On May 24, 2022, Director General Louis M. Huang of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles (TECO-LA) was pleased to receive Professor Joel Fetzer and 18 students from Pepperdine University, a private research university founded in 1937 and known for its picturesque location in the beautiful Malibu, California.
This visit is part of the summer courses of East Asian Politics taught by Professor Fetzer, who is an expert in the fields of international migration, ethnic relations, religion and politics. The students are from different majors but are all interested in international relations with a special focus on East Asia.
In the meeting, Director General Huang introduced TECO-LA, the history of Taiwan, and touched upon the Taiwan-US relations. He mentioned that Taiwan works closely with the U.S. to safeguard democracy. “Taiwan’s democratization started with the abolition of martial laws in 1987, and Taiwan has developed into a fully-fledged democracy. In addition, Taiwan is the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage,” said Director General Huang.
During the Q&A session, Director General Huang was asked to comment on the recent Laguna Woods church shooting. He told the students that Taiwan is a multicultural society and democratic country, and no matter where people come from, we should stand together and work for a better common future. Taiwan is ranked as one of the freest countries in Asia where freedom of speech is upheld. Regardless, anyone sharing different views has to respect others, he stressed.
Director Brad Shih of the Travel Division and Director Rebecca Lan of the Education Division also joined the meeting to showcase Taiwan’s travel attractions, as well as to introduce Taiwan’s education and English teachers/ teaching assistants recruiting opportunities, inviting the students to study or teach in Taiwan.
As the host of the visit, TECO-LA prepared Boba milk tea and pineapple cakes, the popular drink and traditional dessert in Taiwan, to treat the group, hoping to make their visit a success and full of Taiwanese flavor.
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