Cultural Identity Of Taiwan And The United States

Taiwan is a place whose history and present culture remains vastly different from that of mainland China. Surrounded by immense political controversy, the island is home to over 23 million people of diverse cultural and ethic backgrounds in addition to acres of astounding beauty. The rich history and complex development of Taiwan has subsequently resulted in the strong political and cultural contrast with mainland China. Through exploring Taiwan for a few days, I have encountered first hand the diversity in people, thought, and culture that is deeply embedded in the fact that the country is a democracy. Even as a democratic “nation” there still exists many difference with the United States especially politically. My interactions with locals

Throughout the course of history Taiwan has been under the rule of multiple nations such as the Dutch/Portuguese and Japanese. The effects of the influence that each of these nations had on Taiwan can be seen throughout multiple facets of Taiwanese culture. Food is an integral component of culture as each dish contributes a unique understanding regarding the particular culture. As I was exploring the streets of Taiwan a few hours after arriving, I was able to develop a basic understanding of Taiwanese history simply through passing by various restaurants and storefronts. Sushi, pasta, dumplings, and burgers were only a few of the dishes that I saw while wandering around. From my experience Taiwanese culture particularly embraces all of these cultural influences and welcomes them rather than stray away from them. Whereas mainland China has historically conflicted with Japan and less interested in its culture, Taiwan has developed a unique interest and appreciation for Japanese culture. Japan was given Taiwan in 1895 following the outcome of the first Sino-Japanese war and subsequently ruled for roughly 50 years until 1945. Through developing the economy and infrastructure Japan left a largely positive impact on Taiwan. Although they forced Japanese culture onto Taiwan in a sense, the contributions they made to

This could be seen not only in the food but various other aspects of Taiwanese culture as well. Referred to as the Republic of China, Taiwan’s culture at its core is inherently Chinese with other cultures each contributing a distinct element. The diversity that is present throughout Taiwan is one of the many reasons that I believe reunification with China is not a plausible solution. I remember having one of the most insightful conversations with a taxi cab driver who told me about education, the pride that he holds in being Taiwanese, and his views on Taiwan-Mainland China relations. As a 60 something year old man he told me that with regards to his countries relationship with mainland China, he wanted things to remain the same and maintain the “status-quo”. He acknowledged that the younger generation’s perspectives greatly differed from his. The younger generation are living in a democratic society filled with various cultural influences that have gradually altered their identity. Both the cab drivers and younger generation see themselves as Taiwanese but their perception of the path that Taiwan should take in the future is very different. The older generation that includes the cab driver are filled with individuals who simply want to maintain their current lifestyle and firmly believe that Taiwan-China relations would remain the same. If Taiwan were