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Recap: Project Vision

Thanks for supporting Project Vision‘s Fall Soiree & Silent Auction. Your support has helped benefit PV’s after school tutoring program, service learning projects, and college prep workshops. That’s a big difference you’re making!

TAP-Chicago Project Vision Silent Auction

The event took place in Co-Prosperity Sphere on 3219 South Morgan St, Chicago. A really good artsy space with a good vibe.

TAP-Chicago Project Vision Fall Soiree & Silent Auction

Items up for auction included a 5-Course Dinner for 2 at Oceanique, Kindle Fire, dinner for 2 at Table Fifty-Two, private wine tasting party for 6 at Lush Wine & Spiritsm, private jewelry party for 10 at Erin Gallagher Jewelry, original art work, and much more….

TAP-Chicago Project Vision Fall Soiree & Silent Auction

Project: VISION is a nonprofit organization that provides teens in the Chinatown and Bridgeport communities with free after school programs like homework tutoring, college-prep workshops, and service learning opportunities.

To continue to make a difference with Project Vision, consider volunteering your time! More information on Project: VISION can be found on their website.

TAP-Chicago Project Vision Fall Soiree & Silent Auction Group Picture

Special thanks to Project Vision
Tamarind for the catered food
The DJ who helped set the mood
and of course, our lovely attendees

 [Photos courtesy of Autmn Chim]

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Recap: TAP-Chicago Membership Bruncheon

Thanks so much for supporting TAP-Chicago and attending our first membership bruncheon on Saturday! We really enjoyed meeting everyone. It is an exciting time for us as we are looking to invite dedicated members to join our committees and organize a pool of general volunteers, so we thank you in advance for your interests, enthusiasm, and energy.

TAP-Chicago Membership BruncheonBreakfast, anyone? 

TAP-Chicago Membership Bruncheon

Info session about TAP-Chicago’s history, different committees, and the ways you can get involved.

TAP-Chicago Membership BruncheonAnimal Kingdom Self-Introduction

TAP-Chicago Membership Bruncheon

Animal Kingdom Self-Introduction

TAP-Chicago Membership Bruncheon
Animal Kingdom Self-Introduction

TAP-Chicago Membership BruncheonBrainteasers

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Special thanks to
Patty, who provided us with the venue
Anny, who planned the whole event
Hauwei, for his support
Grant, for the amazing icebreakers
and of course,
to all new and old members who attended.

We are always looking for volunteers, so check out our team page to see the types of committees we have and e-mail Anny (anny@tapchicago.org) with your interest or questions!

 

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Recap: BBQ Beach Party (9/16/2012)

We had such an amazing time at our annual barbecue beach party this year at Montrose Beach. There was great food and great Sangria; the nice open field to toss a football around was another plus. Thanks to everyone who came out and thank you for bearing with us with the event-date change. The great weather that came was well worth the wait! Below are some captured moments. Please upload your pictures to our Facebook album if you took any as well!

 

Special thanks to
Our social directors, Yen and Norm.
Yen and Norm for prepping the food.
Yen and Patty for grilling and making sure that everyone was well-fed!
Shelley, Tina, Autumn, Craig, Frank, Shannon, who helped set up and clean up.
Finally, to TJCCC, who co-hosted the event with us.

See you at our next barbecue in about 365 days!

 

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Recap: Unmi Song Professional Development Seminar

It’s safe to say that Umni Song inspired us all today. She shared her views on the Asian American identity, her professional experiences, and broadened our perspectives on non-traditional career paths and opportunities.

The Asian American Identity
Growing up as a Korean American, Unmi often felt that others did not see her as an American because she didn’t look like one; she also received surprising comments about how well she could speak English. When she lived in South Korea, working for Gold Star Tele-Electric Company in Seoul, she also felt like an outsider. Even though she looks Korean, her limited Korean fluency made it difficult for natives to accept her as Korean.

The anecdote on this topic is short, but it clearly reflects the world Asian Americans live in. While we may identify with a certain nationality and culture, it isn’t always aligned to the perception of those we encounter.

Finding Your Passion
Unmi began her career in the private sector, holding positions in Gold Star Tele-Electric Company in Seoul, the First National Bank of Chicago, Citicorp Investment Bank in New York City, and Bankers Trust Company. While she enjoyed the work and the perks, she noticed one day that there are many others who want her job more than she wants it. She began to think about what she really wants to do, what would make her truly happy, and where her passion is. She decided that her passion is in giving back, in making a difference to the world, and this is what launched her self-exploration and what led to her career switch into the nonprofit sector.

Learning about a Different Career Path
Switching careers is not easy, especially when the switch is to completely unfamiliar and foreign ground. Unmi did not let that stop her, however. Instead, she spent a lot of time learning about the nonprofit sector through reading up on relevant literature and conducting informational interviews, talking to more than 100 people who work with and work in nonprofits. The information she collected helped her pinpoint where her skills and background could be applied and utilized in this different world.

One of the helpful tips she gave was on informational interviews. Informational interviews are interviews that job seekers conduct to help them learn about a specific occupation or organization. These are useful in terms of networking and also in getting an insider’s view on the jobs and organizations. When requesting an informational interview, it’s important  to state your purpose, to explain your skills and what you’re good at, and also to admit that there’s a lot you don’t know. When preparing for an informational interview, it’s helpful to think about questions that will guide you to your ultimate goal, for example: what can I do to be useful to the organization. With time, you’ll be able to refine your questions better to get relevant information, and eventually, your hard work will pay off, just like Unmi’s, when she landed her dream job. Twenty years later, she’s stayed at a job that other people still want, but this time, she wants it as much as everyone else does, if not more.

