On Saturday, August 5, 2017, TACL’s Political Internship Program celebrated its 25th anniversary and the graduation of TACL PIP interns, Class of 2017.  We are so proud of the interns’ accomplishments this summer and hope to see them continue to stay involved in the Taiwanese American community.  Here is a quick intro to our awesome interns:

  • Janet Lee: a native of New Jersey and a rising junior at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., majoring in International Affairs and Economics, Janet interned at the office of Representative Judy Chu (CA-27).
  • Annabell Liao: a native of Chino Hills, CA and a recent graduate of Chapman University in Fullerton, CA, majored in Creative Producing, Annabell interned at the office of CA State Senator Ed Hernandez (SD-22).
  • Yu Hong Hwang: a native of Cupertino, CA and a rising junior at UCLA, majoring in Materials Science & Engineering, Yu Hong interned at the office of Representative Ed Royce (CA-39).

This year, in addition to their daily intern responsibilities at their respective offices, the three interns volunteered at the inaugural Taiwanese American Film Festival, volunteered at one of AAAJ-LA’s monthly citizenship clinics, went on a tour of NASA’s JPL, and traveled to Sacramento to participate in the annual APIA Legislative Day.

Advocacy Project: Anti-Bullying

The 2017 intern advocacy project was centered on AB1318 (Chiu), School Safety: A Safe Place to Learn Act, which focuses on policies to combat bullying in schools. The interns chose to advocate for anti-bullying due to a rise in bullying of minorities in schools after the 2016 election cycle. Many educators are not equipped or properly trained to handle bullying cases at school, and many students are not aware of the resources available to them if they are victims of bullying. Furthermore, studies have found that Asian American students are less likely to report cases of bullying, potentially putting them at higher risk of adverse consequences related to bullying. Ultimately, the interns met with over 10 legislative staff in Sacramento, CA (at the CA state capitol) as well with two elected officials in Southern California to advocate for anti-bullying measures.

25th Anniversary Banquet

In celebration of 25 years, TACL PIP hosted a banquet that featured a keynote speech by Taiwanese American and State Treasurer John Chiang, who spoke about the importance of programs like PIP in empowering TA youth to become engaged in the key decision-making processes of our country. The banquet was held at the Taiwanese American-owned DoubleTree Hotel in Rosemead, CA and was attended by 100 members of the community, including Representative Judy Chu, the Honorable Mike Eng, founding members of PIP, former PIP coordinators and interns, TAP-LA board members, current and past TACL presidents, and many more. The event also hosted its first ever silent auction, featuring items donated by local community members and businesses, such as JJ Bakery, Formula Drift, and more.

In total, PIP raised over $10,000 for future classes of interns, and continues to fundraise to hit our goal of $25,000.

If you would like to donate to PIP please visit our website at: http://tacl.org/get-involved/

Applications for the 2018 Political Internship Program will be available online by November 2017. For more information, please visit our website at tacl.org/pip or contact Jeff Shieh at jeff.shieh@tacl.org.

Photos from our Summer Internship Program

PIP 2017 kicked off with a weekend at Lake Arrowhead for our internship training where the interns learned about TACL’s mission to enhance the life of Taiwanese Americans and history of nurturing thoughtful leaders with a sense of civic duty.

PIP interns volunteered at TAP-LA’s inaugural Taiwanese American Film Festival to support this gathering of Taiwanese Americans in film, media and entertainment. #lifeta

At the end of the summer, the interns traveled to Sacramento to meet with legislators to discuss their intern advocacy project centered on AB1318 (Chiu), School Safety, which focuses on policies to combat bullying in schools.  They represented TACL very professionally and met with over 10 legislative staff and 2 elected officials.

The PIP Class of 2017 graduated at the 25th Anniversary Banquet with the support of the larger TACL Family of PIP alumni, TAP-LA board members, TACL alumni and TACL past and present Presidents.  We are very proud of our interns and their passion for civic duty.  Stay involved!