It seems like there are some misconceptions about what it is actually like to become a Taiwanese.
Many (but not all) of foreigners in Taiwan seem to have the perception of “once a foreigner always a foreigner.” For those of us who have finished the whole process to become Taiwanese know that this is not true.
Taiwan is very welcoming to those who have become a Taiwanese. In fact they are often humbled by the fact that I have renounced and then amused when I tell them of how quickly I could resume my Australian citizenship.
At my work, all of my coworkers talk to me and treat me as if I am a Taiwanese and not a foreigner. Those who don’t know simply by the way I look are simply reminded.
As for the old adage that many foreigners have of kids calling you a waigoren on the street… No this doesn’t make me feel like a non-Taiwanese or have a spout of depression or anger (as some have said before). In fact it makes me grateful of the fact that I am one of a few non Han Chinese people who have finished the process and become a Taiwanese.
Well. I haven’t done the process yet, but I’ve seen you go through the process and since attaining your Taiwaneseness, you’ve started chewing binlang and driving blue trucks erratically.
I’m not surprised; I had many conversations over the years with locals expressing surprise that I didn’t have a shenfenzhen and that it was problematic to become a citizen as an American.
I think that’s it. They just think household registration is a thing everyone has. It’s just one of those “obvious” facts of life that it turns out is not so obvious.
I’ve had a lot of people respond with a bit of surprise that it’s impossible for me to get HHR here without becoming a citizen first, and then it finally dawns on them why it’s a problem that so many trivial things are tied to HHR.
Taiwan needs to follow Japan’s initiative here and open up household registration for foreigners…. but I guess then the government needs to come up with a new way to separate “Taiwan Area” citizens from all the “Mainland Area” and overseas nationals.
As in I am no longer constantly asked questions like “do you like stinky tofu?” Or asked “did you try the night market?” Now it is mostly non existent and if someone does try to ask it I would have someone butt in and inform them that I am actually a Taiwanese.
My eyes and hair became black. I shrunk by a few inches. My skin darkened to caramel. I now find myself riding my scooter down Miaoli City with a cigarette in one hand and Binlang in my mouth. I lost the ability to speak English and can now only read and write. My mother is about to move in so I can fund her retirement while I work minimum wage. I find myself becoming obsessed with the US and think the US is the highest standard of a country.
I am unrecognisable to people who knew me before I became Taiwanese