Giving Back
Working for a nonprofit is a lot different than working in the private sector. In the finance world for example, a project can take a lot of time and energy and stress before it is complete, but when it’s done, it’s done. However, when you work for a nonprofit, your work is never done. There is always more to do. While not everyone can or is willing to switch careers to the nonprofit sector, Unmi encourages everyone to give back. She says that Asian American Foundations receive less than 1% of donations. This may be because of the notion of Asians as model minorities– but Asian Americans need help, too. Whether it’s through community service or monetarily, we should all try to give back in ways we can.

After the talk, Unmi stayed with us to answer everyone’s questions. We are so grateful for her time and the inspiration she brought each and every one of us. Some member feedback are below:

“What an awesome and inspiring event! I’m so glad I went.”

“[I]t was a really touching one!…”

“Thanks! Interesting and moving at the same time. Glad I attended… Good job…”

“Had a great time there, thanks for organizing such an interesting seminar!”

Special thanks to Jack and to the Asian Professional Network, who put together this event. We look forward to more successful professional development seminars such as this one!

[Photo courtesy of Phil]

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Recap: Urban Farming at Chicago Lights

TAP-Chicago would like to thank all of you who came out to the urban farming event at Chicago Lights last Saturday! We had an awesome tour of the farm grounds, watered plants, harvested tomatoes and green beans, helped with composting, and even discovered what a worm egg looks like! Below are some pictures to share with you in case you missed out.

Laura Lynn, one of the farm staff members, giving us a tour of the grounds.

There are vegetable plots not only for their farm stand but also for summer camp kids and neighbors in the community, a green house under construction, and enormous compost bins.


We helped with watering.

We harvested,

gathered tons of beans,

and helped with composting.

Worm pie, anyone?

It was work, but it was fun.

To thank our members for participating, we had a drawing for the gift certificate to Chilam Balam, a delicious Mexican small-plates restaurant in Lakeview and a strong supporter of sustainable agriculture and local farmers. Congrats to Jay for winning. We hope you enjoy the hard-earned meal!

Special thanks to Henry Y. So and Autumn Chim for organizing this event, to everyone who came out, and of course, to Chicago Lights for teaching us so much and spending time with us.

Please join us for our next community service event at the Asian Youth Services on September 15, 11:00am – 2:00pm, where we’ll be tutoring, mentoring, playing basketball, etc., for at-risk youth!

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TAP-Chicago Thunder Ready to Medal in September

On September 22nd, TAP-Chicago’s very own dragon boat team, TAP-Chicago Thunder, will participate in its final race of the season. It has been a wonderful season, and we’ve medaled at every single race!

Below is a World Journal article written right after our second race, which took place in Chinatown. Look at us with our proud smiles, red uniforms, and medals. Want us to keep those smiles? Come cheer for us in UW Oshkosh at the end of September, or even better, join us for this final race. Your support will give us the strength to win another medal. Go, TAP Thunder!

Chicago Taiwanese American Professionals Look Forward to Another Good Performance at the Chicago International Dragon Boat Festival

By Chen Jia-Qian, Reporter July 27, 2012 06:00 AM

[Photo caption:] Team members of the Chicago Taiwanese American Professionals happily show off their bronze medals after taking third place at the 2012 Chicago Chinatown Chamber of Commerce Dragon Boat Race. (Photo courtesey of reporter Chen Jia-Qian)

 

Chicago (World Journal)–The Chicago Taiwanese American Professionals took the bronze medal a few days ago at the 2012 Chicago Chinatown Chamber of Commerce Dragon Boat Race, and are looking forward to another good performance at the 2012 Chicago International Dragon Boat Festival in Arlington Heights this Saturday (July 28th).

Last Saturday, the Chicago Taiwanese American Professionals took third place by a mere 0.04 seconds at their first dragon boat race hosted by the Chicago Chinatown Chamber of Commerce.  Before the Chicago Chinatown Chamber of Commerce boat race, they also participated in a race in the western suburb of St. Charles. For the series of dragon boat races this year, the organization specially designed red T-shirts as their uniforms.

President Hauwei Lien explained that the organization, founded four years ago, now has around 700 members between the ages 20 to 40, from all trades and professions. The organization hosts a variety of events, including volunteer tutoring sessions for children, dog-walking events for canine rescue organizations, networking events, cultural events such as Taiwanese movie screenings, and sporting events such as volleyball. They also host events during such holidays as the Chinese New Year, Mid-Autumn Festival, and Dragon Boat Festival.

An estimated 60 teams will participate in the Chicago International Dragon Boat Festival in Arlington Heights. Hauwei Lien welcomes everyone to come out and cheer for their team this weekend; the organization also encourages interested individuals to join the team. More information about the event can be found at http://tapchicago.org

 

Source: WorldJournal.com

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Recap: August Happy Hour @ Sushi Sumba

On August 16, 2012, TAP-Chicago, along with the Filipino American Network (FAN), Japanese American Citizens League (JACL),  and Taiwanese Junior Chamber of Commerce Chicago (TJCCC), co-hosted a successful happy hour at Sushi Sumba.

With close to 200 attendees, the space was packed with new and old faces and great conversations.

Checking in

Announcements!

A big thank you to our volunteers, to our co-hosts, and of course, to our members, for your continued support.

Feel like you missed out on our August happy hour? Don’t be too distraught–we’ll have another one in September, so be sure to visit our website or Facebook page for updates! Also, if you want see more pictures from this evening, please click here.

[Photos courtesey of Ascene Chicago.]

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