To be clear, that means you have no buyer’s remorse about giving up your U.S. citizenship, considering that it’s an irreversible decision?
That’s right. Though if I had desired to do so, I might have applied for and received U.S. citizenship in the time since.
Sure, but that would involve having to actually live in the U.S. for a number of years. 
Yes, it would have.
Fair enough. I do not know either of you personally, but admire your writings. Since you are a kind of trailblazer for us, I hope you will continue to make your voice heard. (Realizing that it must be mildly disconcerting that later generations will not have to make the sacrifices you did.)
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Im fond of Taiwan in a lot of ways, but does anyone really see this place as “Open, Progressive and free” ?
Maybe I spend too much time reading Taiwanese comments sections so find it hard to relate, but it seems like the guy has been in a 17 year honeymoon period. Or possibly he has been living in an academic bubble
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Weird as like I told you, my classmate was actually offered to go this route. His credentials in terms of time and assets are no different from this guy’s.
I think someone who has been here 17 years should know that:
- You do not go with the first answer ONE government official gives. Official info changes as the phases of the moon or the direction of teh wind, and waht you are told is based on the astrological signs and what the official had for lunch.
In summary, you ask in several places several times. That is something you learn quickly here.
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You need guanxi. Especially in MOE. But relying on your boss for help and what someone apparently told him is not reliable. No matter how good the relationship is, what matters are the boss best interests. In that case, you try a higher authority.
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Seems to me he gave up pretty easily. If you really want it, follow the Taiwanese rules, not “how it is supposed to be cause I’m Merican”.
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Taiwan has certainly progressed since I first came here (1988), although of course it is no utopia, and I see many areas that could be improved. Freedom House counts it as “free,” and they do take care how they use that word.
Free , I agree. Should have highlighted the open, progressive and equitable bit.
I mean it’s ok, but Taiwan isn’t Denmark or anything. Seems like this guy was somewhat delusional anyway
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I think you are behind your news. More than 20 years ago, Taiwanese captains killed those under their command and threw them overboard, or when a ship was damaged and could not be salvaged, just left the crew locked without passports, food or water in a strange port. They did this because they could.
Nowadays there is a budding union of foreign fishermen. Most Taiwanese society still looks down on South East Asian workers and laborers and home companions, and you stil find places wher ethey are locked in a shed, like in my neighborhood. that their pleas fall in deaf ears is a big karma sin and human right violation that cannot be forgotten by those of us in more priviliged positions.
Interesting as I was told this was the way it used to be before. ID cards handed out like candy…to some. But many restrictions on others.
Again, allow the right people in… based on what criteria? I told you I was suspicious of this.
Moreover, on behalf of many Taiwan born who cannot have ROC citizenship due to that arbitrary age limit cut many years ago - a la Tommy and too many others - if they want to open a portal, do so to help those with Taiwan ancestry that have been locked out.
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Yeah it’s criminal people like Tommy are not granted citizenship.
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for people born here or just people with taiwan blood?
Let’s start with those with foreign fathers and local Taiwan mother’s who were locked out when the change came. Not all benefited, as Tommy per example. The leeway given was not enough. Since this law changed and people with -gasp- foreign fathers can be citizens of ROC, please give them expedited double nationality.
Maybe, in my fantasy land, someday, somehow, the kids who have been born here to foreign parents but lived 20 years or nmore and who are as fluent in taiwanese as any market ama and as knowledgeable in Mandarin as their peers, might be given a chance to stay as citizens and not given the boot and end up separated from their families.
For starters.
I probably AM behind the times, but here’s a story like that from 2016:
So let’s agree it is bad, used to be worse, and when they can, they do try try to get away with murder.
Meanwhile in Ireland, https://www.google.nl/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/global-development/2017/feb/08/irish-trawlers-abuses-migrant-workers
Look, if you decide to settle in Taiwan, you benefit from being an outsider. In many instances, especially in your 20s, you are provided with opportunities you might have not been able to obtain in the home country. You are exotic and are taking advantage of this. I am not saying I dont think it should be easier to get citizenship -- I do. And if the goofballs in the bureaucracy want to make Taiwan international and the operations centre they always claim in their shitty marketing literature -- they would liberalize like a mfucker. But we know they will not. With apart from Singapore, where internationalization has been force fed to sceptical locals with fear/fines, most Asian cultures will resist. If you want liberal laws on immigration, you should live and work in Europe or certain counties in the Americas.
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I’m a bit late, but Japan does not recognize taiwan as a nation, so its citizenship too. Without another citizenship, the government doesn’t allow to renounce the Japanese nationality. I can’t find a webpage mentioning this now, though.
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I believe that is correct, they won’t allow you to renounce and become stateless. That is why the renunciation was at the Japan embassy in US because they assume you are a US citizen.