The storm over On Taiwan
To be fair, Shi Wen-lung (
In other words, what appears to be the same colonial experience was naturally perceived differently by individuals according to their different socio-economic status and gender. Because of historical taboos, Taiwan has always lacked left-wing dis-course. The word "class," for example, has always been avoided. Shi's statements regarding comfort women reveal that he didn't have a clue that women from another class had been oppressed. Never in his life has he carefully listened to the voices of daughters from poor families. This is a blind spot in his own perception, but Shi's statements provoked an extreme reaction. When the storm was at its peak, it showed clear signs of evolving into a conflict between mainlanders and ethnic Taiwanese. This perfectly reflects the fact that Taiwan has long been a society lacking class consciousness.
Yeh Sheng-chi (葉盛吉), who was executed by firing squad in Taipei in 1950, once said, "As the problem of provincial origin [省籍] floats to the surface, the essential problem of class is obscured." Which problem is more fundamental? We are in fact accustomed to using "provincial origin" as a way of distinguishing between ourselves and others or exaggerating differences between people. After all, provincial origin is just one way of categorizing people. In fact, if we were to take a group of elderly men covering the entire spectrum from Japan-haters to Japan-lovers, divide them into groups (based upon their feelings toward Japan) and then do a statistical analysis of each group, we might be surprised to discover that the factors involved are not only the questions of whether one is "Taiwanese" or a "mainlander" or which side one supported in World War II. There are other independent variables that cross provincial boundaries, which are significant factors in determining one's feelings.
Take class as an example. Tenant farmers, landlords, merchants and the gentry each had different strategies for adapting to a change in regime, reflecting their differing status. Naturally, those in power also adopted different conciliatory measures depending on the differing degrees of interdependence and the reciprocal relationships they had with each class. Each of these factors influenced the later feelings toward Japan of the older generation.
Once it is clear that there is more than one factor influencing the feelings of the older generation, the stereotyped impressions evaporate. People thus become more tolerant and find some clues to help understand why others are different from themselves. At the same time, people overlap each other in every direction and dimension. This is a completely new way of categorizing the people of Taiwan.
To date, the discussion surrounding On Taiwan has allowed us to vaguely discern that frequently, class background, along with gender, plays a more important role than provincial origin in an individual's selective perception of historical facts -- for example, in one's understanding of the comfort women issue. If we continue to explore this issue, the factor of provincial origin will no longer be the only explanation. Nor will it again cut apart Taiwan's society at every turn.
On the other hand, in terms of cultural meaning, every person's body is a patchwork of colors. Only when we recognize clearly every brand and every scar upon our own bodies -- including those of provincial background, sex, family environment, socio-economic position, etc -- and frankly acknowledge our own limitations, can we possibly transcend our limits as individuals.
Ping Lu is a social critic and columnist.
Translated by Ethan Harkness
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