The Development of Taiwan Studies at Roma Tre University

Written by Rosa Lombardi and Silvia Schiavi. Since 2012, Roma Tre University carried out a series of activities to promote the knowledge and dissemination of Taiwanese culture and literature, contributing to the development of Taiwan studies in Italy. Before that, there was very little or no space devoted to Taiwanese literature in Italian universities, and courses in modern and contemporary Chinese literature mainly still deal with Chinese mainland literary production. Given this scarcity of studies on Taiwan in Italy, Prof. Rosa Lombardi and Dr Silvia Schiavi have promoted and implemented a series of events to raise awareness about the island and foster a better understanding of the Sinophone world through the introduction of Taiwan’s rich culture, history and literature to the students and the general public.

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From Tradition to Institutionalisation: The Development of the Postnatal Care Centres Industry in Taiwan

Written by Amélie Keyser-Verreault. In Chinese culture, the tradition of yuezi (月子) or the practice of postpartum care for the mother, is a longtime established practice. In Taiwan, this practice underwent and continues to undergo the vicissitudes of social and interpersonal relationship changes. Before the 1970s, the birth rate in Taiwan was extremely high, and the idea of “more children, more grandchildren, more good fortune” (多子多孫多福氣) was widely accepted. The large family size also meant sufficient human resources for agricultural-related field labour. The practices of yuezi were already crucial at that time. Mothers in the postpartum period had some privileges like a long rest and special food, particularly meals containing meat like chicken, a precious food at that time. 

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Taiwan’s Tibetan Buddhist Monk Dilemma and its Unintended Consequences

Written by Dolma Tsering. Taiwan is known as the beacon of democracy, and its competitive democratic principles and practices distinguish it from authoritarian China. Advocacy for promoting religious freedom is one of the important tasks undertaken by the government. For instance, as a part of this advocacy, in 2018, President Tsa Ing-Wen announced that Taiwan would donate US$200,000 per year for five years to the United States’ International Religious Freedom Fund as a part of Taiwan’s contribution to advancing global religious freedom. The government, annually in association with the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), hosts an international forum for religious freedom to establish a more inclusive society in Taiwan. However, on 6th June 2023, more than 112 Tibetan Buddhist centres in Taiwan joined a press conference which called for the government’s unfair treatment of visa restrictions for Tibetan Buddhist monks in Taiwan and therefore demanded an amendment to the existing visa restriction.

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Han-Heterosexual-Male Supremacy across the Pacific? A Critique of The Taiwanese Reminiscence Acrobatic Show

Written by Mark Hsiang-Yu Feng. Busy as usual was Highway number eighty, but Mother’s Day made downtown San Jose unexpectedly quiet. However, in front of the California Theatre, lively chat sounded out of the silence, marking this celebratory moment for the twentieth anniversary of the Taiwanese American Center of Northern California during Asian and Pacific Islander heritage month. Families came to fill most of the seats, and three languages—Hoklo Taiwanese, Taiwanese Mandarin, and English—were spoken to express the identity of these participants. To honour the culture of Taiwanese and Taiwanese Americans, the overall narrative of Taiwanese Reminiscence contextualises a mixture of stunts, acrobatic movements, and dance into a condensed representation of the twentieth history of Taiwan.

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Triangulating the Taiwanese Spirit in Southern California: Colonial Hauntings at the 228 Commemorative Concert

Written by Chun Chia Tai. In February, I saw a text message in a Taiwanese group chat promoting a concert commemorating the 228 massacre caused by the Kuomintang dictatorship in Taiwan on February 28th, 1947. The concert was called The Spiritual Day of Taiwan: 2-28 76th Commemorative Concert and was hosted by two Taiwanese American organisations: the Taiwanese United Foundation and the Taiwan Elite Alliance, since 2007. The performers were mainly Taiwanese. Many of them were not professionals but members of local Taiwanese church choirs. Most of the audience was familiar with the songs being performed; therefore, they sang along with the performers.

