A Guitar, a Song, and a Youth of Their Own: Xīn Xiàngyáng's Second-Generation Band Creates Its Own Identity Through Music
Author: Pan Yu-shan／Chairperson, Tainan City Xīn Xiàngyáng AssociationA Guitar, a Song, and a Youth of Their Own The Xīn Xiàngyáng Second-Generation Band Creates Its Own Identity Through Music“We are no different from anyone else. We can be just like everyone else while creating something uniquely our own.”This is the hope shared by the four high school students of the Xīn Xiàngyáng Second-Generation Band. Zhang Chenyu, Gao Zixuan, Hou Jinghan and Xiao Weizhan are four high school students who share a passion for music. They formed a school club in their first year of high school because of their common interest. Starting with guitars and singing on campus, they gradually moved beyond the school and into the community, and have been invited by various organizations to perform.Zhang Chenyu and Hou Jinghan are children of Vietnamese new immigrants, Gao Zixuan is a second-generation child from a mainland Chinese immigrant family, while Xiao Weizhan is Taiwanese. Their different family backgrounds have not become a barrier between them. Instead, music has given the four young people a common language. A guitar and a few songs turned them from classmates into teammates, while giving multiculturalism a natural presence on the stage of youth.For the Tainan City Xīn Xiàngyáng Association, accompanying the next generation of new immigrant families and seeing young people discover their own interests and direction is an important part of its work. The Xīn Xiàngyáng Second-Generation Band began on campus, and the association has accompanied the students as they gradually built up experience through practice and performances. Watching them grow from shy and nervous teenagers into young people who can confidently take the stage has strengthened our belief that when children are given an opportunity to express themselves, they can find their own path in their own way.Starting on Campus, Four Young People Find a Common RhythmThe first year of high school is an important stage for many young people as they begin exploring their interests and building relationships. For the Xīn Xiàngyáng Second-Generation Band, music was their common starting point. From learning guitar and practicing vocals to discussing songs and arrangements, every rehearsal requires the four members to work together. One plays guitar while another sings; one is responsible for the melody, while another pays attention to the overall rhythm. Whether a song can be fully brought to life has never depended on just one person's performance, but on the understanding and coordination of the entire team. Through repeated rehearsals, they have learned to listen and to wait for one another; they have learned how to express themselves while also giving others room to shine. For these high school students, this is more than music practice—it is a real-life lesson. As they moved from the campus to the stage, their confidence grew through each performance. As their interest gradually developed into a skill, the four students began accepting invitations from different organizations to perform at events in various places.Every Time They Step onto the Stage, It Is a New ChallengeFacing different venues and audiences, they have to prepare their setlists in advance and rehearse repeatedly. They also have to learn how to overcome nervousness and deal with unexpected situations during performances. From being shy and nervous at first to eventually picking up their guitars, standing in front of a microphone and singing naturally, the students gradually discovered that they, too, could stand in the spotlight. Perhaps the greatest reward the stage has given them is not the applause, but the confidence that comes from realizing, “I can do it.” A successful performance gives them the courage to take on the next stage, while a mistake becomes an experience that helps them improve. In this way, one performance after another has slowly become a record of their growth.Vietnam and Taiwan Naturally Meet in Their LivesZhang Chenyu and Hou Jinghan are children of Vietnamese new immigrants. Their fathers came from Vietnam, while they grew up and received their education in Taiwan. This background has given them opportunities from an early age to experience different cultures. For them, Vietnam is not simply a country on a map. It may also mean family memories, stories about relatives, food traditions and everyday experiences. Taiwan, meanwhile, is where they have grown up, learned and pursued their dreams.The two cultures in their lives are not an either-or choice; they can naturally coexist. This gives children of new immigrants a unique perspective, allowing them to understand the world from different cultural viewpoints and giving them more opportunities to connect with people from different backgrounds. But they do not want to be defined simply by the words “second-generation children of new immigrants.” What they hope people see is a group of high school students who love music, are willing to work hard and have the courage to step onto the stage.“We Are No Different” Is a Form of Confidence and a Choice“We are no different from anyone else. We can be just like everyone else while creating something uniquely our own.” This sentence is the most direct expression of how the students see their identities.Saying “we are no different” does not mean denying their cultural backgrounds. Rather, they hope society will see that, like all young people, they have interests, dreams and the right to choose their own paths in life. They can study, join clubs, play music with friends and step onto different stages through their own efforts. At the same time, “creating something uniquely our own” represents the idea that every person's life experience is worth cherishing. Their family backgrounds as children of new immigrants, their experiences growing up in Taiwan and their encounters with different cultures have all become part of their lives. These differences do not need to be hidden, nor do they need to be emphasized. They can simply exist as a natural part of who they are.Multiculturalism Is Not a Label, but an Ability to Connect with the WorldIn an era when globalization and multiculturalism are receiving increasing attention, the ability to understand different cultures, respect different perspectives and work with people from different backgrounds is increasingly important. The Xīn Xiàngyáng Second-Generation Band is building its own cross-cultural experience through these everyday interactions. The four students have never deliberately separated themselves because of their different family backgrounds. They practice, discuss and perform together, while also facing the nervousness and challenges of the stage as a team. Music makes cultural differences feel less distant. When the four young people stand on stage, what the audience sees first is simply four high school students performing with dedication. Perhaps this is what multiculturalism looks like at its most natural: there is no need to deliberately emphasize differences, nor is there a need to make everyone exactly the same. Instead, everyone can bring their own individuality and create new possibilities together.From a school club to a stage of youth. Since forming their club in their first year of high school, the Xīn Xiàngyáng Second-Generation Band has gradually built up experience through performances. For now, the band may be only one part of their teenage journey, but this experience has already given them many valuable lessons. They have learned responsibility, because a team needs every member to attend practice on time and prepare seriously. They have learned cooperation, because a song requires all four members to complete it together. They have learned confidence, because stepping onto a stage takes courage. They have also learned respect, because everyone has a different voice. These abilities may become an important foundation as they move into wider society in the future.Writing the Story of the Next Generation of Taiwanese in Their Own WayThe story of children of new immigrants should not be defined only by “where they come from.” More importantly, it is about what they are doing now and what kind of people they want to become in the future. Through guitars and their voices, they are creating their own path through youth. They have not been separated by their differences; instead, their differences have helped them learn more from one another. They stand on the same stage, sing together and grow together, while allowing more people to see the energy of the younger generation.Perhaps one day they will go to different schools, live in different cities or pursue entirely different careers. But the experience of standing together on stage today will become a precious memory from their youth. What they want to convey is actually very simple: We may come from different family backgrounds, but we have the same right to pursue our dreams. We may come from different cultures, but we can work together and grow together. We are no different, and we do not have to be limited by any identity.Every young person has the opportunity to find their own stage. And the Xīn Xiàngyáng Second-Generation Band is using one song after another to sing their own answer: “We are no different from anyone else. We can be just like everyone else while creating something uniquely our own.”Zhang Chenyu, Gao Zixuan, Hou Jinghan and Xiao Weizhan have gained performance experience through guitar and singing while building confidence and teamwork through making music together. (Photo／Tainan City Xīn Xiàngyáng Association)Zhang Chenyu, Gao Zixuan, Hou Jinghan and Xiao Weizhan have gained performance experience through guitar and singing while building confidence and teamwork through making music together. (Photo／Tainan City Xīn Xiàngyáng Association)
2026-10-07 09:00
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