Cultural Identity

I have been attending culture exchange meetup since 2015. I am grateful to have had chances to meet a diverse group of people who are from all over the world. I guess that is why I like Singapore. Since then, I have been thinking about some unusual questions and looking for my identity.

I realized not only me, but many of my international friends also want to know the answer. They want to know their identity, the character of their own country, their culture, from other people. Other people are who we perceive them to be, yet we still want to see ourselves from others. Perhaps at the end of the life adventure, only we can find out our answer, who are we? And maybe there is no answer at all, but the journey of looking for ourselves is interesting and worthy.

According to Wikipedia, “cultural identity is the identity or feeling of belonging to a group. It is part of a person’s self-conception and self-perception and is related to nationality, ethnicity, religion, social class, generation, locality or any kind of social group that has its own distinct culture. In this way, cultural identity is both characteristic of the individual but also of the culturally identical group of members sharing the same cultural identity or upbringing.” To put it simply, culture is our automatic behavior, is the habit of doing things, talking and interacting, is a lifestyle we choose.

Then what is the character of Taiwanese and cultural identity? What unites the Taiwanese? Taiwanese culture is a combination of Japanese, Chinese, and western culture. The appeal of the Japanese culture is based on its nostalgic view of Japan’s colonial period and true admiration of Japan’s culture. Common identities are democratic, liberal, low-profile, modest, steeped in tradition and modernity.

Many Taiwanese love Japan. My siblings and I used to read Doraemon, Ultraman, and other manga. We assumed they were Taiwanese comics. My sister used to save up her pocket money so that she could buy posters of Japanese idols (she was crazy about Takeshi Kaneshiro) and Japanese magazines. These were the things we enjoyed after school. It is likely to enjoy all kinds of Japanese products and services right here in Taiwan, almost as soon as they hit the streets in Japan. Video games, fashion, literature, cuisine, medicines, electrical products, and ramen are just a few of the things that have become a regular part of our everyday lives.

Furthermore, many buildings that were built by the Japanese still remain, and it is easy to see traces of the lives that Japanese people led there. The feelings of the Taiwanese toward Japan are complicated. Under Japanese rule, people were forced to learn Japanese and live according to the systems that the Japanese put in place. When Westerners think of Japan, they tend to think of things like sushi, ninja, and perhaps Mount Fuji. For the Taiwanese, things go more in-depth. Younger Taiwanese seldom link Japan to colonialism but instead see a “psychology of perfection” in Japanese culture while older Taiwanese often see the Japanese colonial era as helpful to their island’s development. They credit the Japanese for leaving behind railways, agricultural know-how, and durable Baroque-style architecture, which was the trend in Japan then.

Culture and philosophy originate from religion. And there are some similarities between Chinese and Japanese culture, which are Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism (Shinto). These three constitute the essence of traditional Chinese and Japanese culture. The relationship among the three has been marked by both contention and complementation in history. The reason why Taiwan exists is that Taiwanese culture exists, and Taiwanese culture cannot be separated from the three teachings, and most importantly, democracy. Taiwan has been self-ruled since the 1940s and democratic since the 1980s. People tend to take freedom for granted and our society values personal liberty and rights. It is a good balance of individualism and collectivism.

It is necessary to study Chinese classics if we want to understand Confucianism. And to be a Taiwanese, we must understand Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, and the importance of democracy. In Taiwan, we not only preserve the ancient teachings and traditional Chinese characters but also learn from the successes of the western democratic political system and not just western technology. We also enjoy a free market economy in which the prices of goods and services are determined in a free price system, and there is little government involvement.

Taiwanese culture is a combination of Japanese, Chinese, and western culture. One of the Taiwanese politicians used an interesting analogy to describe it: Taiwan is like a beautiful young girl. In response to the enthusiastic pursuit from the United States, Japan, and mainland China, it’s okay to fall in love with them at the same time but cannot marry any of them. As Taiwanese, we need to be wise and know how to leverage our advantage. Defense depends on the United States, technology depends on Japan, the market depends on China. And eventually, success depends upon ourselves.

In short, cultural identity differs between everyone due to various growing environments, and it is also related to what matters most to the individual. For me, I feel that our ideal culture is a harmonious thought. It’s a transcendence of language and culture, the melody of the soul. It’s self-cultivation rooted in the heart, self-consciousness without being reminded, freedom based on restraint and kindness for others. Also, we are generally more laid-back, relax, warm, easy-going, genuine, straightforward, and open-minded. But I believe we still can be more inclusive and diverse. And not just pursue a happy life, further, to create a meaningful and passionate life.

Note:

1. Taiwan was one of the Four Asian Dragons from the early 1960s to 1990s, and now is one of the world leaders in manufacturing electronic components and devices.

2. Taiwan, where the Japanese go to feel at home on vacation, was Japan’s first overseas colony from 1895 to 1945. Japanese intentions were to turn the island into a showpiece “model colony”. As a result, much effort was made to improve the island’s economy, industry, and public works, and to change its culture. Therefore, it is not surprising that some of the elderly can speak Japanese fluently in Taiwan.

3. Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism.

Similarities and differences between Buddhism and Taoism:

• Buddhists believe in reincarnation, which is the belief in cyclic life after death. Taoists believe in the here and now more than what happens after death.
• Buddhism and Taoism are both very peaceful religions and use meditation for peace of mind and enlightenment.

Similarities and differences between Buddhism and Confucianism:

• Buddhism is a religion, and Confucianism is more of a philosophy or a way of life.
• There are no angels in Buddhism or Confucianism.

Similarities and differences between Confucianism and Taoism:

• In Confucianism, women are socially inferior to men. In Taoism, women and men are generally equal.
• Taoism and Confucianism both originated in China
• Both religions focus on the goal of self-improvement.

Similarities among three:

• They are all attempting to find harmony in life and nature.