Tag: English

    When I arrived in Taipei two years ago, I knew relatively little about local Taiwanese culture or issues. With an undergraduate background in English and Chinese, most of my academic knowledge was limited to English literature and the politics of mainland China. I was drawn to Taiwan by its reputation for vibrant democracy, encouraged by professors and friends alike who raved about Taiwan’s open educational environment, remarkable food scene, and multicultural colonial history. Through the generosity of Fulbright and the Taiwanese government, over the past two years my understanding of this island has changed and grown, along with my research interests at National Chengchi University.      When I first came to NCCU, I intended to study global climate change policy. But after two years of living in Taipei and engaging with local community through volunteer opportunities at local shelters, language exchanges with classmates, and more, I’ve chosen a thesis topic closer to (my new) home: Taiwanese fertility. Low fertility is one of many demographic trends affecting Taiwan, and an issue that will only grow in social, economic, and political importance in the years to come. Since I moved to Taiwan in 2016, the political landscape of the

     This past year has been a whirlwind of changes for me. When I first landed in Taiwan, I only had a surface-level understanding of its people and culture. I had just finished a year-long program in China and was excited to experience something different. At the time, I had expected to enjoy my stay in Taiwan, but I did not expect it to dramatically alter my views about the world or my path in the future. Studying in Taiwan      At the beginning of my first semester at National Chengchi University (NCCU), I felt that the coursework was structured much differently from how I imagined a master’s program. The onus was on the students to push themselves with the content, and the professor did not explicitly put many requirements on the students.      Nonetheless, I found the classroom discussion to be incredibly fascinating and something that I would not have been able to find in many other programs. This was because the cohort was made up of students from all around the world. I was often the only American in the room, and thus, I heard many different perspectives. Moreover, my professors were often current or

     Long before I was selected for a Fulbright Scholarship to Taiwan, I spent most of my life on a different island across the Pacific Ocean. I was born and raised in Hawaii, a multicultural community known for its diversity. Despite my Chinese and Japanese heritage, I never considered myself “Asian-American.” I was just American.      In communities like Hawaii, American people embrace and celebrate each other’s cultures. We demonstrate our commitment to American values, such as freedom and equality. We believe in the “American Dream,” the idea that anyone who is willing to work hard may achieve some level of success. We may not always agree on what is “right,” but we respect each other enough to maturely discuss, negotiate, and overcome those differences. One could say this is an idealized image of America, a naïve one that does not clearly capture the struggle, violence, and hatred that still exists in America today. But I believe that the sense of love, pride, and belief in these fundamental values will always overcome those hardships.      My undergraduate education at the US Air Force Academy highlighted and reinforced this image. I found myself surrounded by people who, despite

Familiar city, new lens      I landed at Taoyuan International Airport in late August 2017. Fresh out of university, I had arrived in Taipei to pursue a master’s degree at National Chengchi University (NCCU), funded by the Fulbright grant. I had done my alma mater proud by completing two undergraduate theses, being chosen for the Fulbright award, and graduating summa cum laude just that past May. I fully expected to come to Taiwan, complete my master’s degree, and then go to Washington to find work in the foreign affairs field.      But for the first few days in Taiwan, I was thrown off by jet lag, the summer heat, and generally setting up my new life as an expat. Despite this being my third time coming to Taiwan, this time felt markedly different. It finally sunk in that I was moving here, and that I was here with an expressed purpose to earn a master’s degree in Asia Pacific Studies. Over the course of my first year in grad school, I’ve learned to keep an open mind to the opportunities coming my way and cherish the time I’ve spent as a student in one of my favorite places

Introduction Since the 1980s, North Korea’s nuclear program has been a persistent source of international concern.1 These concerns gained renewed importance during the 2017-2018 North Korea nuclear crisis. Through missile tests, provocative threats, and acts of aggression, it appeared that North Korea’s antagonizing behavior had spiraled out of control. Previous bilateral and multilateral negotiation efforts had failed to achieve any lasting success. In the meantime, North Korea’s nuclear program only continued to grow stronger. North Korea’s most recent nuclear test on September 3, 2017, was the most powerful to date. Estimates claim the device yielded 120 kilotons, potentially ten times larger than the previous test almost a year prior.[2] North Korean officials claimed that the test of a miniaturized hydrogen bomb which could be loaded onto an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) was a “perfect success.”[3] While it is impossible to verify North Korea’s claim, the test was enough to arouse the fears of the international community. In response, the United Nations called an emergency meeting, culminating in an additional wave of international sanctions against North Korea. Though the US-sponsored resolution won the support of all fifteen members of the UN Security Council, it was far weaker than the US had