Taiwanese CEOs: Morris Chang

Morris Chang, a Taiwanese-American businessman and electrical engineer, was born in Ningbo, China, on July 10, 1931. He is best known for starting the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), a key player in the semiconductor industry worldwide.

Chang’s family had to relocate frequently throughout China and to British Hong Kong due to the upheaval caused by World War II and the Chinese Civil War. Chang was convinced to follow a different career route by his father, a finance official and bank manager, despite his initial wish to become a novelist or journalist.

Chang relocated to the US in 1949 to enroll at Harvard University, but, by his sophomore year, he had transferred to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). In 1952 and 1953, he graduated from MIT with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in mechanical engineering. Chang persevered through difficulties during his doctoral studies at MIT, eventually earning a bachelor’s degree in 1952 and his master’s degree in 1953. Chang’s employer at the time, Texas Instruments recognized his potential and sent him to Stanford University to earn a Ph.D. in electrical engineering in 1964.

According to Forbes, Chang started his career in the semiconductor industry at Sylvania Semiconductor. Later, he moved up the ranks to become the senior vice president in charge of Texas Instruments‘ global semiconductor operations. He departed Texas Instruments in 1984 to take a position as president of General Instrument Corporation. He was hired by the Taiwanese government to head the Industrial Technology Research Institute a year later.

Chang envisioned a company that could manufacture chips and other electronic devices tailored to the specific design requirements of electronics firms. In order to respond to the increasing reliance on outsourcing as a strategy for cost reduction, he established TSMC in 1987 with assistance from the Taiwanese government. This would in turn it into one of the most successful chip companies in the world, according to The New York Times.

Morris Chang has continued to be involved in many ways both inside and outside of the tech industry after he retired from TSMC in. Even though he is no longer involved in the day-to-day management of TSMC, Chang is still regarded as a recognized mentor and advisor to aspiring executives and entrepreneurs. He spends time on charitable endeavors outside of his work, especially in the areas of healthcare and education. Beyond his revolutionary work at TSMC, Chang left an enduring impression on the semiconductor industry and the wider field of technical innovation.

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Review: Netflix’s “Let’s Get Divorced”

Sheltered third generation politician Taishi Shoji (Tori Matsuzaka) and wildly successful actress Yui Kurosawa (Riisa Naka) can no longer stand each other and want to get a divorce, but their high profile life makes it extremely difficult to do so on top of the usual headaches and complications of a separation.

Netflix’s “Let’s Get Divorced” is a dramatic comedy that starts off with the usual family politics over a divorce, exacerbated by their lives in the public eye and their respective career paths. I started watching this Netflix produced Japanese drama not expecting much, hoping to learn some new Japanese vocabulary about politics in a lighthearted show, but I was actually quite invested in the characters by the end and found the ways in which both the wife and husband developed rather refreshing. The couple each come to terms with who they are as people in their own way and start to learn what they really want from life and from themselves.


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Taiwanese CEOs: Terry Gou

By Travis Yen

Taiwanese business magnate Terry Gou has made a name for himself in the fields of technology, philanthropy, and business. Gou was born in Banqiao District, New Taipei City, on October 8, 1950. His life story is an inspiration in drive, creativity, and fortitude.

Growing up in Taiwan at a time of explosive economic growth, Gou saw directly the transformational potential of entrepreneurship. Following his graduation from National Chiao Tung University’s electrical engineering program, Gou set out on his career with the goal of making a positive impact on Taiwan’s rapidly growing technology industry.

According to Forbes, Gou was a co-founder of Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. in 1974; this company is now referred to as Foxconn Technology Group globally. Under Gou’s direction, Foxconn which had begun as a producer of plastic components for television sets quickly grew into one of the biggest electronics manufacturing firms in the world. Foxconn rose to the top of the global technology supply chain thanks to Gou’s strategic vision and innovation-focused approach, and the business now serves as a vital supplier for significant tech companies like Apple, Samsung, and Microsoft.

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8Books Review: I Hope This Doesn’t Find You by Ann Liang

With strong reverse All the Boys vibes, Ann Liang’s latest novel I Hope This Doesn’t Find You is a classic enemies to lovers tale set within the mean, competitive hallways of high school. Sadie Wen is a perfectionist — school captain, valedictorian, always striving to be the best. But that doesn’t mean she takes everything lying down. No, she’s got an entire drafts folder full of angry emails to all the people who have wronged her. Top of the list is her co-captain Julius Gong who seems to always be trying to one-up her, in class, at social events, everything.

