Midwestern Community: Support the Most Sincere Friend of Taiwanese-Americans in Congress: Senator Sherrod Brown

- Written by Henry Lin (October 23, 2024) 

Please support the most sincere friend of Taiwanese-Americans in Congress:

Senator Sherrod Brown (Senator Sherrod Brown, see photo, Brown’s official website) was born on November 9, 1952, in Mansfield, Ohio. His father was a rural physician, embodying the American ideal of a caring and down-to-earth doctor. Brown graduated from Yale University with a degree in Russian studies and then returned to Ohio State University to pursue a master’s degree in public administration. He began teaching at Ohio State before entering politics, starting as Ohio’s Secretary of State (1983-91). Known for his dedication to public service, he earned widespread public approval. In 1992, at age 40, he ran for Congress. Known for his advocacy for Ohio’s middle class, he easily won seven terms as a Representative (1992-2006).

In 2006, Brown ran for one of Ohio’s two Senate seats, with encouragement from Ohio’s then-Senator John Glenn (1974-1999). He defeated his Republican opponent at age 54, becoming Glenn’s successor. Since then, he has been re-elected three times. However, on November 5 this year, he faces his most formidable challenge yet against Republican millionaire Bernie Moreno, a candidate strongly endorsed by Trump in Republican-dominated Ohio. The outcome of this election will determine whether Democrats retain a majority in the Senate.

(Photo of Brown with Dr. Hsiang-Hsiu Yu)

Brown’s deep understanding of Taiwan and early support for Taiwan’s inclusion in the WHO was largely due to Dr. Hsiang-Hsiu Yu, a Taiwanese physician who graduated from Taipei Medical University in 1941. In 1974, Dr. Yu came to the United States for surgical residency at Elyria Memorial Hospital near Cleveland. He later worked as a family doctor in Amherst, Ohio, until his retirement in 2009. Known for his approachable manner, Dr. Yu was not only a successful physician but also an adept diplomat. He was instrumental in establishing a sister-city relationship between Cleveland and Taipei in 1975 and served as president of the Lorain County Family Physicians Association.

Within the Taiwanese-American community, Dr. Yu was a white-coated warrior for Taiwan’s democracy and freedom, serving as a FAPA central committee member and, in 1999, led a delegation to meet President Lee Teng-hui and provide free medical services to remote areas in Taiwan. His efforts to help Taiwan join the WHO were particularly fervent. I first met Dr. Yu in May 1997, when my mentor, Academician Li Zhenyuan, initiated a campaign for Taiwan to join the WHO. Several Taiwanese legislators participated, and twelve of us from the North American Taiwanese Medical Association (NATMA) joined a Taiwanese delegation in Geneva to protest outside the WHO headquarters despite the stormy weather.

Shortly after opening his practice in Ohio, Dr. Yu became friends with Brown, who, like Dr. Yu’s father, was a small-town physician. Dr. Yu encouraged Brown to run for Congress in 1992, rallying Taiwanese-American doctors and friends to hold a large fundraiser for him. Known for his integrity, Brown was elected and has remained a champion for the middle and working classes in Ohio, maintaining his position for seven terms in a heavily Republican state.

Dr. Yu’s connections helped Brown establish relationships with key U.S. political figures like Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Al Gore, with whom he advocated for Taiwan’s participation in the WHO. In the 1980s, under the influence of FAPA founder Dr. Tom Tomoya Hoh, Congressman Stephen Solarz (1940-2010) became a key advocate for Taiwan, ultimately helping secure an annual immigration quota for Taiwan. Similarly, influenced by Dr. Yu, Congressman Brown emerged as a leading advocate in the 1990s, proposing a resolution in 1998 supporting Taiwan’s participation in the WHO, which passed unanimously in the House.

During his 14-year tenure in Congress, Dr. Yu continued to support Brown and keep him informed of Taiwan’s challenges. If Taiwan faced any crisis, Dr. Yu wouldn’t hesitate to call Brown, sometimes even late at night. Brown’s advocacy for Taiwan was strengthened further by Dr. Yu’s arrangements for Brown to witness firsthand the Taiwanese presence at the WHO in 1999 and to visit Taiwan on multiple occasions, including for the 20th-anniversary celebration of FAPA in 2002.

With humility, high ethical standards, and cultural sensitivity, Brown is well-regarded in Ohio for hosting roundtable discussions and proposing policies to ease the burdens of the middle and working classes. Dr. Yu’s support from Taiwanese-American communities nationwide helped him secure re-election in 2012 and 2018. It is a political miracle for a Democrat to be elected to three Senate terms in Republican-dominated Ohio.

Sadly, Dr. Yu passed away on January 31, 2017. In a heartfelt letter to Dr. Yu’s widow, Florence, Brown expressed his deep appreciation for Dr. Yu’s contributions to the community. In the upcoming election on November 5, 2024, 72-year-old Senator Brown faces his greatest challenge yet, with Republicans investing heavily in Bernie Moreno. Unlike Brown, Moreno has no record of supporting Taiwan, while Brown has consistently opposed the “One China” policy and supported Taiwan’s freedom, democracy, and human rights for 30 years. Like Dr. Yu, Taiwanese-Americans should support Senator Brown to continue his service in the Senate, realizing Dr. Yu’s unfulfilled vision of Taiwan joining the WHO and the United Nations.

(Completed October 20, 2024, in Alhambra, Southern California)

Taiwanese-Americans wishing to donate to Senator Brown:

Check Title: Friends of Sherrod Brown

Mail to: Friends of Sherrod Brown, 605 N. High Street, Suite 226, Columbus, OH 43215)