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Reflecting on the Laguna Woods Shooting Tragedy: One Year Later

Written by Wayne Huang. On May 15, 2022, a fatal shooting occurred at the Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church in Laguna Woods, California. During a lunch reception, the gunman locked the doors and opened fire with approximately a hundred people present. The church has been recognised for its significant role in Taiwan’s democratisation and independence movements since the 1970s. It has led to the suspicion that this historical connection motivated the assailant to travel over a hundred miles from Las Vegas to target the church. The shooting resulted in six individuals being shot, including Dr John Cheng, who lost his life while attempting to disarm the gunman. 

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Is Going Green Hurting Indigenous Communities? Reflection from Participating in the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues 

Written by Wasiq Silan. Is going green hurting Indigenous communities? Not necessarily. However, exclusionary conservation measures create a lose-lose outcome for non-Indigenous and Indigenous communities. Indeed, Indigenous peoples’ full and substantial participation is a prerequisite to achieving a sustainable future and halting the rapid loss of global biodiversity. This is true for the Indigenous communities in Taiwan, such as in the case of the solar panel controversy on the Katratripulr Pinuyumayan (Beinan in Mandarin Chinese) people’s traditional territory. Drawing from the experience of the Sámi, my recent participation in the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) may shed light on this issue.

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Taiwan and the Netherlands: What the East Asian Island Nation Can Learn from its Former Colonizer

Written by Charlie Smith. The King’s Field is a famous Japanese video game series created in the 1990s. But nearly 400 years ago, there was another King’s Field—the entire island nation of Taiwan. For 38 years in the 17th century, Taiwan was a colony of the Dutch Republic under the administration of the Dutch East India Company. And the Dutch king was the largest shareholder. 

“The Han people pioneers cleared the land, but the land they cleared was stolen from them, and they were forced to turn their labors toward tilling the so-called ‘king’s fields’,” wrote historian Su Beng in Taiwan’s 400 Year History. “Moreover, most of what they achieved was given over, in the form of rent or taxes, called ‘king’s field rent contributions,’ for the use and enjoyment of the Dutch.”

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What is the significance of the dialogue with the Dutch community in Vancouver for 2023 TAIWANfest in Canada? 

Written by Charlie Smith. The Dutch Cultural Association of B.C. is trying to tell a more nuanced and complete story of the Netherlands, including the experiences of those who lived under Dutch colonial rule. Moreover, the association’s goal is to provide a richer understanding of how Dutch descendants should act as visitors on the unceded lands of Indigenous nations in Canada’s westernmost province. Oostindie believes that this has set his organization up well for a collaboration with this year’s TAIWANfest in Vancouver and Toronto. Oostinde discusses how Taiwan, the Netherlands and Canada can “have heartfelt discussions that bring these hidden histories forward. And we can learn about what it means for contemporary politics, how we work together, and how we consider democracies.” 

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Beyond Chinese: The Evolution of Taiwanese-Canadian Identity in Canada

Written by Charlie Smith. At the height of the pandemic in 2020, a cultural producer generated considerable discussion within the Taiwanese diaspora in North America. It came when Charlie Wu wrote an article declaring: “I’m a Taiwanese Canadian, not a Chinese Canadian.” It was the managing director of the Asian-Canadian Special Events Association’s personal response to being constantly labelled as Chinese in his adopted country. In fact, Wu was even included in the list of the top 100 influential Chinese Canadians in British Columbia in a 2006 article in the Vancouver Sun. 

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Time Travel Dialogue of Two Iconic Artists: Emily Carr (Canada) & Chen Cheng-Po (Taiwan)

Written by Charlie Smith. Emily Carr (1871-1945), who grew up on the West Coast of Canada, made her mark with vivid paintings of local scenery. She depicted changes in the landscape of British Columbia, touching upon industrialization. Carr was strongly influenced by Fauvism, which was advanced by Henri Matisse, André Derain, and other artists in France. Similarly, Taiwanese artist Chen Cheng-po (1895-1947) devoted much of his career to painting the natural landscape in bold, vivid colours. His oil paintings touched upon industrialization in Taiwan, and he, too, was influenced by Fauvism. 

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