Bay Window; 106; Taiwan: A View from Here

Oh. Good evening. Tonight on Talk of war the story of Taiwan. We've just witnessed the history of that embattled Island. Tonight on bay window you'll meet many Bay Area residents who are passionate about the history and future of Taiwan. And they look at Taiwan's possibilities as well as past from dramatically different perspectives. You'll hear from dancers painters and singers engineers architects and doctors students and seniors ministers and community leaders. I'm Milton Chen and I want to welcome you to tonight's bay window special. Taiwan a view from here. When I decided to leave Taiwan to come to the United States to marry my American husband my parents thought they would never see me again. They came to the airport to see me off other Stude behind the curtain. He never hugged me or

say he just with one of his arms and slyly waved as I turned to walk past the immigration. I saw him in his eyes as if he had failed his duty to the bar and that he was watching one of his children walking away leaving him. That's a good the memory has three Our whole family moved to Taiwan with the boat at the dock time and food and coffee by utility so when I saw arrive to the boat to arrive to Taiwan I just remember so many lights and Dan I didn't know that was a light sight. Told my mother there are lots of moons round

places so beautiful you know. And then not as cold as night. So people are very much they actually my my high school my university is my code a year when I started studying any mental school. About seven six years ago. And then surprise me was the language I learned from my parents was not a language they taught in school and I heard all these great stories of how wonderful America and I had this amazing image in my seven year old mind it was Disneyland I was picturing about 10 years ago when I went back my country went back to the press where I was growing up. And I saw the change taken prisoner I was so shocked. I used to be the big river above thirty or forty feet. Wide river and we grew up in the clam and have a water buffer there is

only about two feet. And become solid dark MRV and I was so shocked to see where it was just good all day and the beautiful scenery and also the people we used to be love. We looked like a broad. Even any people coming to the top you retreat just over one of your family. Minor King is a painter. He's also a physicist a kung fu master and an ordained Baptist minister. He preserves his childhood memories and his detailed watercolors of Taiwan's rural and agricultural past. This type of a painting I call the odd time is cultural more focused on activities. The people in the past. Taiwan is an island of 21 million people 100 miles off the southeastern coast of mainland China. 2 percent of the

population is indigenous. Over 80 percent of the island's inhabitants are often referred to as native Taiwanese are descendants of the holo and haka people who moved to Taiwan as far back as the 14 hundreds. Another 15 percent of the people have family who came from mainland China with the Kuomintang nationalist party known as the KMT between 1947 and 1949. How shall I begin. To tell you this story. The stories about Taiwan. I wanted to make a film that involved my father and my sister was living in Taiwan and she just moved back to the United States and so she started telling me about all these things that had been happening in Taiwan and all of the changes that were occurring there. And that was the first time I'd heard of teacher eight. We could begin with February 20 1947 the infamous 7:58 incident. An old woman selling

cigarettes without a permit is harassed by the police. An angry crowd gathers to protest her treatment and in the chaos someone is killed. Tensions between the Taiwanese and the nationalists come to a head. Rioting ensues all over the island. In another excerpt from her film her uncle remembers to 28. On June 1 of being the cover it's a problem see home and then the shoes Sunday. BOWMAN Yeah the book is so clear along with the shooting on the shoes of the other Morgan was a simple fall on a guy by following a plan. I was easy to go back there if you just didn't get him. Only a couple of pounds. I was so overwhelmed when just. 20000 people are stabbed shot and beheaded. Houses

are raided and looted. Community leaders are rounded up and executed. And for 40 years. No one is allowed to talk about it. For a lot of Taiwanese I think it is kind of a flashpoint because it was such a violent act and it was vigorously suppressed for 40 years. The massacre occurred and. Martial law wasn't stated and wasn't lifted for 40 years but at the same time no one was allowed to talk about it no one was allowed to any mention of Teacher way could result in arrest. People can get together if the people together. You've got to be. The ship of machine gun. Mr. Banko tan and referencing Chung Lee are survivors of the February 20th massacre. We're just running. Yeah my friends my classmate some of them were shot. And some of even the pastor of. Kong side and my

classmate both of them are shut in from the train station in the public execution will go quiet he said. He can now only during those two twenty eight events almost about 30000 lost their life. But the problems after that. Following that we call that a white terror because of secret police. Are you all kind of information. So anybody say anything against the government. They catch somebody nearly another 30000 people put into the prison or executed without kosher trail. Back in forty seven when this happened. The Nationalists were being defeated in mainland. They were we scared of communists taking over tea and ho is an engineer in the South Bay his family came from mainland China to Taiwan shortly

after the 228 Incident. Fifty years ago. It really was a different mentality for those people that the governor was a military man and that's all he knew. We our whole family was always watched and with our with my parents friends in the opposition parties and in the independence movement and we would have these elaborate transportation schemes you know so we could get to their houses without being watched because we know we're always being followed. Lillian Rose is Shea's grandfather was in prison for criticizing the KMT government. These U.S. students recall suppression of dissent that took place long after the 40s and 50s. It just became a legacy almost as we know martial law with a lifted until 87 the first the last of the political prisoners were released until 1993. The first free elections in 1996. I mean these are things that happened. You know I can remember. It's a realm it was just you know a few years ago.

