Do people in Taiwan usually avoid publicly stating "I am Chinese!" ("我是中國人!")

[BigJohn]

Taiwan however was an official Japanese colony and went through long periods of piece where people got used to picking up their customs, language, and superiority complex.

Personally, I think that Taiwanese lack the Japanese - or Mainland Chinese, for that matter - superiority complex. In fact, I'd say that Taiwanese generally have a slightly insecure attitude towards their own culture, in the global contect. Which is one reason why the soft nationalism of the DPP appealed to many people.

[Betelnut]

Oh, that is true because of Taiwan's current state being pushed around in the International arena. When I mean Japanese superiority complex, I meant it from a historical standpoint. That the so-called native Taiwanese superiority complex comes from the Japanese superiority complex from its empire period.

[FurTrader]

That's the real reason for the "I'm Taiwanese and not Chinese" thing. Wanting to be Japanese as a result of 50 years of colonization. Parts of mainland China were occupied by the Japanese for a while, but it was a military occupation, so people didn't get brainwashed that much. There were still underground movements to drive the Japanese out eventually and the ROC central government just moved West.

Taiwan however was an official Japanese colony and went through long periods of piece where people got used to picking up their customs, language, and superiority complex.

It's not about mating with plains aborigines or whatever... Even if that were the case, the Minnan people in Taiwan couldn't care less about aboriginal culture in general.

Not to mention that China has never been part of Japan for fifty years either.

Regardless of how the Japanese viewed Taiwan during those 50 years, many Taiwanese from that era thought life on Taiwan was much much better than the rest of China. There was law and order, public education, modern infrastructure, free market, ample supply of food, etc... but no political rights/freedom. (wait... that sure sounds like today's Hong Kong SAR ) Sure, the Japanese probably treated the native Taiwanese as 2nd/3rd class citizens... but citizens of mainland China were starving and dying by the millions between 1900 and 1935.... Don't believe... just look it up in the history books.

[Taixinomee]

Taiwan however was an official Japanese colony and went through long periods of piece where people got used to picking up their customs, language, and superiority complex.

Personally, I think that Taiwanese lack the Japanese - or Mainland Chinese, for that matter - superiority complex. In fact, I'd say that Taiwanese generally have a slightly insecure attitude towards their own culture, in the global contect. Which is one reason why the soft nationalism of the DPP appealed to many people.

What do you mean with own culture? "Taiwanese culture" is Chinese (Zhonghua). It is a thousand times more Chinese than the so called "Chinese culture". If you really refer to Taiwan island culture, we would be talking about Taiwanese Aboriginee culture.

[gnaij]

Referring to Taiwanese people as 中國人 was common and uncontroversial until the early Bian years, but now anyone who does so will come off being a deep blue. Hau Lung-bing used "我們中國人..." at a speech I attended a couple years ago. Lee Teng-hui regularly called Taiwanese people 中國人 in his speeches while he was still in office, but Ma Ying-jeou has consistently avoided it.

[BigJohn]

Oh, that is true because of Taiwan's current state being pushed around in the International arena. When I mean Japanese superiority complex, I meant it from a historical standpoint. That the so-called native Taiwanese superiority complex comes from the Japanese superiority complex from its empire period.

Well, I don't think that the Taiwanese feel that the Japanese are superior, just cool.

[TainanCowboy]

2 points:

1. In recent years I have had a lot of people tell me during conversation they they are 'Taiwanese'...not 'Chinese.'
And they full well understood the meaning of their words. Not all of these folks were DPP green.

2. I like that the Presidential campaigns are using more and more Taiwanese language in their attempts to both reach out to more potential voters and to further establish a Taiwan 'identity.'

[Betelnut]

I'm not talking about the conditions of Taiwan vs. mainland China at that time or saying which area was better to live in. I am talking about the impact of the Japanese Imperial education which taught Taiwanese to view Chinese as "pigs" and as lower life-forms. This kind of education was instilled in the late 1930's as the war was getting under way on the mainland. The Taiwanese look up to the Japanese and want to be Japanese because they think its low class to be Chinese and this started with the Japanese education system and is not entirely due to the initial KMT soldiers that first occupied Taiwan in '45.

