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Politics…

Desi

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Desi

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Just today someone remarked to me that they “dislike non-Taiwanese deciding what we should do”, after I said that from my own personal opinion, I believe that Taiwan should be independent. I’m not going to start a political discussion, don’t worry. :P

What I’m meaning to say, though, is that being a TCK makes it very hard to ever express one’s opinions.

Whenever I say something either about Taiwanese politics, or just about feeling at home in Taiwan and wishing to be Taiwanese, there is at least one person who says I shouldn’t care because I’m not Taiwanese anyway. Even my closest friends don’t understand that. Being really pale, really blue-eyed and pretty much blonde, I’m about as Western as can be - from the outside. And that’s all that most people see of me, the little Swiss girl.

I don’t know, do you feel it too, that people refuse to accept that you can love their country as much as they do, if not sometimes more?

I often get into political discussions with my friends, and the easiest way for them to get out of it is by saying, “Dude, you’re not even Taiwanese, why should you care?” It’s just about the most hurtful thing anyone can tell me. I actually find it more painful when people say I should shut up because I’m not Taiwanese, than I’d feel if they’d say the same about me not being Swiss. Un-Swiss me anyday, just let me be Taiwanese.


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May 30, 2008 | Filed Under General Forum 

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14 Responses to “Politics…”

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  1. 11
    Uncle Dan
    Uncle Dan Says:
    June 5th, 2008 at 9:12 am

    It goes in both directions, really.

    I’ve met a lot of Americans who’ve never set foot in Japan but nevertheless strive to learn Japanese and are anime experts.

    And as Ayako said, there are young Japanese who try to wear dreadlocks and tan their skin while wearing bling.

    It’s all pretty hilarious on all sides, when you think about it.

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  2. 12
    Ayako
    Ayako Says:
    June 5th, 2008 at 10:27 am

    One of my Italian friends loves to shop at Muji and when she tries on the clothes she asks me: Do I look Japanese? ;)

    I don’t think the Japanese who read comic books and read Anime themselves are annoyed about foreigners loving that stuff. Since the older generation think those things are garbage, there has been a movement for years to get those things recognized for what they’re worth. Sure there’s a lot of garbage too, but the good comic books and Anime are better than most Japanese novels.

    Ironically comic books, Anime and games are the only parts of Japanese culture spreading globally these days and those who hate them within Japan feel it’s shameful but who cares what they think. :p

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  3. 13
    André
    André Says:
    June 5th, 2008 at 10:47 am

    I’m bad with lyrics as it is, even in English!! LOL. I know the language perfectly but I can’t seem to get to listen to songs and get the right lyrics…don’t ask me why!!

    Oh, and Ayako, I love Muji!! I think that place is great =)

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  4. 14
    jerry
    jerry Says:
    June 5th, 2008 at 5:30 pm

    I think a lot of what your saying is rooted in basic human nature, unfortunately. There are bits of US history anyway where, in a community of predominantly white european immigrants, they all didn’t get along either because “so and so over there…he’s Irish ya know…and not north-north-western Irish like us…he’s north-west-western…”.

    Seems like any time you have a group of people, you often have a group that is excluding somebody. The easiest excuse for exclusion (though probably also the lamest) is “you’re not one of us, so you couldn’t possibly understand us.”

    It probably comes back to people fearing that which they don’t understand. Your viewpoint differs from mine, and rather than try to understand it, I will merely discount your opinion. (inserts fingers in ears, starts yelling “LA LA LA LA I CAN’T HEAR YOU…”) Some people have even gone on to be elected president using this approach, though I still do not understand how… ;-)

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