But one day, years of emails and pent-up frustrations are sent and Sadie’s life is turned upside down. I Hope This Doesn’t Find You nestles in at the intersections of self expectations and family expectations, the tangle of best friends, gossip, high school trips, and athletic competitions. It’s a heady mix that makes for a page-turning read, because Sadie isn’t the only one who’s got issues…

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The Brothers Sun cancelled (a.k.a. finish watching a show you like)

I was enthusiastically watching The Brothers Sun series when after getting through part of episode 5, I got distracted and didn’t finish it and the rest of the episodes.  Later I read that The Brothers Sun has been cancelled! It was reportedly canceled despite good reviews because middling viewership.

Given the cancellation of future seasons of American Born Chinese, you might ask is this some sort of backlash against Asian-themed shows. I don’t think that is the case, given that Netflix’s live action Avatar:  The Last Airbender was recently greenlit for more seasons. It is more likely a result of the end of “Peak TV” as streaming services like American Born Chinese‘s Disney+ and The Brothers Sun‘s Netflix cut back on production in the pursuit of being profitable (or more profitable).

In any case, I feel guilty having made a small contribution to the show’s demise. This situation with The Brothers Sun reiterates the case made by Gold House that the entire lifecycle of a show needs to be encouraged – not just at creation and publication of great content but to make sure that shows are financially successful.  The lesson here is that if we want our favorite Asian American shows to continue to air, we have to make sure that they are watched.

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Taiwanese CEOs: Joseph Tsai

By Travis Yen

Renowned businessman Joseph Tsai has made a lasting impression with his strategic vision and spirit of entrepreneurship. Tsai was born in Taipei, Taiwan, on January 10, 1964, and his rise to prominence is evidence of his tenacity and willpower.

Tsai’s early experiences with a variety of societies influenced him. He was born and raised in Taiwan and then came to the US to finish his studies. Before graduating from Yale University with a bachelor’s degree in economics and East Asian studies, he attended Lawrenceville School in New Jersey. His broad education prepared him for his future pursuits and gave him a distinct viewpoint that would be very useful in the world of international business.

Tsai entered the finance industry after graduating from college and began working for the Swedish investment firm Investor AB. His strategic thinking and financial skills were refined by this experience. Nevertheless, Tsai’s path took a revolutionary turn in 1999. As one of the company’s co-founders, he teamed up with Alibaba Group’s visionary founder, Jack Ma.

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Năi Nai & Wài Pó make it to the Oscars Red Carpet and into Vogue and GQ!

(image credit: Sean Wang’s Instagram)

My family and I really enjoyed watching Nai Nai & Wài Pó . Even though the Sean Wang’s short did not win an Oscar, The Daughter shared with me that the real life Nai Nai and Wài Pó were big winners on the Academy Award’s Red Carpet. They even were featured in articles from fashion magazine Vogue and GQ

I was happy to see that a few years after the short was made, they were still alive. I also found it inspirational to see even at their age (96 for Yi Yan Fuei and 86 for Chang Li Hua), they could have amazing new experiences, such as wearing clothes from high-end fashion house like RODARTE. and appearing on the Academy Awards Red Carpet. It looks like they are living life with joy, as they say in the film.

I also that learned that we covered another Sean Wang short called H.A.G.S. (have a great summer)Joz says she is eager to see how his career goes, and from the looks of things, it is going great! You can see H.A.G.S. here, and Nai Nai and Wai Po iavailable for streaming on Disney+. More pictures from the Oscars are here on Sean Wang’s Instagram.

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8Books Review: Lunar New Year Love Story

From Asian American literary superstars author Gene Luen Yang and illustrator LeUyen Pham comes a delightful new graphic novel, Lunar New Year Love Story. Lunar New Year and Valentine’s Day celebrations may be over but you can relive the joy (sometimes fraught) in this lovely story about Valentina. Val has always loved Valentine’s Day, until a family secret shatters her belief in the magic of St. Valentine. Are members of her family cursed to never find true love?

A family unraveling, love lost and found, Lunar New Year Love Story is a page turning thrill as Val navigates high school and its attendant teen angst, church grandmas, best friend drama, her Asian American identity, the ghost of St. Valentine, and–of course–love.

I’m a big fan of both the author and illustrator generally and this book is no exception. But I also appreciate the nuance they bring to growing up in Asian America. Val learning that her family calls Lunar New Year, Tết. Being shamed for not knowing more Vietnamese. Jae navigating his Chinese side and his Korean side. Chinese lion dancing! Korean lion dancing! It’s all there!

