[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 72 (Tuesday, May 13, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E748]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   IN RECOGNITION OF THE 22ND ANNIVERSARY OF THE TAIWANESE AMERICAN 
                           CULTURAL FESTIVAL

                                  _____
                                 

                           HON. JACKIE SPEIER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 13, 2014

  Ms. SPEIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the 22nd anniversary of the 
Taiwanese American Cultural Festival that will be held on May 10, 2014 
in San Francisco. The festival brings together an estimated 8,000 
people from all over the world to enjoy delicious Taiwanese food, be 
entertained by world-renowned Taiwanese American performers and to 
experience the vibrancy of Taiwanese culture.
  The festival highlights the national celebration of Taiwanese 
American Heritage Week during the month of May, as proclaimed by former 
President Bill Clinton in 1993. Since its inception, it has grown into 
a landmark event for the Bay Area recognizing the contributions of 
Taiwanese Americans.
  Taiwanese Americans are firmly woven into the fabric of our community 
and serve our country on all levels of government, from being members 
of the President's Cabinet, to highly respected business leaders and 
locally-elected officials. Scholars and leaders such as former U.S. 
Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court 
of California Goodwin Liu, Academy-Award winning director Ang Lee, co-
founder of Yahoo Jerry Yang, and Jeremy Lin who became the first 
Taiwanese-American in the NBA, have all made lasting contributions to 
our society and share the spirit of the Asian American Pacific Islander 
culture.
  The Taiwanese American population has grown significantly since the 
1970s and brought large numbers of physicians, health professionals, 
scientists and professors to the United States. In the late 80s and 
90s, the Silicon Valley tech boom drew even more Taiwanese immigrants. 
Of the between 500,000 to one million Taiwanese Americans living in the 
United States, 49% live in California, according to the 2010 U.S. 
Census.
  As the representative of one of the largest Asian American 
populations in the country, I've experienced first-hand the warmth, 
generosity and inclusiveness of the AAPI community. Every year, the 
Taiwanese American Cultural Festival enhances social interactions and 
cultural exchanges and strengthens the partnership between the United 
States and Taiwan.
  The festival is entirely organized, run, and funded by volunteers and 
non-profit organizations, in particular the Taiwanese American 
Professionals--San Francisco (TAP-SF) and the Taiwanese American 
Federation of Northern California (TAFNC).
  Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to rise with me in 
honor of the 2014 Taiwanese American Cultural Festival. May it continue 
to bring joy and cultural enrichment to our community for decades to 
come.

                          ____________________