Aggie:
Here’re most what grandmom said: of course that’s just personal view.
She separate the time period from
- 1895 -1945 : Japan rule
- 1945 -47 : great chaos , nobody rule almost.
- 1947 – 80 : Nationalist rule, iron fist control.
- 1980 – 90 : Nationalist starting losing power & grip.
- 90 – now : new challenge & uncertain future.
My mom was born in 1933 in Taipei to a rather prosperous family that had a dark history. Her father, my grandpa was "married" to his wife (that means he had to live with his wife's family rather than the normal way, in which the wife moved in with the husband’s family). There was a custom, usually for rich families with nomale heir, in which the daughter wasarranged to marry a poor boy (rich or ordinary family usually wouldn't let their son do this because it hurt the male ego and was against the system). The children born would carry the wife’s family’s last name or some similar arrangement. This was not exactly my mom's family situation, but my grandfather was arranged to marry at no older than 15, the wife, 14 I believe. My grandfather was not well treated by his wife and her family, and my mom had an unhappy childhood due to all the conflict between her relatives (aunts, uncles, parents all lived under the same roof).
My dad was born in 1922 in southern China to a middle class farming family. His father had two wives, and my dad was the eldest son of the second wife, who eventually had ten kids (only five survived). My father had a quite happy childhood. My grandfather was illiterate but supported western education (only for boys). My father had a smooth education and left home for middle school, high school, and eventually he went to college inShanghaifor pharmacist training in a military supported college.When civil war broke out and the college moved to Taiwan in 1949, he was in hislast year of college and thought the civil would last for only six months to a year. Most ofhis classmates (all from mainland China,all welltrained medical doctors, dentists, and pharmacists)all resented Nationalist leaders butwere trapped in the system, trying to ignore the politics and live on as common people. Most people tried one way or another to get in touch with family in mainland (through Hong Kong, the US, or another 3rd country) because Taiwan did not officially allow communication withChina until 1980s. He passed away in 1972 after 6 years of struggling with cancer and one day shy of his 50th birthday.
Japan Rule:
Japan acquired Taiwan 1895.Taiwan at that time, though part of China, was considered an undeveloped area; the majority of the land was not yet cultivated. The residents were a mix of native tribes in the mountain areas who did not have a written language, poor southern Chinese immigrants who were unable to survive in mainland China, political outsiders who were exiled from the mainland, a few profiteers wanting to make quick money, and idealists seeking a different life, among others. The long term residents were mostly farmers and were divided into gangs by their ancestors’origins (i.e. what province they are from) and usually they did not have much communication between gangs. I guess it sounds like western US in 1700 - unruly, wild, and barbaric territory.Anyway, Taiwan’s climate is much warmer than both that of China and Japan, causing it to befull of tropical animals and insects, and also to be rampant with malaria, yellow fever, and numerous other tropical diseases.
The first wave of Japanese immigrants succumbed to the weather and lots of them died from disease. My mom mentioned that there was this minister’s mom who came to Taiwan from Japan and died within months.It was even rumored that the Japanese even considered returning the land to China inexchange for money. But China did not want to pay or simply lackedthe funds. Anyway, Japan decided to take advantage of the long growth season (Taiwan can harvest twice per year) and rich land and offered to pay large amounts of money to people willing to settle in Taiwan and colonize it inside out.
The first step was to improve general hygiene. Clean household waste management, pest control, immunization, water system, etc, all were heavily regulated and strongly enforced.The police would immediately come to your house and severely fine you if your property was not kept tidy and prevented the growth of pests.
Then the elemental education was enforced – the Japanese wanted a system that would keep people literate but not knowledgeable enough to rebel.Elite scholars were encouraged to study medicine, agriculture, and engineering, but not law or politics. The education system was somewhat separated.For example, in Taipei, the top two high schools for boys and girlswould only have 10% of the spots for Taiwanese.The third ranked high schools for boys and for girls were the reverse, and only 10% of the students were Japanese. The Japanese treated elite, well educated Taiwanese with great respect .
