She writes of Western culture, “The ‘self-identity’ — (I, me, my) and the need to stand out from the crowd and be different is considered desirable” and contrasts this with Taiwanese who “identify closely with the group … All aspects of personal and professional life, including relationships, are connected and intertwined for everyone who is considered part of the group. The desires of the ‘self’ cannot be separated from the wishes of the group and the family.” At the same time, Liu explains, “Taiwanese people are group-oriented … however, they are generally not good at teamwork,” attributing this to a culture of fierce competition that extends into offices and classrooms alike, thus the unusually high number of university degrees and PhDs found on the island.
Liu writes that her inspiration stems from seeing both her brother’s child raised in Taiwan as well as her sister’s children brought up in the US. She herself is, in her own terms, a “Returning Taiwanese,” having emigrated to the US from Taipei when she was 13. It’s perhaps these double-sided perspectives that lend the book the familiarity of an insider and its accessibility to those who are not.
Liu’s guide aptly compiles the lessons newcomers might otherwise learn over a period of time, through observation and conversations. It’s less draining than an academic paper and more reliable than a tourist’s brochure, and it’s accompanied by glossy, full-page color photos. Of course, cultural guides tend to be rendered out of date as quickly as iPod models, but for the time being, Liu’s guide will help readers with their first steps in Taiwan.
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