The Taiwanese Youth Folk Sport Troupe of Keelung Chung Cheng Middle School is visiting Tallahassee next month (September 20-26). They plan to visit Maclay School, School of Arts and Science, SAIL High and TCC.
The 9th grades (13 girls and 20 boys with 5 adults) will stay with the host families. They will tour the Wakulla Spring State Park with SAIL High and watch the FSU football game against the Wake Forest.
Their official performance is scheduled for 7 pm, Thursday, September 23 at TCC. The presentation is free and open to the public.

The Taiwanese American Association of Tallahassee invites the community to celebrate Duanwu Jie, aka the Dragon Boat Festival, from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday at "The Globe," FSU's Center for Global Engagement, 110 S. Woodward Ave. The festival is a national holiday in Taiwan and is marked by eating a special sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves (tsong tse) and racing dragon boats. There won't be boats at Saturday's celebration, but there will be tsong tse and other finger foods. It's free, but please e-mail tallytaiwan@gmail.com if you plan to attend so organizers can be sure to have enough food.

As part of 2010 North American Taiwanese Heritage Week celebrations, the Taiwanese American Association of Tallahassee invites the public to a series of free cooking demonstrations by a noted chef from Taiwan. The first is scheduled for 2 to 4 p.m. Tuesday at FSU's Center for Global Engagement (aka "The Globe"), 110 S. Woodward Ave., with another from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the home of noted local restaurateur Lucy Ho, 402 Vinnedge Ride. The chef will host a cooking show from 2 to 4 p.m. May 19 at Lucy Ho's AZU, 3220 Apalachee Parkway, with a farewell presentation from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. May 19 at Lucy Ho's home. There's no admission charge, but seating is limited at the demonstrations at the restaurant and Ho's home. Please 385-7041 or 644-1508 to hold your spot.

On Sunday, April 25, 2010, the Tallahassee Chinese School – Taiwan (hereafter TCS) celebrated its 25th year of providing Chinese language classes thttp://tw.dictionary.yahoo.com/search?ei=UTF-8&p=consommeo the Tallahassee community. Over the past 25 years, our organization reached out to our fellow Tallahassee residents and provided a means for native Chinese speakers and their children to maintain their language heritage, as well as a way for non-native speakers to learn this wonderful and important international language.

As demonstrated in Lau v. Nichols (1974), language is closely linked with national origin. That the TCS has been able to provide a conduit for people of Chinese origin – both U.S. citizens and non-citizens alike – a way to maintain their cultural heritage for 25 years is a testament to the success of our organization. Being able to share the Chinese language and culture with non-native speakers is also a great way to promote cultural exchange and understanding; diversity is what makes the United States so great. Through our organization, we have been able to reach out not only to parents who have adopted children from China, Taiwan and other overseas Chinese communities, but also local Tallahassee residents who hold a sincere interest in Chinese culture and language.

Our recent 25th anniversary celebration was a tremendous success, drawing well over our anticipated 100 people. Spearheaded by our outgoing principal Carl Huang and incoming principal Pei-hsuan McGowin, these event showcased the progress of our students and celebrated the longevity of our program. With several past principals and former students in attendance, as well as current members, we were enchanted with Chinese poetry, performance plays, and music. We all enjoyed wonderful food provided by a local Chinese restaurant here in Tallahassee.

Additionally, during our event, we took time to speak of the importance of the 2010 Census. It is important to note that the Chinese community in the state of Florida is growing. According to the Census data, the number of Chinese in Florida grew from 30,737 in 1990 to 46,368 in 2000. Given the sizable Chinese and Taiwanese communities throughout the state, including Tallahassee, it is important that our members recognize the importance of completing the Census survey.

Therefore, we stressed to our members how vital it is for everyone, regardless of their ethnicity, to stand up and be counted! We noted that it is important not just for the Chinese community in particular, but completing the Census is crucial for the community at large in terms of funding. And, we emphasized the best part about the Census survey – it is quick and easy to complete!

Through the local schools, many of our children have received reminders of how important filling out the Census is for our city. Through our efforts during our recent event, as well as some of our smaller events such as the Moon Festival in February, we hope that we have driven home just how crucial filling out the Census survey is for Tallahassee. And, we will continue to promote Census 2010 and encourage our members, friends and family to help complete the “snapshot of America.

The TCS will reopen in August 29. Several classes are offered on each Sunday afternoon (from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm). For more info please contact Ms. Brooke McGowin, Carl Huang (taiwanhaung@yahoo.com), or visit Chinese School web page.