The rulings were harsh and police especially were notorious for harshpunishments, such as beatings, for minor offenses or situations where someone was in the wrong place at the wrong time.During these times, corruption was almost unheard of.Generally speaking, however,the upperand middle classes were well treated and lived a far more organized life, as long as they did not cross the line about racial issues.
The Japanese also set up a bureaucracy for population record, with each person’s birth, marriage, death, etc. well documented. That’s how they enforced education among other things, i.e. when children did not report to school at the right age, the police would come to your door for questioning.
The other areathat Japan had a great impact on wasagriculture; they improved rice and fruits. They also built some of the most sophisticated sugar plantations and harvest systems.Tobacco plants, wine/sake production, transportation infrastructure, railroads, post offices, electricity, water piping - anything you can think off of in modern day, the Japanese improved it. Remember,China under the Nationalist CKS (Chiang Kai-shin) was, on the contrary, corrupt with no infrastructure. Even after 50 years of Communist rule, some areas still were not close to 1945 Taiwan.
Japan also had a good legal system, and although it was very tough and brutal on criminals, the system worked and crime rate was lower.Japan tried to buy out middle to upper society people with social status and special treatment, butTaiwanremained a conservative feudal society.
A few stories heard from people I have known:
In 1949, lots of Mainlander soldiers (mostly uneducated) came to Taiwan. When they first observed that people could turn on the faucet and water would came out, they were in awe but had no idea what was under the ground. One went a bought a faucet and placed it on the wall, became furious and blamed the Taiwanese merchant who sold faucet.
My uncle, grandma’s younger brother, who you met when you were in Taiwan, was a governmental land survey official. He only retired in 2002 and spent some 30 years in lots of provincial record rooms, examining land survey records. He said in80% of the survey records, Taiwan’s maps were done by Japan.
My mom, as a youngster, was impressed with Japan’s teachers’ dedication and self sacrifice. She saw some of them spent their own money and time to help talented but poor Taiwanese kids get an education, most of whom would otherwise have no chance in life at all. When I was a teenager, my mom got in touch with an elementary teacher and they started communicating until the teacher’s death in her 80s. She was a common case as a girl in early 20’s, fresh out of 2-3 years of training, who came to Taiwan and taught my mom’s 4th grade class. My mom was one of her favorite students and in her letter, she mentioned mom as a “big eyed smart cute little girl”.
Overall Japan helped modernizeTaiwan, using the efficiency and determination that the Japanese are known for. I believe Taiwan would not have been able to make the great leap in the 80’s and create the economic miracle without the great infrastructure Japan left behind.
1945 -47 : great chaos , nobody rule almost
After WWII, Taiwan was returned to the Nationalists.The Nationalists were one of the most corrupt regimes. There are tons of stories to account for this. But anyhow, they took over Taiwan. Chiang (Kai-shin) initially didn’t care much about Taiwan and orderedthe brutal general Chen to govern Taiwan. Chen was arrogant, brutal, and treatedTaiwan with an iron fist. In1947 Feb 28, a great rebellion erupted among Taiwanese natives against the Nationalists. Chen used the opportunity to slaughter tens of thousands Taiwanese elite and many from TaiwanUniversity disappeared. Even when I was growing up, the 2/28 incident was a taboo subject, something you’re not supposed to talk about. 2/28 is a great symbol of Taiwan’s scars, as well asthe Nationalists’ brutality and use force against their own people.
After 2/28, Chiang tried to quiet Taiwanese people by executing Chen;however,that the Taiwanesestill resented the Nationalists in comparison with the Japanese, and even missed Japanese rule is not a doubt in everyone’s mind. Chiang still paidlittle attention to Taiwan, but with a civil war looming in the mainland between the Communists and the Nationalists, he tried to keepTaiwan at peace until 1949.
1947 – 80 : Nationalist rule, iron fist control
In 1949, Chiang and his people fled to Taiwan. His nationalists were alone with thousand mainlanders who were just minding their own lives, such as my dad.
Let’s make note the difference:Mainlanders were people born in mainland China, but not all of the ones who fled to Taiwan were Nationalist. Some were well educated and rich, whileothers were poor and illiterate. They were from all walks of life. Most thought they were superior, but not all.