It's very difficult for people to understand the negative impacts of the Japanese colonial period and how divisive it was on the 2 groups of people later on. It was not just because the Japanese had a better government and ran a tighter ship and all that. Implanting the Japanese superiority complex on the Taiwanese population is the chief reason the green Taiwanese don't want to be Chinese even though they are well aware of who they are, but just don't want to admit to it.

That's the real reason for the "I'm Taiwanese and not Chinese" thing. Wanting to be Japanese as a result of 50 years of colonization. Parts of mainland China were occupied by the Japanese for a while, but it was a military occupation, so people didn't get brainwashed that much. There were still underground movements to drive the Japanese out eventually and the ROC central government just moved West.

Taiwan however was an official Japanese colony and went through long periods of piece where people got used to picking up their customs, language, and superiority complex.

It's not about mating with plains aborigines or whatever... Even if that were the case, the Minnan people in Taiwan couldn't care less about aboriginal culture in general.

Not to mention that China has never been part of Japan for fifty years either.

Regardless of how the Japanese viewed Taiwan during those 50 years, many Taiwanese from that era thought life on Taiwan was much much better than the rest of China. There was law and order, public education, modern infrastructure, free market, ample supply of food, etc... but no political rights/freedom. (wait... that sure sounds like today's Hong Kong SAR ) Sure, the Japanese probably treated the native Taiwanese as 2nd/3rd class citizens... but citizens of mainland China were starving and dying by the millions between 1900 and 1935.... Don't believe... just look it up in the history books.

[BigJohn]

It's very difficult for people to understand the negative impacts of the Japanese colonial period and how divisive it was on the 2 groups of people later on. It was not just because the Japanese had a better government and ran a tighter ship and all that. Implanting the Japanese superiority complex on the Taiwanese population is the chief reason the green Taiwanese don't want to be Chinese even though they are well aware of who they are, but just don't want to admit to it.

I still don't see any evidence of a Taiwanese superiority complex. Could you give us some tangible examples please?

And your explanation for any aversion to KMT and CCP lacks a few important events: 228, the Cultural Revolution, Tienanmen, etc.

To say it is due to Japanese propaganda 70-100 years ago is a but much.

[Betelnut]

The green point of view is defined mostly by the Japanese and frustration towards the KMT for not being in power when they thought they would be during the CKS and CCK years. It's very common for people from green families to always be standing up for the Japanese and talking about the superiority of the Japanese and talking about the natural high class nature of the Japanese. They don't seem to care about anything the Japanese did on the mainland like killing tons of civilians just to subdue the population, etc. It's none of their business as far as they are concerned.

A friend of mine who studied in England for several years once told me that the only Asian nation of ethnicity that white people respect are Japanese people. Therefore, to her it made no sense for Taiwanese people to become Chinese again. It was better to try to be Japanese. Take up Japanese names, the language, the dress.

It is not just the Lee Tung-Hui generation. Deep behind their preference for the DPP is not just distaste for the KMT because of this or that, it's their preference to be Japanese or to be viewed as an extension of Japan so instead of an extension of China.

It's a short cut to feeling more high class. I can only suggest that you hang around green people more and listen to what they say when the Japanese get brought up. The complaints about 228 and the White Terror are just black marks against the KMT used to justify their reasoning for not wanting to be Chinese. They don't care about the cultural revolution either. That's just a black mark against the CCP that had nothing to do with them.

People are complex and you have to look at the glow in their eyes when the Japanese get brought up. They want to be like them so badly and deny their true heritage.

It's very difficult for people to understand the negative impacts of the Japanese colonial period and how divisive it was on the 2 groups of people later on. It was not just because the Japanese had a better government and ran a tighter ship and all that. Implanting the Japanese superiority complex on the Taiwanese population is the chief reason the green Taiwanese don't want to be Chinese even though they are well aware of who they are, but just don't want to admit to it.

I still don't see any evidence of a Taiwanese superiority complex. Could you give us some tangible examples please?

And your explanation for any aversion to KMT and CCP lacks a few important events: 228, the Cultural Revolution, Tienanmen, etc.

To say it is due to Japanese propaganda 70-100 years ago is a but much.