For Immediate Release
Washington, D.C. – July 22, 2024

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FAPA HQ JOINS ANNUAL TAC-WC IN LOS ANGELES, CELEBRATING TAIWANESE AMERICAN ADVOCACY

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The Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA) participated in the 2024 Taiwanese American Conference – West Coast (TAC-WC), held in the largest Taiwanese diaspora community in North America, Los Angeles, California.

This year’s TAC-WC, chaired by longtime FAPA leader Ken Wu, was a tremendous success, thanks to the efforts of the TAC-WC Team including FAPA CA-LA Chapter president, Tony Lee, and other CA-LA Chapter members.

Notable speakers this year included Congressmen Brad Sherman and Ted Lieu, Taipei City Councilors Po-ya Miao and Sabrina Lim, New Taipei City Councilor Kuan-ting Cho and Evalyn Chen, and former legislator and musician Freddy Lim.

This year’s theme, “Investing in Taiwanese Americans: Elevate Taiwan and America,” emphasized the importance of empowering the Taiwanese American community to enhance bilateral relations via civic diplomacy.

In the special One-Taiwan-One-China (1T1C) session, moderated by Ken Wu, panelists shared diverse perspectives on their vision of an independent Taiwan and efforts to promote these ideas on the international stage. FAPA members and Emerging Leaders Workshop (ELW) alumni Cosette Wu (MA) and Najee Woods (OH-C) were among the presenters on this panel.

On Sunday, FAPA’s Executive Director Anny Hsiao gave a keynote speech titled From Blacklist to the Global Stage: Why Taiwanese Americans Advocate for Taiwan. She began by noting Los Angeles’ special significance for FAPA, as the city where FAPA founders formally created the organization. Through storytelling, she highlighted the fraught journey of Taiwanese American activism, and FAPA’s pivotal role in advocating for Taiwan.

In the final day of the conference, Anny Hsiao moderated a FAPA session filled by Southern California Chapter Presidents including CA-LA Chapter President Tony Lee and CA-SD Chapter President Alex Hung, who shared details of chapter activities to the audience. Also included in the panel was FAPA National President Su-Mei Kao, FAPA National Board member Najee Woods, Cosette Wu, and MimiQ Soong, who shared their experiences at the ELW and National Advocacy Conference (NAC). The panelist had a lively discussion with an engaging and packed audience.

Throughout the conference, the FAPA team met individuals who have participated in FAPA programs over the years. FAPA expresses its gratitude for the TAC-WC Team in organizing such an amazing conference. FAPA received positive feedback from the Taiwanese American community and remains steadfast in its mission to champion Taiwan’s cause in the U.S.

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FAPA 參與洛杉磯年度美西夏令會，頌揚台美人倡議精神

本次美西夏令會由 FAPA 西岸資深僑領 Ken Wu 領軍籌備，洛杉磯分會會長 Tony Lee 與其他會員們鼎力相助。

講者陣容堅強，包括美國國會議員 Brad Sherman、Ted Liu，台北市議員苗博雅、林亮君，新北市議員卓冠廷、陳乃瑜，前立法委員兼搖滾樂手林昶佐等人。

本次主題為「投資台美人，增值挺台美」，鼓勵台美人積極參與公民外交，深化台美雙邊關係。

「一邊一國台海青年論壇」(1T1C) 中，講者們分享了對台灣獨立的不同願景，以及在國際上推廣這些理念的努力。FAPA 成員及青年領袖營（ELW）畢業生 Cosette Wu（麻州分會）和 Najee Woods（俄亥俄州中部分會）亦在論壇中發表精闢見解。

FAPA 執行長蕭喬勻以《從黑名單到世界舞台：台美人為何倡議》為題發表演講，強調洛杉磯對 FAPA 的特殊意義，因為台灣民主前輩們當年就是在洛杉磯開會，並籌備成立 FAPA。

美西夏令會還舉辦了 FAPA 座談會，由洛杉磯分會會長 Tony Lee、聖地亞哥分會會長 Alex Hung 及總會會長林素梅參與，蕭喬勻主持，並邀請 Najee Woods、Cosette Wu 和 MimiQ Soong 分享他們在 ELW 和全國倡議大會（NAC）的經驗。

會議期間，FAPA 團隊與多年來參與 FAPA 活動的人們交流，並對收到的正面回饋表示感謝。