Catherine Yang (楊惠喬)
Catherine Yang (楊惠喬; also Yang Huiqiao on the 2023 roster) is a Taiwanese American activist who dedicated her life to the Taiwan independence movement. She is described as the “big sister” of the Los Angeles Taiwanese American community.
Identity Snapshot
- English: Catherine Yang
- Also seen: Yang Huiqiao — 2023 roster pinyin. TAH #169 and #609 title her Catherine Yang.
- Chinese: 楊惠喬
- Core roles: journalist
- Geography: Los Angeles, California
- TAHS role: Community leader
Overview
Yang Huiqiao is a Taiwanese American activist whose life has been devoted to the cause of Taiwan independence. Known as the “big sister” of the Los Angeles Taiwanese American community, she has been a steadfast advocate for Taiwan’s sovereignty and democratic rights.
Early Life and Education
Yang Huiqiao was educated in Taiwan, attending Taiwan Nanmen High School. During her school years, she read the magazine “Free China” by Lei Chen and expressed her opposition to election-buying in class. Her political awareness was shaped by these early experiences, and she developed a strong anti-authoritarian consciousness that would define her later activism.
Career and Activism
After teaching for four years at Beimen Middle School in Tainan County, Yang decided to travel abroad. In 1971, through a friend’s introduction, she met Zheng Dehe, a Tokyo University graduate specializing in urban planning. They married and both became active in the Taiwan independence movement.
Community Record in Vault Sources
Her husband 鄭德和 has his own TAH story-corpus record ([[works/taiwaneseamericanhistory-org/718-e9-84-ad-e5-be-b7-e5-92-8c-201512||TAH #718: 鄭德和, 2015/12]]). A SCTAI/TACL founding memoir recalls 楊惠喬 as one of twelve attendees at the December 1, 1984座谈会 that revived the |Taiwan American Citizens League (TACL) organizing effort in Los Angeles (|Our Journeys 272); the national league has its own page at |Taiwanese American Citizens League. Two Who’s Who entries exist in the corpus ([[works/taiwaneseamericanhistory-org/169-catherine-yang||TAH #169]], [[works/taiwaneseamericanhistory-org/whos-who-609-catherine-yang||TAH #609]]); both are bibliographic records.
Note: the TAH employment table lists her secondary school as National Tainan Girl’s Senior High School, while the 2023 TAHS profile text says Taiwan Nanmen High School — the discrepancy is left unresolved. Her later institutional roles (台灣公論報 president from 1996; 南加州人權會 president — see |Taiwan Human Rights & Culture Association; 台美基金會 annual journal editor — see |台美基金會) come from the same TAH table.
Quotes
德和，安息吧！我會盡心盡力的敎養咱們的孩子，使他們長大後能如你一樣擁有一顆善良、肯犧牲的心，也能如你一般的有對台灣故鄉的愛與關切。雖然這是一條漫長的路，但是我會好好的走下去。
— 楊惠喬, 「泣德和，哀感謝」, 1985-11-29, 摘自《台灣公論報》 — sourced（本人署名文章，存檔全文已核對） — [[works/taiwaneseamericanhistory-org/350-e6-b3-a3-e5-be-b7-e5-92-8c-ef-bc-8c-e5-93-80-e6-84-9f-e8-ac-9d-e6-a5-8a-e6-8|TAH #350: 泣德和，哀感謝 / 楊惠喬 / 2015/10]]
From the record
- 1985-11-29 — 楊惠喬撰〈泣德和，哀感謝〉悼念夫婿鄭德和（1985-11-22 因肝癌往生），文末自述將「盡心盡力的敎養咱們的孩子」並「好好的走下去」；原文摘自《台灣公論報》，TAH 收錄為故事語料 #350（存檔日期 2015-10-13） — sourced（本人署名第一手） — [[works/taiwaneseamericanhistory-org/350-e6-b3-a3-e5-be-b7-e5-92-8c-ef-bc-8c-e5-93-80-e6-84-9f-e8-ac-9d-e6-a5-8a-e6-8|TAH #350: 泣德和，哀感謝 / 楊惠喬 / 2015/10]]
