The public must realize that when Taiwan's minority peoples hide or abandon their ethnicity, they rob the island of a rich, diverse culture.
For decades, Taiwan's minority groups have been squeezed between the island's two dominant cultures. On one hand, minority ethnic groups had to learn Mandarin—after the Nationalist government came to Taiwan in 1949, it enforced an existing policy of using that language in schools, government agencies, and in the media. On the other, minorities had to learn the customs and dialect of the southern Fukienese (now referred to locally as Taiwanese) in order to work and live with the majority culture—seventy percent of the island's population are Han Chinese from southern Fukien province. Sandwiched between these two cultures, minorities were left with little room in which to maintain their own ethnic identity.
All too often, getting ahead meant leaving their language and culture behind. Many elderly Hakka or indigenous people tell a similar story of watching their offspring lose their culture: When Junior left the farming village, he got a job in the city and seldom looked back. Now the grandkids don't even speak the mother tongue.
But times are changing. A fledgling movement to preserve minority ethnic cultures is now under way. Whether this movement survives will depend on the involvement of three groups of people: the government, the pubic, and young-generation minorities.
The government has taken some steps to boost the renaissance of minority cultures. The biggest was the lifting of martial law in 1987, which created an atmosphere of new political freedom. Many social groups, including minorities, began publicly promoting their causes. In recent years, for example, indigenous groups have begun protesting for land-use rights and non-Mandarin speakers have demonstrated to protect and preserve their mother tongues.
Loosened restrictions on use of non-Mandarin languages have also boosted minority efforts. In April, the Ministry of Education ruled that certain elementary schools can teach non-Mandarin local languages as optional courses. And in July, the government revoked regulations restricting non-Mandarin programming on local TV and radio stations to between 30 and 45 percent. In addition, the government has recently expanded its funding for minority arts programs.
These steps are an important but small start. Minority cultures must become an intrinsic part of the government's efforts to broaden the curricula of local schools and to build performing and visual arts. The government has much to gain by paying new attention to minority cultures, but its past track record shows many missed opportunities. Consider the island's tourist attractions in indigenous tribal communities. All too often, these sites focus more on crass commercialism than on authentic minority culture, alienating visitors and local tribespeople alike.
Is the public supporting the ethnic minority movement? The minority movement is part of a larger trend throughout Taiwan to look inward and to promote local culture. The Taiwanese majority has recently become much more vocal about preserving its language and culture. Taiwanese speakers in Ilan county, for example, are rebuilding their unique brand of Taiwanese opera, and the county's schools were offering classes on the Taiwanese language long before the restrictions against doing so were lifted in April.
Public interest in studying local history, anthropology, and the arts is booming. Unlike a few years ago, Taipei bookstores now carry entire sections dedicated to books on local history, recent economic development, and culture. Interest in Taiwan studies is not limited to historians and college students doing research projects.
But the new interest in Taiwanese language, culture, and study does not necessarily translate into added support for local minorities. Harmful prejudices continue to encourage many Hakka and indigenous people to hide their ethnic identity. The public must realize that when Taiwan's minority peoples hide or abandon their ethnicity, they rob the island of a rich, diverse culture. And when negative stereotypes about these groups are voiced, an ugly side of Taiwan society is unveiled to the rest of the world.
The biggest challenge for ethnic minority groups will be to instill an enthusiasm for the movement in their children. Minority parents today face challenges their own parents never dreamed of. As Taiwan's wealth started to grow during the 1980s, the island became a magnet for international pop culture. Even small towns now have 7-Elevens, video shops, and knock-offs of U.S. fast-food restaurants. Local youth, including minorities, share a culture heavily influenced by the United States, Europe, and Japan.
Twenty years ago, minority parents worried that when their children left town for high school, they would be swallowed up in the mainstream Taiwan culture. Now they must worry that the kids will be swallowed up by a kind of generic World Culture that has even less to do with Taiwan.
Minority cultures are in a delicate and fragile position in Taiwan. Many elderly people fear that they will be the last generation to speak their mother tongue and to carry on ethnic traditions. If efforts to attract young participants are to succeed, the government and the public must work together with minority groups.
Supporting minority cultures only strengthens the overall culture of Taiwan. One excellent example of what the island gains through acknowledging and celebrating its minority cultures is the latest production by Cloud Gate Dance Theatre, Taiwan's best-known dance troupe. When the internationally acclaimed group's latest work," Nine Songs," premiered in August, the show incorporated the music of two indigenous tribes into an ancient Chinese theme. The program can be a lesson to the government and the public of the value in preserving minority cultures, and a message to minority youths that it is worthwhile to assume an active role in the movement.