Hey O ,
Can anyone who knows or fit this description share your experience?
Description:
A Taiwanese not an ABC and has no dual citizenship,was not raised here but had to end up living here due to circumstances. The locals treat you like you were raised here and your bad command of written mandarin makes you look like an illiterate while your English is good but not at the level of a “LAO WAI/ABC” do you suffer from an identity crisis?
Yes I do
I have no freaking idea what country I am from because of that. To Americans I’m not American enough because I’m not a US citizen or whatever, and to a Taiwanese since I can’t write Chinese well I am not Chinese enough.
I don’t end up doing a losing business of making guitars because I want to. I mean I like making guitars but the market is so small that I would be lucky to have one commission a year unless I seriously undersell myself (because my name isn’t Gibson so somehow my guitars are worth less). But it’s better than working at 7-11 because I really don’t know what other jobs I could possibly take where my inability to write Chinese or understand the Taiwanese dialect wouldn’t be a problem. I can’t teach English because not only I’m not white, but I’m not even a people person so if a friend who runs a school wouldn’t hire me because I’m not charismatic enough, what makes you think a random Taiwanese boss would?
So it kinda sucks to be honest with you. I would have rather my parents stayed in Taiwan rather than take me to the states and doing it wrong.
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Thanks for the share, I feel for your struggles kinda in the same boat.
Pro tip; don’t write “fellow mates” it’s just bizarro.
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My eyes read that as “fellow inmates.”
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Omg I forgot about the ABT condom thread 
Don’t exactly fit that description, though I can certainly relate to some of the challenges.
I don’t know how true this is but my dad said that people see any Taiwanese who goes to the US to immigrate and comes back as failures. It means they messed up so have to come back.
So this may explain why almost nobody on Forumosa are Taiwanese Americans… Even if they hate it in the states they can’t come back because thats seen as loss of face…
The national pride must be really low to think moving to Taiwan is a failure.
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I dunno about all that. It seems a number of ABTs go to the states/Canada/Europe, get their education, come back, and then manage to land a good job with a higher than average salary.
Yea it’s so low it’s sickening.
My parents talk about China’s 5000 year history and then doesn’t want to live in the lands of our ancestors… plus America is not all that good anymore and opportunities are drying up, not to mention lack of affordable healthcare and support.
The one that bothers me the most is people ask
‘Why do you move to Taiwan?’
Most are bewildered by my replies.
Why not?
Cause I like Taiwan. Do I need a reason?
For them there must be a reason, even if they do it subconciously, nobody in the right mind would willingly move here. I’ve gotten into fights over my answer. I refuse to make myself look temporary or make moving to Taiwan a chore when I’m not.
If you’re asking why, you need a reason or you won’t do it.
If you’re asking why not, you need a reason to not do it.
Why not live in Taiwan?
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Truthfully Taiwan is better for those who aren’t super rich to be able to buy and maintain a car. The US sucks in this regard and car problem is the biggest source of unexpected expenses, many people struggle financially in the US because of their car and that they really need it but they’re also a huge money sink. It’s great to not have that money sink living in Taiwan. My only problem is the Taiwanese attitude, lack of national pride, and the bosses’ attitude here that makes working for anyone a nightmare.
Problem is many Taiwanese don’t see America’s money sink (car and healthcare) as a negative because they think if you can afford their money sink then you are rich and if you can’t it means you’re poor so must depend on social systems America lacks. So in their mind Taiwanese who return do so because they can’t make it there and therefore they are a problem or are lazy.
Maybe this is why some of the older working class Taiwanese are easier to talk with because they have national pride and don’t think America is the solution to all of their problems.
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I think everyone knows it’s difficult to stay in the US (or other countries) if you don’t have a green card. I hardly ever hear anyone say this.
Usually the most people would ask is if you have tried to find a job there and that’s a pretty normal question.
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You do not be super rich to own a car in the States or the NZ where I also live. In California there are mostly immigrants that are low income drive a car. They may not be legal there (Many States issued Drivers Lic. for non legal residents which call non REAL ID but valid to drive), I see cleaners and gardeners with cars to get to their jobs. Also on average Asian American out earn other ethnic groups and can buy cars with no problem with their incomes. I am ethnic Asian-Western (but not Taiwanese) and see no problems living in the States or NZ. As far in Taiwan, lots Taiwanese who study or work the come back and do well. Just look at TSMC’s CEO and others, you will see they got experience overseas (education too) and came back (to Taiwan) and did even better. Or look at HonHai’s CEO’s , went to the states to find customers , bought an old car with little cash and drove around the states for months to get customers and now look him and his company many years later. There many others that come here do well enough so it depends a lot on the person. I would say look all the advantages you may have (multi lingual and cultural) and use it and be shy do your dreams maybe.
It’s not Bizarro, Aussies use “Mates” a lot as do people in the UK and NZ. If you said this in NZ/AU/England , they think or may say 'ugly American"
“Fellow mates.”