HISTORY TIMELINE
The Beginnings - 1991 Taiwanese American Professionals (TAP) was founded in 1991 in Los Angeles as a program of the Taiwanese Americans Citizens League (TACL) with a mission to enhance and empower the Taiwanese & Taiwanese American community in Greater Los Angeles through networking and professional development, while emphasizing the preservation of Taiwanese American Identity. Pictured: Shih Chou, Henry Hsu, Li-Pei Wu, Vincent Chang |
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| Revival - 2001-2006 After a short period of dormancy, TAP Presidents Peter Chang, Teddy Liaw, and Vicky Kuo revived TAP in to its current form in 2001. The new TAP focused on building a network of young Taiwanese American Professionals interested in professional and career development. During this period TAP developed formal bylaws and expanded their online presence. Pictured (2nd Annual Gala & Casino Night 2006): Andy Ho, Ben Ling, Felix Wang |
Rapid Expansion - 2006-2010 Under the leadership of TAP President Benjamin Ling, TAP expanded to form multiple chapters throughout the United States. In total there are currently 10 chapters including Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Los Angeles, New York, Orange County, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington DC. TAP is currently the largest network of young Taiwanese American Professionals in the United States. Pictured (6th Annual Gala 2010): Ben Ling |
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| Fostering Leadership & Community 2011-2014 Launched in 2012, the College Mentorship program was formed in partnership with UCLA and USC Taiwanese organizations to provide professional preparation and guidance to college students, and to develop the next generation of community leaders. In 2014 under the leadership of TAP-LA president Annie Lee, TAP-LA hosted the TACL National Convention |
Uniting the Taiwanese Community 2015-2016 Noticing the lack of unity among various Taiwanese organizations, TAP-LA President Jeanette Low formed the first collaborations with the Taiwanese Junior Chamber of Commerce of LA (TJCLA), resulting in the Taiwan-US Investment Conference (now N3xtcon). TAP also began their close association with Taiwan governmental agencies the Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC) and the Taipei Economic & Cultural Office (TECO). TAP-LA was also elected to join the board of the Taiwanese United Fund (TUF). Pictured (Taiwan-USA Investment Conference 2016) |  |
Uniting the Asian American Community 2020 - Present During the COVID19 global pandemic and Anti-Racism movement, TAP-LA quickly shifted to virtual events and programming. TAP-LA published "TAPpy Food Guide" and "Essential Worker Spotlight" promoting unity and support for our community through difficult times. TAP-LA also collaborated with other AAPI organizations to manage fundraiser for COVID19 Relief Fund. A joint statement by a coalition of local AAPI organization is published to fight against racism. Pictured TAP-LA Board Members: Cindy Lee, Alan Lee, Christopher Balmaseda. | Film Festival 2017-2019 Being located so close to Hollywood, TAP-LA saw an opportunity to include professionals working in the entertainment industry. Spearheaded by TAP-LA President JC Chang and Media & Arts Chair Anthony Ma, TAP-LA established the first ever Taiwanese American Film Festival (TAFF) to showcase the immensely talented works of Taiwanese and Taiwanese American creatives and artists. With the support of the Taiwan Academy, the Ministry of Culture, and generous community donations, TAFF has quickly become the flagship event of TAP-LA
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