● SS ●
By Susan Shen
(Taiwan)
Editor's note:
As a mother, educator, and academic, Susan Shen epitomizes grace-in-action. All those sharing the privilege of her company continually find themselves informed and galvanized, and her contribution to those lives and others are indicative of the Decolonial Turn taken into actionable effect.
I BELIEVE THAT DECOLONIALITY – an idea and movement originating from a group of Latin American philosophers – calls people to find their true identity rather than worshipping dominant western culture, knowledge, and values. However, with Decoloniality, no one set monarch exists; instead, the "colony" to be decolonized is the invisible hegemony we all develop individually in our heads.
Upon first hearing the term 'Decoloniality,' I immediately thought 'colony.' Taiwan is no stranger to 'colony'. Having been subjected to five decades of Japanese colonial rule, some Taiwanese can still recall those heady colonial days. My grandparents, for example, lived under Japanese colonial rule. They often remarked about how safe things were was back then because the Japanese held no mercy for criminal behavior. This notion of peace through stability was passed down to their children and then on to me.
Since I was a child, I have taken "Made-in-Japan" as a quality label. I studied Japanese simply because I was fascinated by Japanese fashion magazines and drama shows. My parents never questioned my behavior because they believed there was nothing wrong with it. However, with the reality that Taiwanese were tortured and massacred during Japanese colonial times becoming public knowledge, I had no choice but to reevaluate my perceptions and ideas concerning Japanese culture and intentions.
Taiwan is no longer a Japanese colony. With that distant past receding more by the day, I find my contemplations regarding Japanese influence is – and has never been – a black or white affair. Regarding Japanese impact, I also think to myself: do I need to choose a side, a set way of thinking? My grandparents embraced Japanese culture because they were given a chance to see its "modern" and "advanced" aspects during their lives. This was particularly true for my grandfather. As an elementary school teacher, he had to change his last name to a Japanese name, which offered him more leeway in assisting the community. Then post-Japanese occupation, he became an elementary school principal and was co-opted by the ROC government to start a new public school from scratch. As a man in his late thirties, my grandfather had no training for this other than his life experience. The only knowledge he had about developing a school – whether it be hardware, curriculum, or other – was from what he'd learned during the Japanese occupation.
This reality is why my grandfather appreciated Japanese culture and knowledge. His embrace of their values and skills worked for him and his students until he passed away in his seventies. This is also why my grandfather could actively ignore the crueler side of history. To survive and care for a large family, he made his choice to embrace and yield to Japanese culture despite him possibly having been called a traitor.
This family photo shows my grandfather with family in 1941 when Taiwan was still a Japanese colony. My grandfather is dressed in Japanese clothing that most teachers wore at the time, while some of my aunts wore yukatas, which are casual yet traditional forms of Japanese clothing.
My grandfather's experience and Decoloniality have taught me that denying or rejecting the dominant culture or power is not always necessary. Instead, it can be learned from and, in a sense, offer a form of productive assimilation. Having received my higher education degree in the United States, I am grateful for the opportunity to have seen different worlds and learned what differing perspectives exist. Had I not chosen the US, I could have studied in Japan, and in doing so, fulfilled my father's plan while actively embracing what he considered to be the most advanced culture in the world.
My most important mission now is to understand who and what I am via multiple perspectives. I am one hundred percent Taiwanese, albeit raised and nurtured under Japanese and American influences. I understand the strategic need to "surrender" to certain ideologies when necessary; I must possess and utilize the flexibility to accept and go with the flow. Through this ongoing learning process, I must value my Taiwanese heritage and, via active 'assimilation', strive for a productive balance that benefits me and those around me. By doing this, I hope my daughter will grow up equally (or even more) open-minded than I am. After all, she will constantly be searching for her true self and what she believes. And when my daughter finds herself comfortable and not struggling to fit in, she would have realized her version of 'Decoloniality'. In doing this – like us all – she will be on the path to living a freer, 'decolonized' existence.
Questions for Reflection:
Susan's submission resonates with the idea of 'assimilating', first with present context before devising future paths. This appears to warrant a necessary period of introspection – an 'identity watch', perhaps – the nature of which is incumbent upon whoever undertakes it. With introspection in mind, how can you facilitate time to know yourself (and hence extended community) better? What changes can you make to become a more holistic, effective human being for those who can benefit from your person?