2004-11-24 11:40:56尚未設定
Am I a Chinese or Taiwanese?
You might not know, this question has been haunted me for two and a half years.
The hottest issue across the Taiwan island last week is, Is the "Country Father of Republic of China - Taiwan" a singular or plural? The concept of the government officer who brought up this topic is that Mr. Sun Yet-Sen was not physically involved in the final revolution which made "Republic of China" a reality successfully. Having said that, then it brought up another enquiry: "Is our Country Father Mr. Sun Yet-Sen a FORIEGNER?" Since he was born in Guangdong (a province located in China) instead of where now Republic of China is – Taiwan.
The whole island is falling into a messy debt. And I feel like crying again.
The first time is back to March 2002, IPM in Malta (International President Meeting of AIESEC). At the very end of global legislation meeting, AIESEC in Mainland of China officially be put into the global network. Everybody stand up and clapped. In contrary, I didn't exactly know what to do at that moment.
Always I have been considered as "immigration" due to my grand parents is actually offspring of the "Chin" dynasty – the last dynasty in the China history. No one ever see me as "pure Taiwanese". However, be born and grow up in Taiwan, I either considered as "pure Chinese"compared with those who are in the Mainland of China.
In Malta, I see my confusion on my identity for the very first time. I don't feel that excited as a "Chinese".
To be frank, I feel more competitiveness and isolation from the whole thing. With such a weird mindset, I couldn't help but wondered what I have learnt from AIESEC if I can not feel the same for every country?
Working in Singapore has provided me more chances to present myself as a "Taiwanese". More and more I see myself as a Taiwanese, and feeling very proud of being so. Unfortunately, meanwhile my friend studies in France, just got a VISA application receipt showing her Nationality is "
Chinoise" (Chinese in French) instead of "Taiwanaise" (Taiwanese in French). "To us, Taiwan doesn't exist!"(Pour nous, Taiwan n’existe plus!) An officer of la Vienne said so.
This reminds me of the day I went to DBS (Development Bank of Singapore) to open my bank account. The lady who served me asked me, "How come you wrote your Nationality is Taiwanese? Isn't it Chinese?" "No, I am Taiwanese." "But how come your passport shows Republic of China?" "Republic of China is Taiwan, Madam." "There is no such a thing to us." At the end, she put "National of Taiwan" for my Nationality and "Chinese" for my race.
What's wrong to be a "Taiwanese"? What makes it worth to compromise someone's Nationality? How does it matter to a person to consider whatever another one wishes to be considered? Is it because Taiwan is not regarded as a country globally so that people there have no right to claim themselves as Taiwanese? Or is it because Taiwan is not in the UN so that actually nobody gives a shit what we see who we are?
In the future, should I tell my children to sing National Song and hang National Flag of Republic of China no matter where they are, or, should I tell them to say "I am a global citizen!" in case anyone will be unhappy with it?
Can you please tell me the answer?
The hottest issue across the Taiwan island last week is, Is the "Country Father of Republic of China - Taiwan" a singular or plural? The concept of the government officer who brought up this topic is that Mr. Sun Yet-Sen was not physically involved in the final revolution which made "Republic of China" a reality successfully. Having said that, then it brought up another enquiry: "Is our Country Father Mr. Sun Yet-Sen a FORIEGNER?" Since he was born in Guangdong (a province located in China) instead of where now Republic of China is – Taiwan.
The whole island is falling into a messy debt. And I feel like crying again.
The first time is back to March 2002, IPM in Malta (International President Meeting of AIESEC). At the very end of global legislation meeting, AIESEC in Mainland of China officially be put into the global network. Everybody stand up and clapped. In contrary, I didn't exactly know what to do at that moment.
Always I have been considered as "immigration" due to my grand parents is actually offspring of the "Chin" dynasty – the last dynasty in the China history. No one ever see me as "pure Taiwanese". However, be born and grow up in Taiwan, I either considered as "pure Chinese"compared with those who are in the Mainland of China.
In Malta, I see my confusion on my identity for the very first time. I don't feel that excited as a "Chinese".
To be frank, I feel more competitiveness and isolation from the whole thing. With such a weird mindset, I couldn't help but wondered what I have learnt from AIESEC if I can not feel the same for every country?
Working in Singapore has provided me more chances to present myself as a "Taiwanese". More and more I see myself as a Taiwanese, and feeling very proud of being so. Unfortunately, meanwhile my friend studies in France, just got a VISA application receipt showing her Nationality is "
Chinoise" (Chinese in French) instead of "Taiwanaise" (Taiwanese in French). "To us, Taiwan doesn't exist!"(Pour nous, Taiwan n’existe plus!) An officer of la Vienne said so.
This reminds me of the day I went to DBS (Development Bank of Singapore) to open my bank account. The lady who served me asked me, "How come you wrote your Nationality is Taiwanese? Isn't it Chinese?" "No, I am Taiwanese." "But how come your passport shows Republic of China?" "Republic of China is Taiwan, Madam." "There is no such a thing to us." At the end, she put "National of Taiwan" for my Nationality and "Chinese" for my race.
What's wrong to be a "Taiwanese"? What makes it worth to compromise someone's Nationality? How does it matter to a person to consider whatever another one wishes to be considered? Is it because Taiwan is not regarded as a country globally so that people there have no right to claim themselves as Taiwanese? Or is it because Taiwan is not in the UN so that actually nobody gives a shit what we see who we are?
In the future, should I tell my children to sing National Song and hang National Flag of Republic of China no matter where they are, or, should I tell them to say "I am a global citizen!" in case anyone will be unhappy with it?
Can you please tell me the answer?