Written by Tyrel Cameron Eskelson. In “Taiwan 22: History, Travel, and Talking to Locals,” the author shares his three-month journey across Taiwan, exploring its history, culture, and the challenges it faces. Through diverse experiences and conversations with locals, he aims to inspire readers to visit the island, connect with its people, and support Taiwan’s pursuit of democracy and freedom in the face of ongoing threats to its sovereignty.
Written by Yu-Han Huang and Li-Ting Chang. This article is about the 30th NATSA Conference’s closing forum, which discussed the historical development of Taiwan Studies as a field, particularly emphasizing its interdisciplinary nature and growing significance in global scholarship. The forum featured four experts who presented their perspectives on Taiwan studies, exploring its evolution through various disciplines such as history, anthropology, ethnomusicology, and medical history. It highlighted the increasing importance of understanding Taiwan within a global context, emphasizing the need to connect its history and experiences with broader international dialogues and discussions.
Written by Alex Hsu-Chun Liu. This article reviews the cultural inquiries of Taiwanese psychiatrists in the postwar years, a period that saw the birth of transcultural psychiatry. The stories of Hsien Rin and Tsung-Yi Lin revealed the shift from eugenics to socio-cultural psychiatry and contributed to the decolonialisation of psychiatry in a postcolonial society.
Written by Thomas Liang-Chung Wang. This article reviews the discourses of Cold War liberalism in Taiwan, which focuses on the individualistic nature of liberalism. Such a reflection prompts a reappraisal of the present-day concept of the liberal ideal in Taiwan. It questions whether the contemporary vision overlaps with those of refugee liberals, especially on perspectives such as nationalism.
Written by Ling-Ming Huang. Taiwan’s semiconductor industry grew significantly in the 1970s and 1980s, driven by important government-led strategies aimed at developing manufacturing capabilities for integrated circuit (IC) products in Taiwan. These initiatives laid the foundation for Taiwan’s global dominance in the semiconductor sector and facilitated the establishment of key corporations like TSMC.
Written by Ai-Ting Chung. This article examines the changing discourse around the Taoyuan Martyrs’ Shrine since it was built in 1938. The author argues that it demonstrates the transformation of Taiwan’s national identity shaped by coloniality and the impact of neoliberalism in turning identity as consumable products.
