[2020 Taiwan Cultural Festival] Thank you for your advice, I am still a Taiwanese

(Published with the authorization of Taiwan Cultural Festival and Mr. Wu Quanyi)

Thanks for the advice, I'm still Taiwanese

Author: Charlie Wu , CEO of Canada Taiwan Cultural Festival

In Canada, there is a lot of consensus that the discussion revolves around the issue of Hyphenation. A small horizontal bar has drawn many emotions, often blurring the original intention and central idea of many demands. Going back to the original intention, each of us who discusses this issue really hopes that our own identity is acceptable.

Taiwanese culture only has the conclusion of Chinese culture or aboriginal culture. I believe that even scholars who study anthropology may not dare to draw such a conclusion. In fact, my identity does not need scholars to tell me. There should be no one person or scholar in the world who has lived with me for the past 19,000 days. How will they decide my identity?

Whether the Taiwanese culture is empty or not, many people have ideas and opinions, but the people who really care about it are the Taiwanese themselves. At least in Taiwan, the culture that can determine self-identity is not the Chinese culture that everyone is familiar with, right? No one ever told me what Taiwanese culture is since I was a child, but I am always reminded that I am Chinese. Why would such an environment of education and growth make me change?

I suggest that you look at this issue in a different way. Is Taiwanese culture only Chinese culture and aboriginal culture ? Professor Bruce Rusk , who studies Chinese cultural history at UBC University, has something to say. https://vancouvertaiwanfest.ca/hope-talk/bruce-rusk/

Like many Canadians, I've never embraced the Canadian-only way of expressing my culture; it's not accurate enough to make my difference in this diverse society. Even so, I still work very hard to create our Canadian culture with Canadians of different ethnic backgrounds. We collide hard, happily inspire each other's imagination, and want this way of life to survive, and one day it will be our common culture. It may have the shadow of Taiwan, the appearance of the aborigines, the color of Slovakia, the taste of Japan, and even the spirit of Mongolia. No one can claim to enjoy this achievement alone, but no one wants to destroy such a tacit understanding. beautiful, right?

Rather than saying that Taiwan has changed me, it is more that Canada has taught me the height of cultural interpretation. From Canada, I saw the difference in Taiwan, and that difference was far more attractive to me than the Chinese culture I knew.

I wrote that article (https://www.straight.com/news/charlie-wu-im-a-taiwanese-canadian-not-a-chinese-canadian )

English media gave a lot of space. I think what the editor sees is not a cultural debate, but an emotional belonging, an exposition of dignity . I am grateful for such a space, although I feel a little "coming out".

Is this politics? Whatever your political interpretation.

Will this turn into politics? Then see how many people agree with me?

Instead of using culture to divide politics, it is better to use common values to form a party . After all, who is the majority and who is the minority, everyone will seek more happiness for themselves.

To tell the truth, I came from you, only now I find where I want to go.

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