Taiwanese American Association Baltimore (巴爾地摩)
Identity Snapshot
- English: Taiwanese American Association Baltimore
- Chinese: 巴爾地摩
- Era: Contemporary
- Geography: Taiwanese American community
- Core roles: Community organization (TAH directory)
The Taiwanese American Association Baltimore (巴爾地摩 台灣同鄉會) is a regional chapter of the Taiwanese Association of America (TAA, 全美台灣同鄉會), the national umbrella organization for Taiwanese American community associations across the United States. The chapter is listed under the TAA’s East Northern (美東北) regional grouping and serves the Greater Baltimore and Columbia area of Maryland, with its presence centered in Ellicott City, Maryland.
Role in the Community
The chapter’s origin is recorded first-hand in the memoir 華府與巴城TAA的誕生 by 陳淮崇 (Norman Chen), [[works/taiwaneseamericanhistory-org/ourjourneys-138|TAH #138 (band A, 2015/05)]]:
- 1965 — FMC chemical engineer 陳淮崇, newly arrived in Baltimore, compiled the 「Greater Baltimore/Washington台灣人名錄」 by working through the local phone book for Chinese-sounding surnames.
- 1966 (農曆新年) — he convened the first Taiwanese gathering in Baltimore and was elected its first 會長; the program included 台灣民謠 singing and a satirical skit mocking the 蔣 regime’s surveillance of students abroad. Activities were deliberately held midway between Baltimore and Washington DC, with Chesapeake Bay steam-crab picnics.
- Watch era: the group took no commemorative photos to protect exchange-visa doctors from KMT informant reporting.
- 1968–1970 — while 陳淮崇 was posted to Houston (where he helped found the 休士頓台灣同鄉會), the Washington DC members split off; in 1969 the DC Taiwanese formed their own 同鄉會, leaving the Baltimore chapter’s lineage distinct.
- Related Baltimore-area civic bodies documented in TAH: NATMA 巴爾地摩分會 and 華府分會.
The chapter itself is documented in TAA 全美台灣同鄉會巴爾的摩分會.
HOLD: founding year — 陳淮崇’s memoir places the first gathering at 農曆新年 1966, while his own TAH bio counts “1967 Baltimore/Washington同鄉會” as the founding; not merged. Also note 陳淮崇 record: he insisted the name avoid 「台灣同鄉」 (implying Taiwan is not a country), yet the directory’s 同鄉會 naming persisted.
From the record
- 2017-07 — coverage of the 2017 美東台灣人夏令會 (楊遠薰 report) records newly elected Academia Sinica院士 吳子丑, a Johns Hopkins medical professor renowned for HPV / cervical-cancer research, as a 鄉親 of the 巴爾的摩台灣同鄉會 — a prominent member in the chapter’s record (TJJ 夏令會報導, 2017-07-09).
- c. 2019 新年晚會（報導回顧2018年）— 高碩泰 gave his first sharp public response on the 「九二共識」 at the chapter’s New Year party at the Johns Hopkins University student activity center (~200 attendees incl. the JHU 台灣學生會; guests: Maryland state legislator 林力圖 Clarence Lam, 州長亞太裔委員會主任 王佩蓮 Christina Wong); he also touted 2018’s 台灣旅行法 / AIT achievements to applause (TJJ 轉載, 2024-06-13 存檔).
- COVID-19 疫情期（報導存檔 2025-04-29；事件為「23日」大華府聯動）— the chapter was among the co-issuing organizations (with 華府台灣同鄉會、華府台灣文化中心、華府台灣基督長老教會、FAPA華府分會等) of a Taiwan-WHO-participation statement at a Greater Washington rally of 200+ people: 全球防疫工作不應有任何缺口 (TJJ, 2025-04-29 存檔).
- 2025-03 — 沈芬芷 and the chapter’s 全體理事 joined other 台僑 groups in handing a signed 連署聲明 to 立法院院長 韓國瑜 via 立法院秘書處處長 孔秉杰 at a 華府僑宴, protesting legislative conduct they saw as paralyzing the executive (CNA, 2025-03-18 存檔).