Overview

This chapter focuses on the evolution of Taiwanese identity. The question, ‘what does it mean to be Taiwanese?’, has never been obvious or easy to answer. Instead, responses vary across time, geography and individuals. Since identity represents a sense of belonging to a larger group, such ideological factors as values, ideas and emotions that affect the collective contribute to identity formation. Additional important aspects of evolving Taiwanese identity include cross-Strait relations, the ascent of China and the ongoing role of the US in Northeast Asia. While it is beyond the scope of the present investigation to cover all of the relevant academic literature in the preceding interconnected subject areas, what follows is a good faith effort. The review is deemed sufficient to identify the most important patterns in what academic literature has said about Taiwanese identity, most notably in connection with the other aspects discussed in the book thus far. In peeling back the layers of Taiwan's identity choice, we also begin to uncover how and why Taiwanese identity is highly political and increasingly convergent with the changing tides of political support on the island.

This chapter unfolds in eight additional sections. The second section covers early Taiwanese identity. The third section identifies historical imperatives. The fourth section covers the politics of Taiwanese identity. The fifth section assesses the impact from the rapid ascent of China to world power status. The sixth section turns to how the PRC exerts pressure on Taiwanese identity. The seventh section explores the closely related elemental role that Taiwan plays in relation to the Mainland. The eighth section explores the nexus of the US, PRC and cross-Strait relations. The ninth and final section assesses the academic literature in an overall sense.

Early Taiwanese identity

Taiwanese identity experienced a major, Sino-centric shock with the arrival of the KMT from the Mainland after its defeat in the civil war. Over the course of subsequent decades, in tandem with democratization, state dominance declined, with identity-related elements from civil society gaining ground. Taiwanese identity today is multifaceted and includes both demographic and belief-based elements. The rise of China also impacted upon Taiwanese identity, as irredentism from Beijing exerted pressure on the nearby island.