Write in Taiwan
Students in the Taiwan American Organization at the University of California-Irvine have come up with a plan to use the upcoming U.S. Census to promote a Taiwanese identity. The effort is also advocated by the Taiwanese American Civil League and other groups around the country.
The Census Bureau becomes the subject of debates over how to count and categorize the population every ten years. Changing sensitivities and a blending population create problems for those who seek to label people into a particular ethnic group or race.
Persons residing in the United States will be asked to self-identify their race on their Census form. As in prior Census counts, the race options are an “apples and oranges” mixture of skin color, language, or nationality. Choices include:, White, Black, American Indian, Hispanic, Chinese, Filipino, Korean, Japanese, and Vietnamese. Taiwanese is not an option.
The college students are urging all Taiwanese-Americans to self-identify as Taiwanese rather than Chinese by using the “Other” box and writing in Taiwanese.
Two creative and talented students in the group even wrote and produced their own Public Service Announcement to help the Census get an accurate population count and allow people to respond to the Census form without betraying their own heritage.
The student-produced PSA is starting to make the rounds on the internet and has gained favorable acclaim on the Taiwan pro-independence list-serves and blogs.
Meanwhile at the Federal building
Meanwhile, also in California, a dozen faithful demonstrators keep up a weekly vigil outside the Los Angeles Federal Building urging an end to the control of Taiwan by the Republic of China in-exile.
Other Taiwanese-Americans are preparing to travel to Taiwan at the end of February and participate in a March for Taiwan to coincide with commemoration events for the victims of the 228 Massacre when the Republic of China imposed a harsh and brutal martial law on the island.
Taiwan was Japanese territory at the end of World War II and Japan ceded all claim to Taiwan at the San Francisco Peace Treaty. Harry Truman was president when the treaty was ratified but declared that until there was peace in the Pacific that Taiwan’s status would remain unresolved.
Last year the District of Columbia U.S. Court of Appeals found Taiwan’s residents to be “stateless” and living in “political purgatory” because of the president’s refusal to identify the actual sovereignty of Taiwan.
To read more about the Taiwan option on the Census form see link:
http://www.census2010.tacl.org/contact.html
Comments
Michael is really in the loop! He obviously knows more about Taiwanese issues than many others in the Taiwanese community!
Taiwan not China!
Singapor not China!
Vietnam not China!
Mongolia not China!
Corea not China!
Taiwanese-American not Chinese American!
American born Taiwanese
not abc
God bless Formosa Republic!
I send my respect to these 2 pretty girls and our friend - Michael !!!
taiwan was native taiwanese aborigine territory before hokkien chinese stole the land and claimed it as formosa 600 years ago even before japan colonized it. now it's time to stop this formosa-chinese in-exile colonizer and return it to the not chinese formosan native taiwanese aborigine. truman and obama has nutin to do with it . they not colonizer mentality.
"Taiwan was Japanese territory at the end of World War II and Japan ceded all claim to Taiwan at the San Francisco Peace Treaty. "
michal why you always repeat this lie miliion times?
why you forsake taiwan native aborigine history and existence?
are you racist?
Zedeq's enthusiasm for the native aboriginal peoples of Taiwan, a diverse group of tribes, has clouded the view of history. Taiwan was a Japanese colony from 1895 until World War II and the peace treaty that ended the war. Any moral or legal claims that Taiwan's first people may have to the land do not negate the reality of Japanese occupation. To recognize the 20th Century history of the island does not equal racism.
Zedeq should give Richardson some understanding with the Chinese
New Year and red envelopes just looming in the corner.
It's always good to say something nice and happy to the Chinese Formosan Americans this time of year so they will be in a good
giving mood.
However I agree with Zedeq that Mr. Richardson's repeated 'whitewashing ' of Taiwan's First People's history in his articles have some air of racism.
Mr. Richardson's rapport with the Chinese Formosan Americans have clouded his views of Taiwan's history which always started after Chinese and Japanese colonization.
This is typical 15th century Western thinking like stating Chris Columbus discovered America!
Michael Richardson says:
" Any moral or legal claims that Taiwan's first people may have to the land do not negate the reality of Japanese occupation. To recognize the 20th Century history of the island does not equal racism. "
that is not point! point is why richardsin only recignize 20th century history of island again , again,again radicalizing many of our brethrens now who are converting to islam. is that what you like?
Zedeq questions why only the 20th Century history of Taiwan. The answer is simple. Until World War II and its aftermath the United States had no responsibility to the people of Taiwan. However, the U.S. bombing campaign against the Japanese in Taiwan and Japan's surrender to the United States established America as the chief military occupying power. The U.S. handover of Taiwan to the proxy government of the Chinese Nationalists for occupation purposes triggered what the District of Columbia U.S. Court of Appeals has called "political purgatory" for Taiwan. Thus the focus on 20th Century history is required to address America's unmet responsibilities to the people of Taiwan. If Zedeq wants to read about past colonial abuses of the Taiwanese native population I recommend Su Beng's 400 Year History of Taiwan.
america as "chief military occupying power" of taiwan after japanese surrender does not entitle americans to whitewash taiwan aboriginal history. on the other hand america as a democratic country with conscience should right what was wrong
and return taiwan to the native taiwanese aborigines instead of the colonizer formosan chinese ( most taiwanese americans included) who up to now continue to look down
on our people.
" Until World War II and its aftermath the United States had no responsibility to the people of Taiwan".
and now the the united states and any american for that matter have no right to continue whitewashing native taiwanese history either. we like to be friends with america and americans but don't force us to be your enemies.
"zedeq says:
and now the the united states and any american for that matter have no right to continue whitewashing native taiwanese history either. we like to be friends with america and americans but don't force us to be your enemies. "
It's called mercenary literary ethnic cleansing.
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