FULBRIGHT BRAINMUSH

• Throughout my study of Mandarin, and three trips to China, the quick, metallic syllables of spoken Chinese, and the complex strokes of the characters have presented themselves as a fascinating puzzle for me to solve. Taiwan, as an island with many different cultural influences, is also a puzzle. On the map, it appears that Taiwan like it’s in the periphery of a large mainland China, but Taiwan is really at the heart of Chinese culture, and vice versa. I realized later that much of the music, movies, and other pop culture that my Chinese friends shared with me actually came from Taiwan. So what is Taiwan exactly? I wondered. Some say it is part of China. Some say it is a nation unto itself. Taiwanese speak Mandarin, but also their own distinct dialect, and use traditional characters instead of the simplified script. It has more ‘traditional Chinese culture’ than the mainland because it was safe during the Cultural Revolution, but has been seeking to maintain independence from the mainland for many years.
• Static vs. motion, contrast – Deep South is stereotypically known as a part of the country that clings to the past, but Taiwan is changing, dynamic, and multicultural.
• Helping students to tell their stories,
• Vision of my future
• Taiwan’s history of colonization, indigenous peoples and multicultural influences makes it a particularly fascinating place to me. As an American, have grown up accustomed to referencing my multicultural surroundings and past mixed ancestry when answering the questions of my own cultural identity. The United States also grapples with its history of indigenous peoples, colonization and imperialism, and multicultural influences – granted, in very different ways than Taiwan – however,
• Furthermore, I am extremely excited to immerse myself in Taiwanese culture and hone my Mandarin language skills. Taiwan, with its controversial political status, is an island that resists definition. I have heard different things about Taiwan from people trying to define it to suit their own purposes. Throughout Taiwan’s history, other nations and cultures have been making claims on the island for their own purposes – from the Spanish to the Dutch to the Chinese and Japanese. I am intrigued by the multicultural elements of Taiwan’s culture and its ties to Chinese culture, and how it seeks to define itself in the midst of the rest of the world defining it.
• signing up for Chinese in college: It was also around that time that I remember becoming increasingly aware of China’s presence in the news headlines, always with a tinge of threat and power. However, the more I read about China, the more mysterious it seemed. I decided to learn the language, and the layers of history behind the characters – from pictograph to simplified box strokes – was fascinating to me, and was my portal into Chinese culture. Since I have started studying Chinese registered it as my second major, I have traveled to China three times.
• Taiwan notes:

Island in the Stream: A Quick Case Study of Taiwan's Complex History - Jerome Keating

at least five different flags have flown over Taiwan in the past four hundred years. with each new regime change, people were compelled to change their lifestyle to fit in with each new government. these changing circumstances of having a variety of rulers can create confusion but can also create a unique identity.

the Cairo declaration: Chiang Kai-shek, Churchill, Roosevelt - Taiwan shall be returned to China (free territories from tyranny of Japan)

fleeing the communists with whom they were losing a civil war, the KMT settled and governed the island. by 1949, KMT numbered 2 million Chinese. some Taiwanese called it their most recent invasion. the end result - people with two different ideologies found themselves living on one island, creating 'Two Republics on One Island' - the Republic of Taiwan and the other Republic of china on Taiwan

Taiwan has seen many governments - aborigenes, Dutch, Spanish, Ming loyalists, Qing Manchus, Japanese, KMT. Ironically, the People's Republic of China (a government whose flag had never flown over the island) now claims the island

political power on Taiwan has been transferred so frequently in the past four centuries that people of Taiwan are to be credited with a remarkable resiliency, capability to adjust to each new set of circumstances.

recent elections March 2000 represent a different changing of the guard. the people of Taiwan direcly and freely chose their leader from the opposition party. it was a peaceful transference of power and one that may mark a new era between the Taiwanese and the KMT.

Though Taiwan has often been a pawn/ and or political football int he past, its people have their own perspective on their diverse history.

70% of the population supported President Lee Teng-hui's directive that all dealings with PRC should be done on a 'state to state within one country' basis

a brief history of this controversial island complex questions and issues involved in nationhood and sovereignty

1593 - Japanese king sends ambassador to the High Mountain People on Taiwan.1624 Ming and Dutch fight - Dutch occupy southwest Taiwan1626 Spanish stake a claim in northwest Taiwan where thye will build Fort Santo Domingo1635 Japanese traders protest Dutch taxes in Taiwan1644 Manchus take over China (Qing dynasty)1662 Ming loyalists retreat, take Taiwan from the Dutch1683 Manchus take Taiwan- maintain passive rule over the island. uprisings and revolts occur ever 3-5 years.

1854 Admiral Perry visits Taiwan, suggests the US appropriate the island - recommendation ignored1858 Tientsin treaty opens ports on Taiwan to western trade1871 Peony bribe incident - reinvolves Japanese with Taiwan1884 French briefly occupy northern Taiwan1885 Taiwan becomes a Province of China1895 Taiwan is ceded to Japan in the treaty of Shimonoseki. it will be their colony until 1945.1921 Taiwanese begin first of many petitions for represntation in the Japanese Imperial Diet1945 Taiwan receives represntation in Japanese Diet as WWII ends. Taiwan is placed under the Republic of China with its status to be determined.1947 Taiwanese anger over ROC misgovernment explodes in the 2/28 incident1949 Martial law is imposed in Taiwan as ROC army retreats from the mainland1950 Korean War breaks out - Taiwan becomes part of the Western Bloc1971 ROC loses its seat in the United Nations1979 US transfers its embassy from the ROC to the PRC.1987 Martial law is lifted in Taiwan1996 the first democratic presidential election with direct vote in Taiwan - Lee Teng-hui is re-elected president of the ROC by the people2000 in the second democratic presidential election, Chen Shui-bian of Democratic Progressive Party becomes the first non-KMT president in a peaceful transference of power. Aborigines make up less than 2% of the population (versus 1500, 98%)

CHAPTER ONE- era of global navigation

for centuries, Taiwan was in total isolation from the western world. it was seen as one of many islands in the Taiwan strait and a place for potential exploration. it had been a home for fisherman, traders, and aborigines - isolation came to an abrupt end in the period of Global Navigation by the European powers (15-17th centuries)

Europeans - exploration, colonization, trade linkage, religious proselytization

Portuguese ships en route to Japan, discovered Japan and named it "Ihla Formosa - the beautiful island' - Formosa would be the name of the island in the western world until the mid 20th century.

Formosa was also a pirate base. Pirates from Japan and China had found relatively unprotected refuge as they plied their trade. these Japanese pirate groups tormented the Ming Dynasty. Formosa provided retreat, fresh water and supplies. Because of the pirates, the Ming had severely restricted travel and trade abroad.

Aborigines were of 2 types: mountain people and plains people. Central mountain range of Taiwan has 200 peaks over 3,000 meters.1593 Japanese king dispatched ambassador to 'High Mountain Nation' - sought to invade China either through Korea or Formosa. No tribe one tribe in Formosa could collectively speak for all, he chose the route of Korea. It was a bad choice and got Japan involved in an eventual quagmire on that peninsula.

Taiwan - taoyuan, where earliest settlements were made; or the aboriginal word for 'taian or taiyan' meaning aliens/ Japanese/ Chinese foreigners)

As often happens in the misunderstanding of language, Dutch traders who later heard these words, associated them with the island and gave Formosa the name Taiwan from these utterances.

The Spanish flag- Magellan -