All these things took place of course for over 40 years in Taiwan from 1949 you know until basically until the end of the Cold War night in 89 and. The you know sponsorship and protection of the U.S. They're setting up these you know Democratic leaders throughout East Asia to really impose these. Telling carrion regimes that we're very much focused on the whole economic rebuilding of these countries after World War Two. Taiwan's history comes alive when this group of second generation Taiwanese Americans gets together. Today they're discussing a new book called The time when he saw Americans twiddly ignores the fact that the one terror extended United States that the parents would be afraid even the United States of things they did here causing harm to their relatives in Taiwan. You know these military officers would come in pretenders like you and they you know fill out these reports and they get paid money for every point that they felt about

telling you so a lot of. Tiny's. Who are students in graduate school or colleges and were very afraid to organize politically back in maybe. Three when I was very active. The Taiwanese. Student Association in Wisconsin Madison. We were the first to tell any student club ever since why Tira wiped out all of the student organized on the campus. We knew that the Chicago office tower ones should call out those who are following this very closely and there one day all of the members all the active members will receive a call from the FBI and who wanted to interview us. Yeah it was a real interview it's more like interrogation and they're looking for names they want. You know it was a very is a very harsh attitude from the FBI agent.

I had to get a visa to go to Taiwan to visit my wife to see my father. I can't. UCSF scientist Kumin home found out he was on a blacklist in 1978 when he tried to go home to visit his father who was dying. He wasn't allowed to return to Taiwan. I went there and apply for a visa. They did reach it. Every time I saw I meet. So I find out this is a typical case counties do Jim. Black police came to the Government that. We cannot go back to Taiwan. Jean Chang searched for her family's past awaken her sense of Taiwanese identity. I have tried to imagine what it means to be tell unease. At times I even imagine myself to be more Taiwanese than American in step with the food the culture and the political situation.

Who imagines the country even want to place is not a country it is a state. Even when history is not agreed upon officially it accumulates in people's lives and in their memories. Taiwanese identity is being preserved in the Bay area by artists such as Philip keeping the native culture alive. It's kind of humorous if you go every chicken feet you can think of.

When We Were Young came to Taiwan and of course missed you and big beneficiary they were suppressing Taiwanese could share which music and awful. And I grew up hearing what they say about our music it's not high Crouse it's not good enough it's rude. Have have no very I. And about ten years ago I started to realize we had a big treasure in. Another cultural treasure based on the native folk songs and folk tales of the island is Taiwanese

opera. In Taiwanese all probably always have. A girl playing mains portion. The man playing the ladies polish and that's that happened a lot. Oh I want to do. The tradition of Taiwanese opera is being passed on right here in the Bay Area. We visited a rehearsal at the home of director Nancy-Ann did some Taiwanese opera actually you know neck to form drama in Taiwan. OK it's not imported from mainland China or on a place. So when I came to the United States actually this is. Hell me to find my. Den you know I didn't. Culture.

Could dominantly came from southern part of Jim province in there and there really isn't that much difference. And some people want to call themselves Taiwanese Chinese. It is just for differentiation so that people know you're not from him and I have no problem with that. But we're all Chinese. I don't I don't see Taiwanese as separate ethnic identity language just Chinese culture the same things everything is me and as I said you know it's Indonesia since 1989 suddenly you know this became. An idea be ideal but you know I want to get it he is opposed to the Chinese identity. I feel like the Europeans coming to America calling themselves Americans like George Washington I think was his ancestors from England. Yes he's American. Well just because my ancestry came from China from the mainland you know a couple centuries ago that doesn't mean I can't be Taiwanese.

