From Ming Empire remnants, to anti-Japanese rebels, the Island of Taiwan has a long history of self determination.

When the remnants of the Republic of China fled the mainland to Taiwan in 1949, it was a republic in little but name. With corrupt elections, single party politics, and a byzantine electoral process, the average citizen had little chance of influencing politics.

In this episode we discuss the long, painful, and often bloody road by which Taiwan (ROC) exited martial law, reformed its politics, and created what is now possibly the most progressive and vibrant democracy in Asia (if not the world!).

Today, September 20th 2020, the US Goverment is set to ban certain aspects of both TikTok and WeChat. While TikTok obviously is more popular in the US, the banning of WeChat has a much greater impact on the lives of Chinese People both here in the US, and back in China.
((EDIT: A Federal Judge has since blocked the ban, so the future legal status of WeChat in the US remains uncertain))
Almost unknown outside of Asia, WeChat is a juggernaut of an app touching all aspects of Chinese life. Incredible in features, awe inspiring in scope, it's a flagship example of the way Modern China wishes to present itself. However it's great power also creates great danger, as its data collection, censorship, and state sponsored goals threaten to spread outside of China.
Natalie and Cherrie discuss what WeChat is, it's origins, it's meteoric rise and also the many questions and dangers swirling around this Super-App.

In this episode we briefly recap the events of the Opium war, before discussing its conclusion.
Both sides desperately wanted to end the conflict, yet neither side had the patience or diplomatic expertise to broker a lasting peace (If such a thing was even possible).
The 1942 Treat of Nanjing (and those negotiated shortly after), did indeed end the war, but left many questions unanswered, and many problems unsolved. These problems would only grow larger in time, and go on to cause the more dramatic Second Opium war in the late 1850s.
Beyond anything else, the issue of Opium remained unsolved, as the Qing Empire's attempt to end the trade by force had failed, and the British remained too financially dependent on the drug to consider banning it.

Hello It's Chapter 9!!!
Lin Chong continues his journey and we meet Tough Guy enthusiast and sponsor, Chai Jin.
We also talk in great, exhaustive detail, on the cultural significance of griddle cakes, and special soups.

This is our 2022 Lunar New Year special edition. We hope you enjoy this episode and Happy New Year!
Every year around late January or early February, people all over the world celebrate the Lunar New Year according to the traditional lunisolar calendar.
As for the United States, in the 1950th, grand celebrations and American style parades in San Francisco Chinatown brought the concept of the Chinese New Year to the general American public, first to fight against racism and to show loyalty to the United States during the Cold War, as well as to boost Chinatown tourism business, although reinforcing the modal minority myth as well as other racial stereotypes , these public displays of Americanness during Chinese New Years celebrations contributed to a unique identity forward for Chinese Americans as well as for Chinatowns all around North America. Then, in the 1970s, American presidents started wishing the public "Happy Chinese New Year". In the 1980s and 90s, we see the transition from "Chinese New Year" to "Lunar New Year", we see an Asian American and AAPI identity emerging.
Throughout these historical changes, much like the "War on Christmas", for a Chinese celebrity or an international institution, to say "Happy Chinese New Year" or "Happy Lunar New Year" can be seen as a political stance. Was there really a war on Chinese New Year? Or, should we all fight for the Lunar New Year in observance of solidarity as well as intersectionality in today's America as well as the world?
Recommended Books
1. Making an American Festival: Chinese New Year in San Francisco’s Chinatown By Chiou-ling Yeh
2. The Color of Success, Asian Americans and the Origins of the Model Minority By Ellen D. Wu
3. Scratches on Our Minds: American Images of China and India By Harold R. Isaacs
The American Presidency Project
John Woolley and Gerhard Peters
UC Santa Barbara

Cover Photo Title
Crowd of people watching a dragon at a Chinese New Year Celebration, Los Angeles, [s.d.]
Cover Photo Source
Public Domain. Credit to University of Southern California. Libraries and California Historical Society. Digitally reproduced by the USC Digital Library.