From: cwt2@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu (Charles W Tang)
Subject: Re: Yes, Let's Not Talk about History (Was: Re: BANANAS)
Reply-To: cwt2@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu (Charles W Tang)
Organization: Columbia University
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1992 07:08:58 GMT

shao@ucsu.Colorado.EDU (SHAO CHUNG-SHANG) writes:
>[...] cwt2@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu (Charles W Tang) writes:
>>
>>I suspect that this BSR vs. WSR conflict will NOT end until BSR can
>>really be regonized, politically, as a group of people who really
>>have a VOICE!  But with this kind of "it's all in the past, let's
>>not talk about it!" altitude from WSR, how do you expect this
>>conflict to ever be resolved!?
>
>what kind of the respect do you expect? like you said in politics.
>i believe all of us agree we must respect each other.  what is the
>meaning of 'respect' here?

Simply, in two categories:

1) for the policy makers: don't continue making silly rules like "we
can only allow x hours of Taiwanese programs to be broadcasted a day"
(no respect for the Taiwanese people and language.)  Get rid of those
"Tibet representatives," "Beijing representatives," "Heilongjiang
representatives"...etc. who together can easily out-number the
Taiwanese representatives in deciding policies which are to be
implemented *in Taiwan*..... 

2) for "ordinary" people: after being here for 40+ years, it's time
to acknowledge that you're Taiwanese!  Sure, you can say "I'm originally
from Zhejiang" or "my parents are from Shanxi," but do acknowledge that
you *are* Taiwanese.

>bsr has no voice?!  sorry, i really can't agree with you in this.
>i hear holo very often.  when our president speaks, i am listening to
>a bsr's voice.  bsr has no voice?!

Hello?  Is the President the law-making body?  Is he the policy
maker?  What's Li4-fa3-yuan4 for?

>our people can keep so long.  i don't think so.  if the government
>apologies to 228 event for the mistakes the government having made
>40 years in that event, do you think you have had the 'respect'
>you want?  no, i suppose you will say, it is not only this, there are
>more, such as ...  so, it is not so simple.

Obviously a simple apology is not enough.  The altitude must change.
But, at least, by apologizing, we're heading toward the right
direction!

>you keep saying bsr should get respect.  do those wsr second generation
>who win the elections and enter the government have your respect?

Sure!  As I said, whoever identifies with Taiwan and genuinely cares
for Taiwan is as Taiwanese as any other Taiwanese.  Why would I have
any problem with a 2nd-generation WSR candidate?  

>let's go back to the history as you suggest.  do you think the second
>generation of your family who moved to taiwan claimed they were
>'taiwanese'?  so fast?

Well, you'll have to ask them yourself.

I haven't seen *any* 2nd-generation Chinese, Germen, Irish... born
here in the US not call themselves "American."  If you really care
about and feel for your birth place, I don't see why it's so hard
to ren4-tong2 that place.

>evan if i don't claim i am a taiwanese, why can't i accept taiwan?

Okay.  I meant to use the verb "ren4-tong2," but I couldn't think
of any equivalent English word, so I used "accept."  If you ren-tong
Taiwan, why can't you call yourself Taiwanese?

>for example, a boy is from taichung, why can't he accept taipei?
>must he claim he is taipei person to accept taipei?  strange.

This is indeed a rather strange example -- it has nothing to do
with what we're talking about here.

Let me try one: I was born and raised in Kaohsiung.  I proudly call
myself a "Kaohsiung'er," although neither one of my parents is from
Kaohsiung.  Now wouldn't you think it's "strange" if I REFUSE to
think of myself as a "Kaohsiung'er," but a, say, "Penghu ren"
when in fact I've never even set foot in Penghu?

>what if your relative marries to an american who still claims oneself
>as an american, do you accept?  is there any relation between 'accept'
>and 'claim'?  strange.

I didn't quite understand this.  But anyway, I "naturally" feel that
I'm a "Kaohsiung ren," and so I *am* one.  I don't need to "claim"
that I'm a Kaohsiung ren.  But when I'm asked where I'm from, I'd
say "Kaohsiung" without any hesitation.

>no offence.  just want to show that the question above is not the
>point in the conflict between bsr ans wsr.

Yes, it has A LOT to do with the conflict between BSR and WSR.  If
you're born and raised here in the US, but you don't speak English
and don't think of yourself as an American, yet you live here on
the American soil all your life -- you drink American water, eat
American bread, receive American education, make American money --
but you still think that you're not an American.  What do you suppose
other Americans would treat you?  (I suspect that they would tell
you to "go back to wherever you think you're from.")

-Charles


*** Om Ma-Ni Pad-Me Hung *** | "Hey, Charles, have you been 'waiting' all
============================ |  your life?" -- Thao D. "the creature" Vo
   Charles Wei-Ting Tang     | ===========================================
cwt2@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu  | 201 W.72nd St.,#8J, NYC 10023  212/580-5609