Member of the Month: Jess Wu
This month, we interviewed super star member Jess Wu. Read on to hear more about her! Tell us about yourself! It can be about anything – where you grew up, your professional background, your hobbies, etc. Hi! My name is Jess Wu and I'm a 1st generation Taiwanese American woman raised on Long Island. I'm currently working as a Product Operations Manager at a healthcare tech startup called Calibrater Health in Flatiron. I love traveling, eating out (I mean, who doesn't?), the NYT Crossword (Mondays and Tuesdays only lol), and dismantling systematic oppression. If you have any restaurant...
Hearing jazz musician Peter Lin’s musical roots
Taiwanese American Peter Lin is a jazz trombonist and musician based in New York. Born in Louisiana, the birthplace of jazz, Peter has been described by Downbeat Magazine as “solid, fluid, and smooth”, having performed with world-class jazz artists including Slide Hampton, Steve Davis, Winard Harper, and more. Peter has also performed at festivals including The Clifford Brown Festival and The Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival, and leads the jazz small group, The Lintet, which is active in the tri-state area. TAP-NY had the chance to interview Peter about his musical journey after his recent...
Member of the Month: Eric Yang
This month, we interviewed superstar member Eric Yang. Read below to see his responses! Tell us about yourself! It can be about anything – where you grew up, your professional background, your hobbies, etc. Howdy, everyone! I’m a native New Yorker (Queens represent!). I have a MBA from Georgetown University (DC) and a BS from Babson College (Boston). Post-MBA, I stayed in DC, working on Audi’s Corporate Strategy team. After 2 years with Audi, I left my job and spent a year in Taiwan caring for my grandmother. Taking the time to reconnect with her was one of the best decisions of my life....
Making a Difference: An Interview with NYS Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou
Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou is a Democratic Party member of the New York State Assembly for the 65th district, which includes Chinatown, the Financial District, Battery Park City, and the Lower East Side. Born in Taiwan, Yuh-Line has focused her advocacy work around financial empowerment for consumers as well as tenant rights, while also helping form New York State’s first ever Asian Pacific American Legislative Task Force, which will focus on advancing issues impacting New York’s Asian American community. TAP-NY had the chance to interview Yuh-Line about her background,...
Member of the Month: Jane Yang
This month, we interviewed our superstar member Jane Yang and got to know her! Read her responses below: Tell us about yourself! It can be about anything – where you grew up, your professional background, your hobbies, etc. I grew up in Toronto, Canada. I majored in Mathematics at the University of Waterloo and started my career in Finance. I moved to New York 5 years ago for work, but was soon inspired by the creative and innovative energy in New York to start my own company. I recently just co-founded my own company, Cadence, which is a blockchain platform for alternative...
Member of the Month: Andrew Yip
In this month's edition of Member of the Month, we chatted with Andrew Yip. Check out his interview below! Tell us about yourself! It can be about anything – where you grew up, your professional background, your hobbies, etc. Hello! I’m Andrew Yip, just a simple Asian guy from Brooklyn! As you can guess, I was born and grew up in Brooklyn, NY – and then for a few years in Buffalo, NY where I did my undergrad from 2008 to 2012. I chose SUNY Buffalo for my undergraduate college because after a while of growing up in NYC, I wanted to get out there and see what else is out there,...
Unraveling design philosophy and identity with Isometric founder Andy Chen
Graphic designer Andy Chen is the founder of New York-based design consultancy Isometric. Since its inception in 2013, Isometric has worked with well known institutions across the world, including Anthem Health Insurance, Princeton University, Soros Fellowships for New Americans, and Columbia Business School. TAP-NY visited Isometric and had a chance to ask Andy about his work, influences and how identity has played a role in his design philosophy. Born to two Taiwanese immigrants in Monterey Park, California, Andy never thought of himself as an artist growing up. "I was a pretty...
Discussing Asian American food and culture with LUCKYRICE founder Danielle Chang
Few people embody the phrase 'cultural entrepreneur' more so than Danielle Chang, founder of LUCKYRICE, the popular food festival spotlighting Asian cultures and cuisines. Now in its 9th year, LUCKYRICE has held festivals in 8 cities including New York, Miami, Houston, and Los Angeles, and most recently launched a TV series, LUCKY CHOW, and a contemporary Asian cookbook. TAP-NY had the chance to ask about Danielle's perspectives into modern day trends in Asian American cuisine and culture. Born in Taipei as the oldest of three children, Danielle learned Chinese as her first language, and...
Member of the Month: Isabella Feng
Member of the Month: Isabella Feng In this issue of Member of the Month, we interviewed our superstar member Isabella Feng! Isabella often volunteers at TAP events and is always friendly and welcoming. Check out her responses below: Tell us a little bit about yourself. Hi! I grew up in Guangzhou, CN and have been in New York for around 5 years. I also spent some time living in Seoul, South Korea. So far, I have been enjoying life in NYC, working as an accountant, meeting amazing people and learning to be positively independent. I have a wide range of interests and hobbies for different...
On Culture and Gender: Interviewing drag king Wang Newton
Taiwanese American "Wang Newton" was voted one of the Top 25 drag kings in the world by peers. Self described as a “cheeky host with a ‘Taipei’ personality”, they host shows in New York City while running Wang TV on social media. The filmed bits feature everything from backstage shenanigans to interviews with the likes of super model Coco Rocha and drag queens from TV show RuPaul's Drag Race. TAP-NY caught up with Wang at a show in Brooklyn to learn about their background and journey. Learn more about Wang at www.wangnewton.com or on Instagram @drwangnewton and don't miss out at their...