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A generation of Taiwanese left (or you might say “fled”) Taiwan in the 1960s and 70s, with most going to the United States. Some went to school there and stayed, while others emigrated as they saw no future for themselves and their families in the then one-party ROC state. This Taiwanese diaspora was a boon for America; intelligent, hard-working, educated people, many of whom went on to contribute greatly to the American economy and US culture. However, some of these exiles dreamed of a day when their political views could be spoken aloud in Taiwan without fear, and when that day finally came in the late 1990s, some returned and some then also participated in local politics. Wu Li-pei, a pro-independence, pro-democracy activist, was one such man. Wu's life (1934-) spans modern Taiwanese history and his story of being from “two countries” is one many others experienced – US immigrants for whom Taiwan always remained home.
Cover: Wu Li-pei, (left), and US actor Richard Gere, (right) meet with the Dalai Lama (center), circa 1999-2000. Via Up Media.
According to Wu's book: "When the Dalai Lama visited Los Angeles in November 1999, I was able to meet him in person and asked if he would speak to the Taiwanese American community. We coordinated with Lodi Gyari, his special envoy to the United States, and the Tibet Fund for a speech and fundraising luncheon to take place on June 25, 2000, at the Hilton Universal Towers. The speech was titled, 'Love, Compassion, and Universal Responsibility.' The morning prior to the luncheon, the Dalai Lama and I spent nearly forty minutes in a private talk. I found him to be an affable, kindly gentleman with a great sense of humor. He also expressed interest in forming an alliance between the Taiwanese and the Southland Tibetans. I was thrilled. More than $30,000 was raised during the event, which was attended by over eight hundred Taiwanese Americans, including many who rarely attend these kinds of events. I was amazed at His Holiness’s ability to attract an audience.”
Below: the English version of Wu's autobiography: Two Countries: My Taiwanese American Immigrant Story
Link to his book's website HERE.
Below: Wu Li-pei (born 1934) is still a firm advocate for an independent Taiwan, telling Up Media in 2019, "Taiwan independence is my main business." (Photo by 張哲偉）
In an image via Taiwan Justice, the late, great Taiwan democracy fighter Dr. Peng Ming-min, right, is shown speaking with Wu Li-pei shortly before Peng's death in 2022. (彭明敏 1923-2022)
Check our very first episode, the story of a very white man who showed up in London in 1703... and claimed to be from Formosa. Or try a foodie episode from Season 3. Or, for those who want some harder-core history, hear the tale of the Lockheed U-2 pilot Wang Hsi-chueh 王錫爵, who became was famous for defecting to the PRC by hijacking China Airlines Flight 334 on May 3, 1986.
