Dr. Andy Chiou By Sharon Chen (成子葳)

Dr. Andy Chiou is a Taiwanese American who was born in the United States. He spent a good portion of his life alternating between living in the U.S. and living in Taiwan, so he’s not your typical Asian American. He partakes in numerous Chinese traditions, such as placing red envelopes under the pillow, or making spring rolls for 清明 and 湯圓 for the Lunar New Year. He makes Chinese dishes to the extent that he can in the U.S., as some of the ingredients aren’t the same. He recommends that people that are new to Taiwanese food to try 小籠包, and for fun they should also try stinky tofu. Dr. Chiou also makes sure that his children stay rooted in their culture and learn how to read traditional Chinese as they do in Taiwan. 

Growing up as an Asian in America and an American in Asia, Dr. Chiou had felt a disconnect of sorts with his peers; he’d also been stereotyped in both the U.S. and Taiwan due to his shifting identities. As he matured, he learned to come to peace with his identity; he didn’t feel the need to be just American or just Taiwanese because it simply wasn’t who he was. He advises that any other Asian American who struggles with their identity should give it some time, since the process of discovering yourself takes years of meaningful interaction and close contact to the culture you want to identify with. He understands the desire to celebrate one’s culture like people do for Asian American Heritage Month, but it doesn’t mean much to him considering his already steady sense of self. Dr. Chiou hopes that in the future the Asian American community will have more political voice, but he’s seen great progress with the current generation and their ability to voice their opinions.