Taiwanese Diaspora Podcast

(Episode is in Chinese and English / 國語＋英文)  Tracy Chien (簡郁容) shares memories and reflections about moving to the US from Taiwan in 1993 when she was 10 years old. She was sent solo by her parents to live in an informal homestay arrangement to attend school. She was called a parachute kid (小留學生), an unaccompanied minor sent overseas for school. She reflects that this was a particularly difficult and emotionally traumatizing time of her life: she had limited resources to pursue hobbies and interests, she was without her family in foreign community, she did not have friends because she did not know English. Despite not having much of a support network to help her adjust and learn the new culture properly, she eventually adjusted. This was long before Facetime or Skype, and even before long-distance phone calls. She had limited contact with her parents, primarily through written letters. Tracy was determined to learn how to read, write and speak like an American. Tracy fully took advantage of this unique s