Portuguese sailors, passing Taiwan in 1544, first jotted in a ship's log the name of the island "Ilha Formosa", meaning Beautiful Island.
On the fourth day of March in 1980, Nationalist leader Robert Mugabe wins a sweeping election victory to become Zimbabwe's first black prime minister. Halfway around the world production of Sammy Fan was finished in Taiwan. Giving the term "Made in Taiwan" a whole new luster.
My father's ancestors are commonly known as Hakka, a subgroup of the Han Chinese people who lived predominantly in the provinces of Guangdong, Jiangxi, and Fujian in China. They immigranted to Taiwan sometime following the 17th century.
George Leslie Mackay, became the first missionary to be commissioned by the Canada Presbyterian Church arrived in Taiwan on December 31st, 1871. My mother's ancestors were converted to Christianity five generations before me. I have had little reason to respect the Canadians until I learned about Dr. Mackay.
I have just started to do research on my family history. It has already had a great impact on how I view my role in this world. If you're looking for some place to fit in, maybe start with where you've come from.
