Labeling her a “pseudo Hakka” for her inability to speak Hakka fluently is unacceptable, since language proficiency should never be judged as a “cardinal sin,” Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said yesterday.
She said the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) “crude language policies” of the past was the reason her Hakka was not more fluent.
Tsai was responding to comments by former KMT chairman Wu Po-hsiung (吳伯雄) — a Hakka — who told a rally in support of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) on Sunday that Tsai was a “pseudo Hakka” because she could not speak Hakka and had not spoken it in more than 50 years.
“I admit my Hakka is not good enough, but I am proud of my Hakka ancestry and appreciate that Hakka people across the nation have accepted me with open arms as one of them,” Tsai said.
However, telling people not to support her because she is a fake Hakka or because of her limited Hakka-language ability was unacceptable, she said.
“I am not the only Hakka who can’t speak fluent Hakka. Many people can’t,” Tsai said.
“And there are many Hoklo people are not able to speak fluent Hoklo [also known as Taiwanese] as well,” she added.
The KMT’s language policies, which only promoted Mandarin during the Martial Law era and suppressed the development of other languages, such as Hakka, Hoklo and Aboriginal languages, are the reason why the children of these ethnic groups did not learn or speak their mother tongue, she said.
“Not only has the KMT failed to apologize for its wrong policies, it is now playing the race card to cover the failure of its policies,” Tsai said. “It is immoral to resort to the tactic of inciting ethnic divisions.”
Ma said being a “Mainlander” was his “cardinal sin” when his proposal to sign a peace accord with China was received negatively and was described as a plan to “sell out Taiwan,” Tsai said.
“So has KMT decided to resort to a strategy of ethnic division to boost its presidential campaign?” she said.
Tsai pledged to learn Hakka and promised to create a fair environment for all ethnic groups, cultures and languages if she was elected president in January, adding that her respect for the Hakka spirit and culture is what counts.
“And nobody should have to have a cardinal sin for his or her identity or the language he or she speaks,” she added.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
Speeding and badly maintained roads were the main causes of a school bus accident on a rainy day in Taipei last year that severely injured two people and left 22 with minor injuries, the Taiwan Transportation and Safety Board said. On March 11 last year, a Kang Chiao International School bus overturned inside the Wenshan Tunnel (文山隧道) on the northbound lane of the Xinyi Expressway. The tour bus, owned by Long Lai Co, exceeded the speed limit after entering the tunnel, the board’s investigation found. Sensing that the rear of the vehicle was swaying, the driver attempted to use the service and exhaust
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
RSS