Nationalists were theruling party in Chinauntil1949. Almost all of them in Taiwan were mainlanders, but after 1965, they started to absorb some Taiwanese members. They ruledTaiwanuntil late 1990, even though they’re minority in Taiwan. Their leader was Chiang Kai-Shin and his wife, Madame Chiang who was a Wellesley Alum.
Chiang was pondering returning to mainland every minute. He did not have much intention to change Taiwan, and frankly,Taiwan is much modern than the majority ofChina. He took some relatively minor steps in society, such as purchasing land from land owners with government stocks which were worthless at the time of issue but grew many times due to Taiwan’s economical growth and then rented the land to farmers. He extended education to six years for free (Japanrequired only four years and also required tuition). The education separation was broken down; students could study whatever they wanted, but in politics, Taiwan was forbidden to participate and the voting was all controlled by Nationalists.Taipeionce elected its own Mayor, but after a Taiwanese won, the Nationalists changed the rule so that Taipei’s mayor was assigned rather than elected. No dialect was allowed in school. Chiang used Communism as threat to convince people to do whatever he wanted, which enabled him to control the media, newspapers, enact martial law, jail anyone they thoughtwas a threat, and invade people’s privacy, much like how Bush use terrorism as threat to enact the patriot act.Even more interestingly enough, there were uniformed military personnel in every governmental unit, even in the high schools. This was sort of form of spying on the general population.
Only in his late years did the government posts start open to Taiwanese people. The change was slow and not until a failed assassination attempted on Chiang’s son (the president after Chiang’s death) during his visit in US (1980s) was change sped up.
Taiwan under the Nationalists was considered stable economically, but politically it was bloody and corrupt. Anybody with opposing ideaswas prosecuted.
That why there were lots of educated people (both Taiwanese and mainlanders) such as my aunt (Taiwanese) & her husband (mainlander), who became disillusioned came to US from Taiwan. They were the first wave of “brain drain” in Taiwan, which occurred from 1960 all the way to 1980. Even when I was small, my mom and dad would say just be quietand don’t get involved in politics; study hard and go to the US after college, then you will be free to say whatever is on your mind.
But in the beginning of the Nationalists’ rule, Taiwan was in turmoil due to the hatred of two groups of people. With minority owning force and power,China was about to invade Taiwan any day.The US under Truman presidency was angry and disappointed with Chiang, and refused to provide assistance. But fortunately for Chiang, the Korean War broke out and both Japan and Taiwanbecame important spots.The US resumed financial aid and assistance to Taiwan. Then the Vietnam War lingered for decades.Taiwan was enriched from the wars and sharp business minds of little persons. Just look at China today. The world situation also benefitedTaiwan. During the Cold War, the close ties with Japan all helpedTaiwan’s growth.
My mom was a rare case to marry a mainlander in her generation, especially because she was so well educated. All her friend thought she betrayedTaiwan and reminded her of 2/28.
She and lots of her generation thought that if after WWII, Taiwan was governed by a neutral force such as Yokinawa rather than returned to China,Taiwan would be much better off today, free of all that turmoil and chaos today. But you and I would not be in this world.
1980 – 90 : Nationalist starting losing power & grip.
As Taiwan became more well off, people were more informed about the world and started pondering the situation and future of Taiwan.Taiwan lost its UN seat in the late 1960s. Lost diplomatic relationship with US and rest of the world, with the exception ofSouth Africa (nobody wanted to befriend them for many years). The Nationalists could no longer control Taiwanwith a heavy hand and things start to change.The speed picked up once it gain momentum, talks with China started, communication began, visitation was allowed…….the Nationalists started to lose in elections……..the train was unstoppable.
90 – now : new challenge & uncertain future
This is anybody's guess. We're all concerned about it but find it hard to keep a fair judgment. We want Taiwan to gain independence, but it is highly unlikely with China’s threat. I personally have been harboring strong resentment toward the Nationalists; even though they’re Taiwanized now, I still have strong doubts. Every party in power shows some corruption…It is sad to see what will happen in the future.