Doraville Mayor Joseph Geierman is expected to sign a proclamation Monday, declaring Oct. 11 as Taiwan Day in the city.
“We’ve been trying to use our proclamations to build connections with the different international communities in Doraville,” Geierman said. “We have so many Taiwanese business owners in the city of Doraville, and they’ve really been an important backbone in our community. It’s important to recognize their contributions.”
Community advocates Ting Chiu and Charlene Fang helped spearheaded the effort to get the proclamation declared, and say they did it partly to share the richness of their culture with their neighbors.
To mark the occasion, a small reception will be held about an hour before the 6:30 p.m. Doraville council meeting.
Once the meeting is called to order, Elliot Wang, the executive director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Atlanta, is expected to accept the proclamation on behalf of the city’s Taiwanese community.
Chiu calls getting the day declared a “dream come true.”
“We’re Americans and we love to contribute here,” Chiu said. “I feel so proud to be part of this process.”
Fang agrees, and said she appreciates the support the Taiwanese community has gotten from Geierman and others in the city.
“We feel very happy,” she said.
Doraville is one of the most diverse areas in the metro-Atlanta area. The 2020 U.S. Census shows the city has a 55% Hispanic population, and an Asian population of about 16%.
“We want to make sure all of the communities that contribute to our city feel supported and feel appreciated, because we want them to be here. We want them to stay here for a long time,” Geierman said.
Paradise Afshar is a Report for America corps member covering metro Atlanta’s immigrant communities.
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