In an effort to address the issue of political differences affecting married couples, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) held a seminar yesterday and invited three celebrity couples to share their experiences. The couples, who span the ethnic and political spectrum talked about how to keep their politics out of the bedroom.
It is not uncommon for native Taiwanese married to second-generation Mainlanders to have differing political views, and for this to become a bone of contention -- especially around elections.
"When we went to buy a new sofa, I knew I would have to pick a long, deep one so that I could sleep on it whenever there is an election," said Jiang Cheng-ming (江正明), husband of popular Taiwanese English teacher Ruby Hsu (徐薇).
In their 15 years of marriage, the couple's ethnic and political differences have often caused conflict. Hsu, who is of Hakka origin, was raised in Miaoli, while Jiang is the son of a former general in the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government.
The ideological and ethnic divide is also present in Yu Mei-ren's (
"My father is from Shangtong Province [in China] and my mother is from Taiwan. I am Taiwanese -- no doubt about that," says the popular talk show hostess and avowed advocate of President Chen Shui-bian (
Yu's husband James, whose parents are pan-blue camp supporters and describes himself as an "undecided voter," joked that he slept in the living room several times during the presidential election campaign in March last year. But the couple has a secret for riding out the domestic storm.
"To seek differences among shared qualities is to declare war. To seek common ground amid conflicting opinions is to seek peace. This rule applies in both our political discussions and in our kitchen," Yu said.
For other couples, common religious belief helps them come closer despite their different ethnic origins and political affiliations.
"We learned from the Bible that we should judge political issues not by [pan-green or pan-blue positions], but on whether an issue is right or wrong," said Lee Jing-yu (
The value of tolerance can also sweeten marital relations as well.
"Although we don't agree with each other's views on politics, we listen to each other and try to piece together the story behind the Hakka people, local people, and Mainlanders. We know that they all have gone through a lot of hardship," said Peng Wen-cheng (彭文正), Lee's husband and a professor at National Taiwan University.
"Only then we can understand [each other's] sentiments," he added.
From the couples' experiences, the impression it given that social cohesion is achievable not by turning a blind eye to differences, but by celebrating different opinions.
"Taiwan is vibrant because of its cultural diversity. Taiwan's party politics is functional because of the range of views expressed. We should celebrate individuality, not conformity," DPP Deputy Secretary-General Lee Ying-yuan (李應元) said at the seminar.
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