Wikipedia

Taiwanese Americans in the San Francisco Bay Area


The San Francisco Bay Area is home to the second-largest Taiwanese American population in the United States, after the Los Angeles metropolitan area, with an estimated 53,000 individuals in 2010.[1] As of 2020, there are an estimated 32,000, or 8.4 percent of all Taiwanese Americans, in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara area and 32,000, or 8.4 percent of all Taiwanese Americans, in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont area.[2][3]

History

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Taiwanese migration to the United States faced notable constraints prior to World War II, primarily due to Japanese governance and the Immigration Act of 1924, which categorically prohibited immigration from Asia. The emigration of people from Taiwan to the U.S. was minimal, with only a small contingent of students arriving until 1965. Following the enactment of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which relaxed restrictions and favored skilled workers, a significant number arrived as students and chose to settle, influenced in part by improved economic prospects in the U.S. and a restrictive political environment at home.[4]

In 1949, the Chinese Communist Party assumed control of mainland China, prompting a mass migration of 2 million refugees, predominantly affiliated with the Republic of China (ROC) Nationalist government, military, and business sector, to Taiwan. Until 1979, the United States officially recognized the Kuomintang-led ROC as the sole legitimate government of China. Consequently, immigration from Taiwan was tallied within the same quota as that for both mainland China and Taiwan. Notably, due to the People's Republic of China (PRC) restricting emigration to the United States until 1977, immigrants from Taiwan predominantly filled the quota designated for individuals from China. The termination of diplomatic relations between the United States and the ROC in 1979 prompted the enactment of the Taiwan Relations Act, establishing a separate immigration quota for Taiwan distinct from that of the PRC.[5][4][6]

Before the late 1960s, immigrants from Taiwan to the United States were often identified as "mainland Chinese" who had relocated to Taiwan with the Kuomintang (KMT) following the Communist takeover of mainland China. Subsequent waves of immigrants increasingly comprised Han Taiwanese whose ancestors had resided in Taiwan prior to 1949. The flow of Taiwanese immigration to the United States began to decrease in the early 1980s due to improving economic and political conditions in Taiwan.[1]

Taiwanese immigration in the Bay Area picked up in the 1990s, especially as a result of the tech boom in Silicon Valley.[7] Taiwan is a leading microchip manufacturer and dominates the global marketplace, accounting for US$115 billion, around 20 percent of the global semiconductor industry. There are also many Taiwanese executives in semiconductor companies in Silicon Valley.[8]

The startup culture in Silicon Valley is also attractive to Taiwanese startups and aspiring entrepreneurs.[9] Many Taiwanese startups move to the Bay Area for the incubators and opportunities in the tech industry. The Taiwan Innovation Entrepreneurship Center (TIEC) was established in 2016 in Silicon Valley to support Taiwanese startups in the Bay Area. Other efforts, such as the Hsinchu Science Park in Taiwan, attempt to draw technological talent back to Taiwan. Several startups maintain transnational business in Taiwan and the United States, with many vying to compete in the global technology market.

Home to several elite universities, such as Stanford and Berkeley, the Bay Area is also attractive to students from Taiwan.[9][8] Many of these immigrants seek professional opportunities in Silicon Valley and the Bay Area after graduation. The population of Taiwanese is highly educated. 73% of Taiwanese American Immigrants held a bachelor’s degree or more in 2021[10]

Culture

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Taiwanese Boba Tea

Food

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Silicon Valley is home to the majority of Taiwanese restaurants. Many of the Bay Area's Taiwanese restaurants opened in the late 1990s and early 2000s during the tech boom. Taiwanese American cuisine largely consists of dishes from Taiwan such as oyster omelet, beef noodle soup, stinky tofu, and bah tsàng, Taiwanese sticky rice dumplings. While other mainstream restaurants in the United States serve dishes that draw from the northern Chinese influence, many Bay Area restaurants serve Taiwanese cuisine influenced by the Hoklo population and Japanese influence from the period of Japanese colonization in Taiwan.[11]

Organizations

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There are several notable cultural organizations for Taiwanese Americans based in the Bay Area. They include:

  • The Taiwan Alumni Association[12]
  • Taiwanese American Federation of Northern California[13]
  • Taiwanese American Professionals, San Francisco Chapter (TAP-SF)[14]
  • The North America Taiwanese Engineering & Science Association (NATEA)[15]

Events

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  • Taiwanese American Cultural Festival in San Francisco, hosted annually by Taiwanese American Professionals to celebrate Taiwanese culture[16]
  • U.S. Taiwan High-Tech Forum, hosted annually by The North America Taiwanese Engineering & Science Association[15]
  • The New Frontiers in Computing Conference, hosted annually by The North America Taiwanese Engineering & Science Association and IEEE SCV Computer Society Chapter[15]

