more American friends would have the opportunity to understand Taiwan, visit the country, and enjoy its delicacies and beautiful scenery.
Mark Chandler, the Director of International Trade at the Mayor’s Office in San Francisco, mentioned during a media interview that San Francisco and Taipei have a sister city relationship spanning 55 years, which is a precious asset for San Francisco. He pointed out that the citizens of San Francisco come from all over the world, so the Giants’ celebration of cultures from different ethnicities in the city was a meaningful gesture during the event.
The American California Square Dance Association performed a dance with Taiwanese elements before the game. The Northern California National Taiwan University Alumni Chorus led the crowd, players, and staff in singing the national anthem before the game.
Chuang Yashu, the Director of the Golden Gate Overseas Chinese Education Center, expressed her delight in seeing many compatriots bringing their national flags to the event in an interview with Dajiyuan. Lai Mingchi of the Taiwan office in San Francisco expressed his anticipation for the future of Taiwan-U.S. exchanges, saying, “The best is yet to come.”
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