Hi there, Forumoseans!
I’ve seen some mentions of Richard Hartzell in this forum and it got me curious: Who is he? What did he do? Does he really deserve all the credit?
Well I believe in God, and the only thing that Scares me is Richard Hartzell.
2 Likes
No idea!
Richard Hartzell is a long-term resident of Taiwan, who has engaged in efforts to help people here.
[quote]Hartzell, an American who is married to a Taiwanese woman and has been giving advice via e-mail to other foreign spouses for more than eight years. . . .[/quote]–“Foreign husbands complain of legal morass,” Taipei Times, September 15, 2003
taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/ … 2003067909
[quote]Richard Hartzell, voluntary defender for Hu, added that it should have been a very simple and easy case, but contradictions among the government agencies have made it unusually complicated.[/quote]–“Stateless mom sues government,” Taipei Times, April 3, 2001
taipeitimes.com/News/local/a … 0000080185
I don’t know how Ms. Hu’s case finally turned out. Academia Sinica’s website seems to have a short video segment pertaining to her situation. Mr. Hartzell appears in it. The segment can be found at the beginning of a longer video, located here:
vcenter.iis.sinica.edu.tw/watch. … A2VU1nPT0=
Got it!
Looks like he really worked to get something done for foreigners in Taiwan.
Even though I wasn’t around at the time of these changes, I guess I have a lot to thank him for!
Is the National Network of Foreign Spouses still around?
I’ve searched the Internet and this site, but I haven’t been able to find sufficient information to say whether it’s still around.
I’ve searched the Internet and this site, but I haven’t been able to find sufficient information to say whether it’s still around.[/quote]
OK… Thanks, anyway!
I’ve searched the Internet and this site, but I haven’t been able to find sufficient information to say whether it’s still around.[/quote]
OK… Thanks, anyway![/quote]
You’re welcome!
I believe in God but Hartzell was my Messiah!!! No, more like Moses. I think he got burnt out and went after some other projects I don’t think are quite… and have any chance of succeeding. Now a little history…
About twenty years or so, wow time flies, a little bit before I came here, Taiwan was a very unfriendly place toward foreigners involved with locals or just trying to earn a living.
The Free Boom Town times had ended. I talked with old timers who used to teach English before all the restrictions and rules were grumbling. When I came here, I was a virtual slave of my boss.
Back on Topic. Foreigners did not have many rights at all. Worse, the child of a foreigner father could “never” be a citizen of Taiwan. When that child turned legal age, that child was told Sayonara and had to leave the country. It didn’t matter if the father was dead, or left the mother high and dry (I hope there were exceptions, but I don’t know of any).
There was an organization talking about all the abuses of the foreigner. That organization published enough information to fill half a box of copier paper about the charges of and strategies to deal with such abuse as well as instruction on how to mount an international public awareness campaign. I’ll have to search my boxes for these documents. I believe Hartzel was the founding officer or at least the second. I think I remember the first one getting burned out.
Well, Hartzel and his group made a big push and lobbied several of the legislatures. He kept on pushing for some time and he has earned of several if not all of the rights we enjoy today. I was stuck in the country at a job with an abusive boss. I did not want to move because I wanted to stay near my adopted Taiwanese family. I was so lucky that each right that I needed materialized at the right time. 1. Right to have an extended ARC for Family Members (2 years), 2. Right for a ten year ARC. I think we had a five year ARC for a while. 3. Right to Change the sponsorship of your ARC to your spouse and not loose the right to work. My boss threatened me telling me I may have to make a choice. 4. Right for your kids to be Taiwanese, actually dual citizens. 5. Right to work at any job a Taiwanese can do, except for certain jobs that require special licenses or security concerns. You still had to get an individual permit for each job. 6. An open work permit letter because the government got tired of issuing documents for every case but I believe Hartzell helped negotiate this one. Oh yes, the right to have your drivers license be valid beyond the date of your ARC by applying for some kind of extension. That was annoying since you had to pay again each time you renewed your ARC. I forgot the details because I have had my long term ARC for quite a while but I do remember shelling out extra money for my drivers licenses when I really should not have.