Notable Taiwanese Bay Area natives

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Lin, Serena Yi-Ying Lin Serena Yi-Ying (2010-07-22). "Taiwanese Immigrants in the United States". migrationpolicy.org. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  2. ^ "Archived copy". public.tableau.com. Archived from the original on 2023-11-14. Retrieved 2023-11-14.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ^ "Archived copy". public.tableau.com. Archived from the original on 2024-01-07. Retrieved 2024-01-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. ^ a b Aspen Chen (2021-06-15). ""Going to America": An overview on Taiwanese Migration to the US". Taiwan Insight. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  5. ^ Yates, Stephen. "The Taiwan Relations Act After 20 Years: Keys to Past and Future Success". The Heritage Foundation. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  6. ^ Rep. Zablocki, Clement J. [D-WI-4 (1979-04-10). "H.R.2479 - 96th Congress (1979-1980): Taiwan Relations Act". www.congress.gov. Retrieved 2024-11-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ Chie, Ho (2011-05-02). "The Taiwanese American Story: A History in Progress". TaiwaneseAmerican.org. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  8. ^ a b "How Silicon Valley looks at the Taiwan miracle (8): Taiwanese in Silicon Valley". DIGITIMES. 2022-12-06. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  9. ^ a b world, Taiwan Panorama Magazine | An international, bilingual magazine for Chinese people around the. "Linking Taiwan to Silicon Valley: The Taiwan Innovation Entrepreneurship Center - Taiwan Panorama". Taiwan Panorama Magazine | An international, bilingual magazine for Chinese people around the world (in Chinese). Retrieved 2023-11-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ Ward, Nicole (March 14, 2023). "Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants and Immigration in the United States". migrationpolicy.org.
  11. ^ "Why Silicon Valley is Still the Heart of the Bay Area's Taiwanese Restaurant Scene". KQED. 2021-05-26. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  12. ^ Team, Internet. "Taiwan Alumni Association was established in the San Francisco". Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco 駐舊金山台北經濟文化辦事處. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  13. ^ "About Us – 北加州台灣同鄉聯合會". Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  14. ^ "TAP-SF". TAP-SF. 2023-05-30. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  15. ^ a b c "ABOUT NATEA – NATEA – North America Taiwanese Engineering & Science Association". natea.org. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  16. ^ Echeverria, Danielle (2023-05-14). "Performances dazzle in S.F.'s Union Square at Taiwanese American Cultural Festival". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  17. ^ Chie, Ho (2010-09-23). "Interview with Author Shawna Yang Ryan on AuthorMagazine.com". TaiwaneseAmerican.org. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  18. ^ University, © Stanford; Stanford; California 94305. "Yu-Kai Chou – US-Asia Technology Management Center". Retrieved 2024-11-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  19. ^ Angelovska, Nina. "Gamification Trends For 2019: Making Room For Game-Elements In Politics". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  20. ^ "Yu-kai Chou, Gamification Expert, Entrepreneur, and Follower of Christ". Finding God in Silicon Valley. 2014-04-01. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  21. ^ Tam, Pui-Ting. "Flash Back: Demand Up in Engineering Specialty". The Wall Street Journal.
  22. ^ "Jameson Hsu". Jameson Hsu. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  23. ^ "Jensen Huang". NVIDIA Newsroom. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  24. ^ Solomont, E.B. "Jensen Huang's Homes: How the Nvidia CEO Grew His Property Portfolio". The Wall Street Journal.
  25. ^ Arrington, Michael (2010-04-09). "Alfred Lin To Leave Zappos, Join Sequoia Capital". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  26. ^ "I Am CNBC Tony Hsieh Transcript - CNBC". CNBC. 2011-06-12. Archived from the original on 12 June 2011. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  27. ^ "Ivan Linn — web3bb ENG". web3bb ENG. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  28. ^ Cornwell, Rupert. "Ellen Pao, profile: The woman who ran Reddit, and that Silicon Valley loves to hate". Independent.
  29. ^ Bryant, Adam. "Tien Tzuo of Zuora: 'Don't Expect Me to Manage You'". The New York Times.
  30. ^ Henderson, Harry (2014-05-14). A to Z of Computer Scientists. Infobase Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4381-0918-3.
  31. ^ Pickert, Kate (2008-11-19). "Yahoo! CEO Jerry Yang". TIME. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  32. ^ Kerr, John. "The 100-Day Makeover A close-up look at the changes a company had to make before it could go public".
  33. ^ "Dr. Pehong Chen – BroadVision Group". Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  34. ^ "Internet Pioneer Pehong Chen | Most Inspiring Asian Americans of All Time | Asian American Personalities | GOLDSEA". goldsea.com. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  35. ^ Moore, Zoe (2024-11-15). "Clara Wu Tsai – A Billionaire Businesswoman and Social Justice Advocate Behind the Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty Teams". ProtectNFM. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  36. ^ "Joseph Tsai". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  37. ^ "Teresa Meng's Profile | Stanford Profiles". profiles.stanford.edu. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  38. ^ "Qualcomm Completes $3.1 Billion Acquisition of Atheros Communications | Qualcomm". www.qualcomm.com. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  39. ^ "The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1986". NobelPrize.org. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  40. ^ "How the Father of FinFETs Helped Save Moore's Law - IEEE Spectrum". spectrum.ieee.org. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  41. ^ Gardner, David (2005-03-21). Earning My Degree: Memoirs of an American University President. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-93111-4.
  42. ^ "Chieh-Ting Yeh". The Aleph Mag. 2012-12-02. Retrieved 2024-01-07.
  43. ^ ""I thought we were China": Ketagalan Media's Chieh-Ting Yeh". Kyoto Journal. 2020-02-10. Retrieved 2024-01-07.
  44. ^ "Jeremy Lin". Gold House. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  45. ^ Slater, Paula (2014-09-19). "Chen brings home third consecutive JGP medal". Golden Skate. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  46. ^ "Karen Chen - Figure Skating". U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
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