Taiwanese Identity and the Memories of 2-28: a Case for Political Reconciliation

This article examines how the native Taiwanese identity has been formulated in the 20th century, and how this identity affects the relations between the native Taiwanese and Mainlander minorities. During the Kuomintang’s (KMT) authoritarian rule on Taiwan, Mainlanders considered themselves distinct and enjoyed more privileges than the natives. The 2-28 Massacre of 1947 and the following oppressive policies toward the natives by the KMT regime reinforced the distrust and animosity between native Taiwanese and Mainlanders. This article finds that it is very difficult to achieve reconciliation and rebuild a common identity among all groups in Taiwan, as neither the KMT nor the following government of the Democratic Progressive Party was able to build a new Taiwanese identity on the basis of ethnic reconciliation. Yet efforts by both sides to uncover the truth and seek justice about the Massacre have made progress. Taiwan’s attainment of “transitional justice” appears in the later part of the article.