Subject
title
Proclamation Declaring May 11-18, 2025, as Taiwanese American Heritage Week
end
Department
Recreation & Parks
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the Mayor and Council of Rockville read and approve the proclamation.
The following community members will be in-person to accept the proclamation: Kevin Huang, President of FAPA, DC chapter (Formosan Association for Public Affairs) and David Hill, President, Rockville Sister Cities Corporation
Discussion
Taiwanese American Heritage Week was established by the Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA) in 1999 and was trademarked by the FAPA in 2012. This year, Taiwanese American Heritage Week is celebrated from May 11 - 18, 2025.
The City of Rockville, Maryland has enjoyed a rich and robust Sister City relationship with Yilan City, Taiwan since July 17, 2019. From the commencement of relations between Rockville and Yilan City, there have been a dozen cultural and educational exchanges, as well as local Rockville-Taiwan cultural events, allowing all of Rockville’s citizens to participate. These events include the Annual Taiwan Bubble Tea Festival, one of the largest gatherings of its kind in the country, which can host 8,000 guests from many diverse cultural backgrounds.
The world saw ongoing travel restrictions beginning in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After years of planning, Rockville Sister Cities Corporation (RSCC) sent a Rockville delegation to Yilan City from June 20 to 24, 2023. The delegation included former Rockville Mayor Bridget Donnell Newton and RSCC representatives. This was the first official visit by Rockville to Yilan City, cementing the exchanges intrinsic to a sister city relationship. 長陳美玲 (Mayor Meiling Chen) of Yilan City and 李建成 (Dr. Chien-chen Lee) of Yilan City Sister City Corporation (YSCC) invited the Mayor and Council of Rockville, plus senior city staff, on this visit timed with the Dragon Boat Festival holiday in Taiwan. Our visitors were honored guests at the large public holiday celebration in addition to five days of government, business, school, and cultural places visits and celebratory dinners with Taiwan officials and our YSCC counterparts.
In July of 2024, Rockville and Yilan City passed the five-year anniversary of our sister city agreement, signed in Rockville on July 17, 2019. Currently, RSCC and YSCC are discussing future exchanges and visitations.
This proclamation celebrates all Asian Americans, Taiwanese American heritage, Taiwanese culture, and Rockville’s Sister City relationship with Yilan City, Taiwan.
Mayor and Council History
Taiwanese American Heritage Week has been proclaimed annually since FY 2020.
Public Notification and Engagement
The Annual Taiwan Bubble Tea Festival will be held in September 2025. More information about this event can be found here: <http://www.rockvillesistercities.org/>