- 2017-02 — 黃樹人撰〈522. 楊惠喬的人生故事〉刊於 TAH 故事語料（2017/02），記述其一生台獨志業 — sourced（社區人物傳記，作者黃樹人） — [[works/taiwaneseamericanhistory-org/mystories522|TAH #522: 楊惠喬的人生故事 / 黃樹人 / 2017/02]]
- 1970 — 據黃樹人 2017 傳記：楊惠喬於 1970 來美；傳記稱她為洛杉磯台美人僑社的「大姊頭」 — sourced（傳記記載） — [[works/taiwaneseamericanhistory-org/mystories522|TAH #522]]
- 1971 — 據同文：透過朋友介紹認識留日攻讀都市計畫的鄭德和（TAH #718 記錄為 Waseda 大學 M.S. 都市計劃）並結婚；婚後協助先生處理台獨聯盟本地事務，成為聯盟重要成員，同文記她亦為 FAPA 中央委員 — sourced（傳記記載） — [[works/taiwaneseamericanhistory-org/mystories522|TAH #522]]
- 1978 — 據同文：蔣經國就任「總統」時，夫婦開車赴舊金山參加台灣人示威活動，一兒一女同行，現場與反示威者發生衝突 — sourced（傳記記載） — [[works/taiwaneseamericanhistory-org/mystories522|TAH #522]]
- 1985-11-22 — 據同文：鄭德和因肝癌往生（1985-09-06 確診，醫師預餘三個月），當時兒子 12 歲、女兒 10 歲；合資的 One Hour Photo 相館合夥人退出後，楊惠喬由朋友買下股份、繼續經營並撫養兒女 — sourced（傳記記載） — [[works/taiwaneseamericanhistory-org/mystories522|TAH #522]]
- 1986 / 1987 — 據同文：喪夫後由幕後參與轉為走向幕前公開投入，1986 年接任南加州人權會會長，1987 年擔任台獨聯盟總部中央委員 — sourced（傳記記載） — [[works/taiwaneseamericanhistory-org/mystories522|TAH #522]]
- 1996–1998 — 據同文：1996 年在《台灣公論報》任編輯、總編輯，後接任社長，編輯部設於 Temple City；在簡朝樹任發行人期間報社每月虧損五千美元，她自告奮勇擔負募款重任（協助賣黃茂清新書賺佣金、邀李昂來洛舉辦公論報募款餐會演講），惠喬稱之為公論報 30 年經營期間唯一稍有盈餘的一段；1998 年劉清白任發行人內報社遷往聖地牙哥 — sourced（傳記記載） — [[works/taiwaneseamericanhistory-org/mystories522|TAH #522]]
- 1997-10 — 據同文：Far Eastern Economy Review（遠東經濟評論）專訪楊惠喬，當時人在日本的金美齡看見報導非常高興，表示難得能在國際媒體看到台獨聯盟的旗幟 — sourced（傳記記載） — [[works/taiwaneseamericanhistory-org/mystories522|TAH #522]]
- 1999–2000 — 據同文：1999 年為台美基金會編撰年刊；2000 年投入台美人傳統周活動（該活動之濫觴，李英偉任召集人，2001 年由台灣會館接手主辦） — sourced（傳記記載） — [[works/taiwaneseamericanhistory-org/mystories522|TAH #522]]
- 2010-05 — 據同文：以台灣之友會為主導邀請台灣身心障礙者舞蹈團「鳥與水」來美公演，接洽旅館、場地等事事親力親為 — sourced（傳記記載） — [[works/taiwaneseamericanhistory-org/mystories522|TAH #522]]
Legacy
Yang Huiqiao’s dedication to Taiwan independence has inspired generations of Taiwanese Americans. Her story, as told in the 2023 TAHS Publication, exemplifies the immigrant experience and the commitment to preserving democratic values and Taiwan’s sovereignty.
Source Notes and Confidence
- Content priority B: 2023 TAHS Publication (profile, Section 3, ~2720 lines)
- Hub: |2023 TAHS Publication
- Archive:
knowledge/web-archives/2023-tahs-publication-part2.md - Deepen pass 2026-09-10 (vault-only): husband 鄭德和’s TAH #718 work record now linked from Family; her two TAH Who’s Who bibliographic records (#169, #609) and the TACL founding memoir (Our Journeys 272, 1984-12-01 座谈会) were already absorbed above.
Sources
- TAH #169 encyclopedia: 169. Catherine Yang 楊惠喬
- TAH #609 encyclopedia: 609. Catherine Yang 楊惠喬
- TAH Who’s Who
Education
- National Tainan Girl’s Senior High School
Employment
- Taiwan Tribune (台灣公論報社) — President — (1996-) — Community — Taiwanese Human Rights and Cultural Association, Southern California (南加州人權會) — President — Taiwanese American Foundation (台美基金會) — Editor in Chief, Annual Journal
Family
- Husband: 鄭德和 — Tokyo University urban-planning graduate, met through a friend in 1971 (see Career above); his own TAH story-corpus record is [[works/taiwaneseamericanhistory-org/718-e9-84-ad-e5-be-b7-e5-92-8c-201512|TAH #718: 鄭德和, 2015/12]]
- Daughter: 鄭伊純 — no vault page yet
- Son: 鄭丁榮 — no vault page yet