Chau H. Wu graduated with a B.S. from the National Taiwan University and received his Ph.D. from the University of Miami and postdoctoral training at Duke University and Marine Biological Laboratory (Woods Hole, MA). He survived the bloody massacre in

1
Workshop Session 1
Choice A The Origins of the Taiwanese Holo
Language Dr. Chau H. Wu Northwestern University
Professor Emeritus
Chau H. Wu graduated with a B.S. from the
National Taiwan University and received his Ph.D.
from the University of Miami and postdoctoral
training at Duke University and Marine Biological
Laboratory (Woods Hole, MA). He survived the
bloody massacre in Taipei during the 228 Incident
when he was 6 years old. He was on the faculty of
Northwestern University Feinberg School of
Medicine for 30 years, and is Emeritus now. He
currently teaches the Intermediate Taiwanese
course at the Taiwan School in Chicagoland.
Workshop Description When Marco Polo was
visiting Quanzhou in Fujian, China (ca. 1290), he
was surprised to find that, the city has a
peculiar language. About 300 years later, this
peculiar language, called Holo, spread from
southern Fujian to Taiwan, Hainan, and Southeast
Asia. When I applied a technique in molecular
biology, the multiple sequence alignment
analysis, to examine the Holo lexicon, the Holo
words exhibit surprisingly regular patterns of
sound correspondences to Old Norse, Latin and
Greek lexicons. About 80 patterns have been
found. A few patterns will be presented in the
workshop. The regularity of sound correspondences
strongly argues for a possible linguistic kinship
between Holo and the European languages.
Furthermore, there are several Taiwanese customs
that are similar to some ancient Germanic customs
as described in Tacitus Germania. And the most
popular Taiwanese childrens story, Hó-ko-pô
(Grandaunt Tiger), closely resembles the fairy
tale Hansel and Gretel. In light of the
linguistic relationship, the similarities between
Taiwanese and European customs and fairy tales
start to make sense. Thus, evidence from
lexicons and various aspects of cultural life
suggests that the Taiwanese Holo language and
culture may have originated in Europe.
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Workshop Session 1
Choice B Taiwanese Americans as Asian
Americans Dr. John Cheng Lecturer, Asian American
Studies Department, Northwestern University
John Cheng has broad research interests
including popular culture, race and ethnic
studies including Asian American Studies,
cultural studies and critical theory, and the
history of science. His book, Imagining Science
Science Fiction and the Culture of Popular
Science, is forthcoming from the University of
Pennsylvania Press. He is working on a new
project on Asian American cultural studies, law,
and geography and writing pieces on Taiwanese
American identity and politics.
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Workshop Session 1
Choice C The Fortune Cookie Chronicles Ms.
Jennifer 8. Lee New York Times Metro Reporter
Author
Jennifer 8. Lee is a New York Times reporter for
the Metro section. Lee has recently published a
book about Chinese food titled The Fortune Cookie
Chronicles. More information can be found on her
blog fortunecookiechronicles.com.
Workshop Description Author Jennifer 8. Lee
will discuss her book, The Fortune Cookie
Chronicles. In it, Lee takes readers on a
remarkable journey that is both foreign and
familiar penetrating this subculture by
traveling the world (and almost every American
state) in her quest to understand Chinese food
and the people who make it.Her journey took her
to the hometown of General Tso (a military hero
immortalized as much for crunchy chicken as his
conquests), the surprising origins of the fortune
cookie (it's not China), and to six continents in
search for the world's greatest Chinese
restaurant. The book also sparks debates as to
who really invented chop suey and why Jews love
Chinese food, or as she puts it Why is chow mein
the chosen food of the chosen people?The book
is a tribute to immigrants and to America. If our
benchmark for Americanness is apple pie, ask
yourself, how often do you eat apple pie? Now how
often do you eat Chinese food?
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Workshop Session 2
Special Feature Wong Fu Productions Phillip
Wang, Ted Fu, Wesley Chan Filmmakers
Over the years, Wong Fu Productions have evolved
from a group of college dorm mates and friends
at UC San Diego to an internet sensation. It is
now a growing independent production company with
thousands of hits to their website from all over
the world each day. With a fan base of millions
across the US and globe, they work fulltime
creating online content, designing for their
t-shirt brand, and producing with other companies
and artists. As emerging artists and filmmakers,
they hope to continue to improve their craft,
grow as a company, and reach people with their
work.
Workshop Description In this workshop, the guys
of Wong Fu will be showing several of their
famous shorts. They will discuss where they
conceived of the ideas for their various
projects, and talk about their experiences as
Taiwanese American filmmakers.
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Workshop Session 3
Choice A The Challenges and Opportunities of
Taiwans Foreign Relations Mr. Franklin Chen
Director, TECO Chicago
Franklin F. Y. Chen graduated with a Bachelor of
Law degree from Fu-Jen Catholic University, and
received his Master's degree in International
Politics and Foreign Affairs from the University
of Wisconsin in Madison. Mr. Chen has worked in
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), R.O.C.
(Taiwan), for many years. After serving in
various diplomatic posts, including Senior
Assistant of the Taipei Economic and Cultural
Office (TECO) in Guam and Counselor of the
Embassy of R.O.C. (Taiwan) in St. Kitts and
Nevis, Mr. Chen is currently the Director of TECO
Chicago.

