Sandy, how is the boy only half Taiwanese? Isn't he full Taiwanese and full Scottish, albeit a dual citizen?
If I am not full Taiwanese, how is your wife or any of her relations full Taiwanese? Somewhere along the line one of them immigrated here, unless (and I admit, I don't know anything about her ancestry) they're full on Aboriginals. Or is it a matter of how long ago the family moved here? Is being a "real" Taiwanese a matter of having or not having an epicanthic fold, black hair and dark brown eyes?
Which brings me back to how in the world am I South African? Sure, I was born there, but I know many Saffas that were born in Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia), Malawi, Mozambique or Swaziland (all white, some black), but none of them are Zimbabwean, Malawian, Mozambican or Swazi. They're all South African.
My father was born in England, his father in Scotland. Why am I considered by you as a South African, but not English or Scottish instead of Taiwanese? I do not hold South African or British citizenship (I do not have dual citizenship, only Taiwanese citizenship), I do not have a South African or British passport. I do imagine in some way I would qualify for both, but in order to actually get either would require a sacrifice in time and finances that I'm unwilling to make and which would be much more steep and difficult than when I acquired Taiwanese citizenship. So even on that measure I'm more Taiwanese than British or South African as it was easier to get a Taiwanese passport than either of the other two would be.
As to the others I mentioned:
1. Ma Ying Jiu - Born in a foreign country, Hong Kong. So why is he our president and considered Taiwanese? Isn't he a Hong Konger?
2. Ang Lee - Born in Tainan, but he's a naturalized American and his parents immigrated from China. How is he considered Taiwanese and I'm not? As he has dual citizenship, which I don't, and we both have foreign born parents.
3. Jeremy Lin - Interesting case. Born and raised in the US, no Taiwanese citizenship, ID or household registration, and he can't speak Chinese or Taiwanese (well, he can say a few grammatically shite words and sentences). But he's considered Taiwanese by many.
Why this double standard? Is it because I'm white? That would be ironic as in South Africa the majority also thinks that makes you "not a real South African". Is it that I was born elsewhere (but then why are Jeremy Lin and Ma Ying Jiu considered Taiwanese)? Is it because I'm not famous or ethnic Han (in which case, what about the Aboriginals, SE Asian immigrants, "half foreign" kids etc)?
And most odd of all, why is it that in the last two years only seven people have voiced the opinion that I'm not really Taiwanese but still South African (even though I don't hold their citizenship, passport and wouldn't be able to get any help from their consular office, and it would take years and international relocation to get it), yet that seven were:
1. Six foreigners, yourself included. Five of which were angry South Africans, one of which called me a race traitor.
2. One was a Taiwanese woman who is a naturalized New Zealander. She, at first, had no problems with it, but when she lost an argument on an aspect of local culture lashed out with, "You're not a real Taiwanese anyway." Kind of like a Southern hick who loses an intellectual discussion with a black guy and lashes out by calling him a slave or a nigger to vent his frustration and anger, which is then just basically showing how that person is inherently a racist and not to be taken seriously anyway.
So, I asked:
Bismarck wrote:
What exactly is your dubious definition of "a Taiwanese"?
As for myself, I am not South African. Or do you have a different definition of "a South African" from myself, and indeed the South African government? Please pray tell, how am I a South African?
Because (and as I said before, I am giving you the benefit of the doubt),
in my experience, people who insist I'm not really Taiwanese and/or I'm actually South African are either:
1. Racist - Me not being ethnic Han/Asian
2. Ignorant - Forgetting that apart from less than 1 million Aboriginals, everyone here is an immigrant, only the time of entry differs.
3. Fearful/Jealous - Because they can't or won't do what is necessary to immigrate (largely Saffas fall into this category, although they're also likely partly 1 and/or 2 above)
4. Trying to get a rise out of me.