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China’s Breakout Hit ‘YOLO’ Opening Friday, March 8th in North America

Since opening in China on February 10th, YOLO has grossed over $464.2 million at the Chinese box office and has become the highest-grossing film over the Lunar New Year holiday, retaining the #1 spot two weekends in a row. China’s top grossing female director Jia Ling’s hit comedy drama will be released in select theaters in North America this Friday, March 8th  via Sony Pictures Releasing International. Written, directed and starring Jia Ling, the Chinese-language film will be released in approximately 200 select locations across the U.S. and Canada.

YOLO follows Le Ying (played by Jia Ling), an unemployed woman in her 30s who still lives with her parents until one day, she meets a boxing coach who just may change her life.

Jia Ling has gotten a lot of press for having first gained 44 pounds for the role –  before losing 110 pounds (!!!) for the role as well for the story of the film. There is a music video associated with the film on Weibo of both versions of herself singing side-by-side – it’s pretty amazing: 

I’m not sure when the last time I saw a Chinese film in a mainstream theater as opposed to a film festival. While those films tended to be period pieces with martial arts (Hero, House of Flying Daggers, etc.). YOLO takes place today.

It will be interesting to see how well this film does – I don’t think I’ve seen much promotion for the film thus far. If you’re interested in the film, you can check out where it’s screening here: https://www.yolo.movie/. I am really curious myself and will probably check out the film after watching Kung Fu Panda 4.

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Exclusive Interview with Awkwafina: “Kung Fu Panda 4” Coming March 8th

Awkwafina was in San Francisco recently as “Grand Marshall” for the annual San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade:

“A massive crowd showed up to celebrate the Chinese New Year in San Francisco’s Chinatown on Saturday night as Hollywood actress and comedian Awkwafina led the annual parade to celebrate the Year of the Dragon.

From Union Square to Chinatown, tourists and locals packed the sidewalks along the milelong parade route to watch the iconic celebration—one of North America’s largest and few remaining nighttime parades.”

As part of her visit to San Francisco, Awkwafina held a mini-press junket right before the parade. As soon as she got out of the car to get to the Kung Fu Panda 4 backdrop, she was mobbed by fans, including those involved with the parade. I had only two minutes to interview her before she was rushed off to her parade duties.

To my surprise, I wasn’t aware that there had been a Kung Fu Panda 3. I definitely saw the original film and pretty sure I saw the sequel. The fourth installment is about:

“After three death-defying adventures defeating world-class villains with his unmatched courage and mad martial arts skills, Po, the Dragon Warrior (Golden Globe nominee Jack Black), is called upon by destiny to … give it a rest already. More specifically, he’s tapped to become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace.

That poses a couple of obvious problems. First, Po knows as much about spiritual leadership as he does about the paleo diet, and second, he needs to quickly find and train a new Dragon Warrior before he can assume his new lofty position.

Even worse, there’s been a recent sighting of a wicked, powerful sorceress, Chameleon (Oscar® winner Viola Davis), a tiny lizard who can shapeshift into any creature, large or small. And Chameleon has her greedy, beady little eyes on Po’s Staff of Wisdom, which would give her the power to re-summon all the master villains whom Po has vanquished to the spirit realm.

So, Po’s going to need some help. He finds it (kinda?) in the form of crafty, quick-witted thief Zhen (Golden Globe winner Awkwafina), a corsac fox who really gets under Po’s fur but whose skills will prove invaluable. In their quest to protect the Valley of Peace from Chameleon’s reptilian claws, this comedic odd-couple duo will have to work together. In the process, Po will discover that heroes can be found in the most unexpected places. “

I’ll definitely have to catch Kung Fu Panda 4 now! Kung Fu Panda 4 comes out on March 8, 2024.

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Netflix Announces Season 2 & 3 for Avatar: The Last Airbender

The new live action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender on Netflix has been trending at #1 since it was released a couple weeks ago, so it’s no surprise when it was announced that they are now planning to do Season 2 and 3. In the first 11 days of release, the show has had 41.1 million views. It was No. 1 in 76 countries. How long we’ll have to wait for the next season is still TBA, but for now, huge congratulations to the cast and crew for the two season renewal.

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Taiwanese CEOs: Lisa Su

By Travis Yen

Lisa Su is a trailblazing figure in the technology sector who, via her ground-breaking inventions and revolutionary leadership, has irrevocably changed the world. Su was born on November 7, 1969, in Tainan, Taiwan. Her journey has been marked by intellect, tenacity, and an unwavering quest of perfection.

Su showed a strong talent for science and mathematics from an early age. She had an early fascination with technology since she was naturally curious and had a strong desire to know how things operated. Her future successes were made possible by her insatiable curiosity.

She began her academic career at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. She then went on to Stanford University, where she earned her Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in the same field. Her creative spirit and analytical mindset were greatly influenced by these formative years.

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