Interestingly I think time space. Has really created. A culture on Taiwan. It's a fusion of indigenous. Culture. It's a fusion and with others Dutch influence. Portuguese Spanish the Japanese. The Chinese. So it's quite an interesting mix. While making her film Chang witnessed a growing Taiwanese identity movement in the capital city of Taipei. It was fueled by tensions between mainland China and Taiwan. The day before I left Taiwan in August 1995 there was a protest in Taipei against Chinese missile testing in the Taiwan Straits. Thousands of people with banners and headbands were chanting who are not Chinese or Taiwanese. Over and over again. I don't really believe in. Taiwanese culture as being an entirely separate cultural identity. Some people would say it is but it's kind of like saying that American

identity is not related to European culture. I think that it's derived from it but to say that it's European doesn't capture everything about American culture and the same way Tony's culture is very heavily influenced by Chinese culture because. The majority of the people living on Taiwan ultimately came from China at one point or another. And they brought with them a lot of traditions. But things have evolved and they're constantly evolving. So to completely separate the two would be. In correct I believe. But to say that Tony's culture equals Chinese culture is also incorrect. And insufficient. Teresa Wu was born in mainland China but her heart is in Taiwan. I feel today is so hard to think who is Taiwanese So who is mangling paypal. If you ask me I don't have any impression about mainland China. I don't feel if I have a choice one day I want to go.

Somewhere very and I will choose Taiwan not to China because I calm up here there. I feel I belong to Taiwan. Maybe you want to resettle in our dedicated staff at the Chinese new comer service center to help recent immigrants from both mainland China and Taiwan to get started here in America. FACE. April Chan's performance piece on identity deals with her experiences after moving here from Taiwan. Where your. Dream your. Face was a big Chinese coming from Taiwan. We speak the same way. Try this. When I came to this contrie

encounter many other Chinese from other parts of the world like men in China and Hong Kong. I felt when I met them because they were very different. Than they were. I felt like usually you are timid you make acquaintance with each other. There is a sense of isolation and. It bothered me a lot. But relationship between. Taiwanese Americans or your local Tonys and their Chinese counterparts Chinese Chinese Americans what have you. Yes there is there's a lot of animosity and potentially animosity but at the same time there's also common ground. And it definitely shifts very quickly and very very very unpredictable. Predictably and sometimes it's as simple as two people you know they get along well

and sometimes that's able to supersede those political differences I consider myself to Taiwanese and also a Chinese. There are many native Taiwanese who connect easily with Chinese Americans from the mainland. Dr soonly is one of 13 Taiwanese born doctors who provide crucial care at the Chinese hospital in San Francisco's Chinatown. My. Crew no matter what country you're from. As a doctor as a parent as a teacher whatever we are we just have to provide a place to come home for peace for a safe. Place for our children in this next generation. Yeah with you. In the recent election for mayor of Taipei the KMT candidate won a close race. There are

three major parties in Taiwan. Both the canteen nationals party and the new party are for eventual reunification with mainland China. China considers Taiwan a renegade province and only a few countries recognize the island as a nation state. On the other hand the Democratic Progressive Party wants Taiwan to be recognized as an independent nation. Christy Wong was there when the first president ever born in Taiwan was elected in 1906 the presidential election was in 1906 and it was the first ever direct presidential Democratic presidential election in Taiwan and this is hugely exciting emotional kind of time in Taiwan and I went back with my parents and I was actually there with National Public Radio to sort of helping them to cover some stories about the election there. And it was just amazing to see the island mobilizing and how excited the people were and all anyone talked about was the elections and what was going on in this campaign that campaign and all the

flags and posters and it was really just an amazingly thrilling time to be there. And it for me as a Taiwanese American I was so proud to show it's all this media that was coming from around the world. Taiwan at its best just the people being so motivated and excited and politically interested and active. I think one interesting thing about the Democratic democratization of Taiwan is the fact that a lot more open now people can speak out. Yet when people speak out they realize their differences. Everyone can Pok about politic. Everyone seems to do knowing about who they want to vote. Strong opinion about a certain person I would say the 80 percent Chinese people want to chime in on the war. You like to recruit United kids. Like you ever bothered to get sore later going to the one country.

We have a right to chose what come of government we want. We don't have to be threatened by any people any country. Also from a Taiwan because we fear Taiwan is an independent country. I think it is not responsible to declare independence independence without considering the blush it may lead. By that corporation its brand itself had its own government its own economic educational whatever systems. Taiwan is really what we call defacto independence as a Chinese I just hope that both sides it can be prosper. Can be united to become a. Good. Country. Well from my viewpoint the history always show all the big fish eat the small fish. Big nation the withdrawal of the small nation. It is very hard for the small time I want to. Sure vibe.

It's funny how it is this tiny little island and in some ways it's too small to be really that significant but at the same time it's very strategic So it's very powerful and very powerless at the same time. We've probably raised more questions than we've answered and that's good. I hope tonight's bay window has you thinking about this country's relationship to Taiwan. I'm sure it's given you a sense of the dynamic discussions taking place right here in the Bay Area. We heard a variety of voices and viewpoints. You can join the conversation on the issues raised tonight by posting your comments on the bay window website at w w w dot dot org. I want to thank all the wonderful people who spoke to us from their hearts sharing their talents and their heritage with all of us. And I want to thank you for joining us tonight. Production and broadcast of this program are made possible by the contributions of the members of

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