• Workshop Description
• In this workshop, 4 topics will be addressed
• Taiwan or Republic of China?
• Taiwans international status after 1971 and 1979
• Taiwans foreign relations and the China factor
• Taiwan and the USAchallenges and opportunities
• The workshop will consist of a 20-minute
  presentation, 25-minute group
• discussion, and 5-minute conclusion.

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Workshop Session 3
Choice B ITASAPast, Present, Future ITASA
National Board
Workshop Description In this workshop, the
members of the ITASA National Board will talk
about the history and organization of ITASA, and
the many ways in which you can get involved!
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Workshop Session 3
Choice C Passion, Purpose, and People
Ingredients For Creating Your Amazing Life
Soup! Dr. Ho Chie Tsai Co-founder, ITASA Creator,
TaiwaneseAmerican.org
Ho Chie Tsai, MD is currently a Board-certified
urgent care pediatrician and hospitalist working
around the San Francisco Bay area. During the
1990's, Ho created the Coalition of APA
Organizations (91-92) now known as the Asian
Pacific American Coalition). Ho Chie was one of
the original 15 founding "seeds" who met in the
summer of 1991 on the East Coast and returned to
their home campuses with the intention of
creating an intercollegiate Taiwanese American
students network, now known as ITASA.Today, he
remains proactively involved in various Asian
Pacific American community grassroots and
leadership development organizations, especially
within the Taiwanese American community.
Currently, he is a core organizer of the new
North American Taiwanese Medical Association 2G,
an allied healthcare professionals organization,
and the founder / manager of TaiwaneseAmerican.org
, a national web portal site dedicated to
connecting and promoting the new generation of
Taiwanese Americans.
Workshop Description Ho Chie Tsai, creator and
manager of the web portal site TaiwaneseAmerican.o
rg and self-described community advocate and
activist, has spent much of his life working to
build organizations and networks that serve the
Taiwanese American community. He will share some
of his experiences and stories as an organization
leader, a dreamer, and a pediatrician to
highlight some of the lessons he has learned
along the way. During this interactive session,
expect to challenge your own ways of thinking and
to explore the "ingredients" which will help you
define your life mission. It's time for some
Taiwanese American soup for the soul!
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Keynote Speaker
Controller John Chiang California State
Controllers Office
Controller John Chiang was elected in November
2006 to serve as California's Chief Fiscal
Officer. The State Controller is the Chief
Fiscal Officer of California, the eighth largest
economy in the world. He helps administer 300
billion in state pension funds and serves on 76
state boards and commissions. These are charged
with duties ranging from protecting our coastline
to helping build hospitals. The Controller is the
states independent fiscal watchdog, providing
sound fiscal control over more than 100 billion
in receipts and disbursements of public funds a
year, offering fiscal guidance to local
governments and uncovering fraud and abuse of
taxpayer dollars. Chiang is the son of
immigrant parents, and graduated with honors from
the University of South Florida with a degree in
Finance. He received his law degree from the
Georgetown University Law Center.
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Banquet Performer
Dave Liang Producer, Shanghai Restoration Project

Traditional Chinese instruments meet Hip-Hop
Jazz. An experiment in cross-cultural
soundscapes, The Shanghai Restoration Project
draws its creative inspiration from the old 1930s
Shanghai jazz bands, an early combination of East
and West that's become an international legend.
The Project revives this exotic blend by
introducing Eastern instruments and rhythms to
the Western sounds of hip-hop, jazz, and
electronica. Producer Dave Liang has worked
with artists on Bad Boy, Motown, and Universal
Records. His music has been featured in films
such as "Red Doors" (Winner TriBeCa Film Festival
'05), on tastemaker radio stations such as KCRW
and KQED, and in clubs and lounges the world over.