Continuity

The Question of Taiwan (entire thoughts)

The "Taiwan Question" is interesting because almost nowhere in the world is national identity dependent on the political party. If you're "blue" like my family, you are leaning towards unification with the motherland (China). If you're "green", you are leaning towards independence from the motherland. If you're "red", you ARE the motherland!

"Green" people assert that Taiwan has a separate identity from China. To a certain extent, that's true. Taiwanese food has evolved to take its own color and taste that you can't find on the mainland. Mandarin vocabulary is somewhat more sophisticated calligraphically and linguistically (and consequently, more difficult to learn!). Mainland China is unbelievably diverse, with a gajillion ethnic groups, each with their own dialects and customs. Taiwan is generally homogenous, with most people speaking "Taiwanese", which is really Fujianese. As someone who sees no need to learn Taiwanese, I can't say if Taiwanese has evolved to become so different from Fujianese that it merits its own dialectic classification.

To say, though, that people born in Taiwan are ethnically Taiwanese is silly. Many Chinese are born in the United States. Given. Does that make them ethnically American? No. You may be born in America, but you're still Chinese. Similarly, white Americans are not ethnically American. They are of European descent. The only ethnic Taiwanese are the indigenous Taiwanese. All this to say that to say Taiwan is culturally and socially distinct from China is preposterous.

An argument I have not heard previous to the Doulos Retreat is that Taiwan has been treated unjustly by the mainland. I can only say one thing in response: if Taiwan has been treated unjustly by the mainland, then at least 50 more countries in the world have been treated twice as worse by the United States and their allies! Let me list a few: Cuba (with Guantanamo and the Cold-War embargo), Nicaragua, El Salvador (which led to the martyrdom of the great Archbishop Romero), and who can forget Iraq? China is "meddling" with an island that is not even recognized as a sovereign entity except a few countries here and there. We have meddled with sovereign countries for quite some time now! If you maintain that Taiwan has the right to be independent because of injustice, then insist (for consistency) that the United States withdraw all troops from Saudi Arabia, Japan, and Germany.

So my summary of Taiwan: Taiwan's future is one with the mainland. I'm not even saying that the government be replaced with a communist one. I'm just calling for recognition that Taiwan is a Chinese province. I, as a Taiwan-born citizen, am proud to be Chinese, and to have my grandma be Yuan Shikai's neighbor! I am proud to have come from an ethnicity that invented paper, gunpowder, and standardized exams... even though I'm not that good at the exam part. I'm proud to see my Chinese brethren enjoy (to varying extents) the economic growth that China's experiencing by interesting monetary policy (vs. hill-billy yelling by our government).

Speaking of economic growth, my growth class is starting soon.

2008-01-24 20:46:12 GMT

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		The story of Henry's counting of God's infinitely uncountable blessings.

		The Question of Taiwan (entire thoughts) The "Taiwan Question" is interesting because almost nowhere in the world is national identity dependent on the political party. If you're "blue" like my family, you are leaning towards unification with the motherland (China). If you're "green", you are leaning towards independence from the motherland. If you're "red", you ARE the motherland! "Green" people assert that Taiwan has a separate identity from China. To a certain extent, that's true. Taiwanese food has evolved to take its own color and taste that you can't find on the mainland. Mandarin vocabulary is somewhat more sophisticated calligraphically and linguistically (and consequently, more difficult to learn!). Mainland China is unbelievably diverse, with a gajillion ethnic groups, each with their own dialects and customs. Taiwan is generally homogenous, with most people speaking "Taiwanese", which is really Fujianese. As someone who sees no need to learn Taiwanese, I can't say if Taiwanese has evolved to become so different from Fujianese that it merits its own dialectic classification. To say, though, that people born in Taiwan are ethnically Taiwanese is silly. Many Chinese are born in the United States. Given. Does that make them ethnically American? No. You may be born in America, but you're still Chinese. Similarly, white Americans are not ethnically American. They are of European descent. The only ethnic Taiwanese are the indigenous Taiwanese. All this to say that to say Taiwan is culturally and socially distinct from China is preposterous. An argument I have not heard previous to the Doulos Retreat is that Taiwan has been treated unjustly by the mainland. I can only say one thing in response: if Taiwan has been treated unjustly by the mainland, then at least 50 more countries in the world have been treated twice as worse by the United States and their allies! Let me list a few: Cuba (with Guantanamo and the Cold-War embargo), Nicaragua, El Salvador (which led to the martyrdom of the great Archbishop Romero), and who can forget Iraq? China is "meddling" with an island that is not even recognized as a sovereign entity except a few countries here and there. We have meddled with sovereign countries for quite some time now! If you maintain that Taiwan has the right to be independent because of injustice, then insist (for consistency) that the United States withdraw all troops from Saudi Arabia, Japan, and Germany. So my summary of Taiwan: Taiwan's future is one with the mainland. I'm not even saying that the government be replaced with a communist one. I'm just calling for recognition that Taiwan is a Chinese province. I, as a Taiwan-born citizen, am proud to be Chinese, and to have my grandma be Yuan Shikai's neighbor! I am proud to have come from an ethnicity that invented paper, gunpowder, and standardized exams... even though I'm not that good at the exam part. I'm proud to see my Chinese brethren enjoy (to varying extents) the economic growth that China's experiencing by interesting monetary policy (vs. hill-billy yelling by our government). Speaking of economic growth, my growth class is starting soon. 2008-01-24 20:46:12 GMT Site Home