So this is what Hartzell has done for me. I don’t know how far back we can search on Forumosa. If you can, you will see many desperate notes I and others have posted and you will see Hartzell’s reply.
Hartzel also had a great column in the China Post. It lasted many years. It was written from the perspective of a historical aware foreigner in Taiwan. Some articles would have advice for living. Some articles had amusing historical facts and amusing stories of Westerns coming in contact with shocking cultural differences. My favorite story Hartzel wrote about was about the foreigners who were cutting across a farmer’s field near Taipei one night. The foreigners fell into a pit. That pit was full of human waste. Then he told us about how people would actually collect their s*** and take it home to be put into the family’s compost pit Even when visiting someone. I thought this was baloney until my wife confirmed that this did happen.
OK. I’m sorry for this long rambling post. I will try to clean it up or even delete it if someone can make one more concise. Hartzell saved my sanity. I got my open work permit, family rights and then disappeared. NEVER FORGET YOUR ROOTS. The stuff you are enjoying today, gave me sleepless nights and family arguments.
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Wow! I can see he deserves many thanks from all foreigners in Taiwan.
It’s not easy to be the guy that put set up and work for the rights of everybody. Especially when you feel you are alone in this fight.
Kudos to him!
I just hope there was more "Richard Hartzell"s in the world…
Hartzell is a legend and I hope he is enjoying retirement now.
2 Likes
[quote=“Taiwan_Student”]
OK. I’m sorry for this long rambling post. I will try to clean it up or even delete it if someone can make one more concise. Hartzell saved my sanity. I got my open work permit, family rights and then disappeared. NEVER FORGET YOUR ROOTS. The stuff you are enjoying today, gave me sleepless nights and family arguments.[/quote]
This guy said it all (though Headhoncho’s comment was pretty funny and deserved a kudos if we could still give them).
Similarly to Taiwan_Student, all my rights came through at the times when I needed them (although I apparently enjoyed a much better relationship with my employers of the time).
Man, those were different days…
[quote=“spaint”][quote=“Taiwan_Student”]
Man, those were different days…[/quote][/quote]
You sound a bit nostalgic. Are you?
Hey Ricarte…are you sure you aren’t the ‘man who can’t be named’?
Nudge nudge, wink wink. Bit of nostalgia for the old fighting days too? 
[quote=“headhonchoII”]Hey Ricarte…are you sure you aren’t the ‘man who can’t be named’?
Nudge nudge, wink wink. Bit of nostalgia for the old fighting days too? [/quote]
Hey Headhoncho… I’m pretty sure last time I checked there were people calling me names…
[quote=“Ricarte”][quote=“spaint”]
Man, those were different days…[/quote]
You sound a bit nostalgic. Are you?[/quote]
Hell no. Unless wishing to be young again counts.
[quote=“Ricarte”][quote=“headhonchoII”]Hey Ricarte…are you sure you aren’t the ‘man who can’t be named’?
Nudge nudge, wink wink. Bit of nostalgia for the old fighting days too? [/quote]
Hey Headhoncho… I’m pretty sure last time I checked there were people calling me names… [/quote]
Ricarte
Richard
I’m on to you Hartzell! :discodance:
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[quote=“headhonchoII”][quote=“Ricarte”][quote=“headhonchoII”]Hey Ricarte…are you sure you aren’t the ‘man who can’t be named’?
Nudge nudge, wink wink. Bit of nostalgia for the old fighting days too? [/quote]
Hey Headhoncho… I’m pretty sure last time I checked there were people calling me names… [/quote]
Ricarte
Richard
I’m on to you Hartzell! :discodance:[/quote]
Sorry to disappoint you, Headhoncho, but that’s just a strange coincidence… 
He may not be retired.
I was randomly reading an article and I ran across the fact that Richard Hartzell is the principal of Taipei American School now: