Taiwan: Plurality on a Changing Island

Abstract

The following essay was written as my culminating project for a three-week intensive course in Taipei, Taiwan, taught by Dr. Lauren Collins in summer 2023. As someone who is deeply fascinated by how collective identities are (re)constructed, and for whom visiting this picturesque island was a long-term dream, this global seminar (titled Memory & the Politics of Heritage in Taiwan) was the perfect opportunity. I owe many thanks to the Tang Fund, whose generous scholarship made my participation on the program possible. The essay itself is based on the prompt “What does it mean to be Taiwanese?”, investigated by analyzing photos of interest that I collected over the program’s duration.