Sat, Apr 19, 2003 page8

• Letters:

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  Perpetrating stereotypes

  In his article, David Momphard defined "the hidden minority," as those born in Taiwan, but raised in the US, or born in the US to Taiwanese parents ("The hidden identity," March 30, page 17). He continues by repeating a common misnomer by referring to them as "American-born Chinese," or ABCs.

  I find it puzzling that these overseas Taiwanese are so often called ABCs. Shouldn't they more aptly be called American-born Taiwanese or ABTs? It is a simple label that clearly denotes one's country of origin.

  Many Taiwanese or overseas Taiwanese still use the terms "Chinese" and "Taiwanese "interchangeably because of the confusion between national and ethnic identity. Or perhaps the lines have been blurred by mixed marriages.

  As someone born in the US to Taiwanese parents, I proudly identify myself as a Taiwanese American, not a Chinese American. My parents were not raised in China, nor do they reside in China.

  Momphard's depiction of "the hidden minority" in Taiwan proliferates the stereotypes of Taiwanese-born and raised overseas as spoiled, rich kids. It is unfair to categorize a group along narrow characteristics. There are many deeply personal reasons that ABTs have chosen to return to Taiwan -- which Momphard alludes to, but does not delve into.

  Though Momphard didn't report on any major discrimination experienced by the hidden minority, there is discrimination, in subtle forms -- when one is chided for speaking Mandarin Chinese or Hokkien with a funny accent or constantly questioned as to why can't they speak Chinese as flawlessly as any native Taiwanese person. Discrimination occurs when members of the hidden minority, who are native English speakers in their own right, are paid less per hour for teaching English than other visually obvious foreigners.

  Discrimination occurs when Taiwanese employers refuse to apply for work permits for the hidden minority; employers expect ABTs to have an ROC ID which entitles them to work in Taiwan, but other foreign-educated English speakers would most likely not meet such resistance from potential employers.

  Certainly ABTs might be able to score the top jobs due to their foreign education and strong grasp of Chinese language skills, but their experiences are not without hidden discrimination.

  Felicia Lin

  Kaohsiung

  Roy off-base about India

  The opinion piece by Arundhati Roy is without any basis nor with any proof ("The resistable rise of Hindu fascism," April 8, page 9). India is a secular country and will remain so due to its culture of inheritance. Indian democracy is fair and vibrant. With advances in technology, the democracy in India is becoming fairer. How Roy concludes that democracy in India is unfair is beyond me.

  Roy brings her communist ideology into her article, complaining about any form of institution that has power, as long as it is not communist.

  Gautam Desai

  Fremont, California

  Arundhati Roy is well-known ideologue at the same time both sympathetic to terrorists and communists, and against Indian nationalists. Her opinion piece smacks of opinion, while presenting itself as fact.

  Neither is India going towards fascism, nor do India's Hindu nationalists praise Adolph Hitler. Promotion of such fear serves to only further divisions within India, and give an improper picture to those looking at India from the outside.

  India is a secular, democratic country where close to 1 billion people live in relative peace -- including over 800 million Hindus, 130 million Muslims, and tens of millions of Christians, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists. Except for the state of Jammu and Kashmir, where Pakistan-supported Islamic terrorists have killed over 60,000 people, India remains mostly peaceful.

  Today's so-called Hindu nationalists do seek to organize Hindus. There are several reasons for this: the Islamic attack against India is against India as a Hindu majority state, and the evangelical onslaught is to convert over 800 million Hindus to a fundamentalist school of Christianity. Also, Marxist ideologues like Roy draw fire from Hindus as they seek to claim that what is bad in India is because of India's 5,000 year-old traditions, called Hinduism, and what is good is that which does not come from Hinduism.

  While there is great change occurring in India's social and political climate, India's commitment to pluralism, diversity, democracy and freedom still stands. India's so-called Hindu nationalist party, the BJP, elected a Muslim as president. The election commissioner is Christian. Supreme Court justices, chief ministers, governors and government secretaries continue to represent all religions.

  The reality of India is quite different, and much more positive than Roy sees it.

  Mihir Meghani

  Fremont, California

  Miles missed the boat

  In his zeal to criticize presidential adviser Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) by citing a New York Times op-ed of Steven Pelletiere, Lynn Miles seems to have missed several follow-up letters to the editor of the Times from people better acquainted than he with the alleged Kurdish gassing incident -- saying flat-out that Pelletiere is wrong ("Letter," April 13, page 8). Best to be certain of one's facts before going on the offensive.

  June Teufel Dreyer

  Coral Gables, Florida

  Perle piece a shame

  It is a big disappointment and a shame that the Taipei Times makes itself the mouthpiece for a semi-fascist warmonger like Richard Perle ("Saddam's regime falls in Baghdad; UN falls in New York. Good!" April 14, page 9). How can the Taipei Times give a platform for the cynical and smug outpourings of such a figure of dubious intentions? To let him spit on the "bleating" UN bureaucrats, those very idiots that might actually care to "fight AIDs and malaria or protect children" -- very unlike Perle indeed. Why this hurrying obedience?

  Torsten Nohl

  Feng Yuan

  Editor's note: If Richard Perle is a "semi-fascist warmonger," he is also one who wields huge influence in Washington. Surely readers should know what Perle thinks, even if only so they may more effectively oppose him.
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