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Paper short abstract:

This paper traces the images of the Overseas Chinese in Taiwan. Studies of Overseas Chinese early after-war Taiwan deal with Overseas Chinese as the ROC population. After the Taiwanization, the studies on Overseas Chinese became multifaceted. Hybrid ambivalent nature of them starts to be discussed.

Paper long abstract:

Studies on overseas Chinese or Chinese overseas after-war Taiwan are investigated around the axis of national identity of Republic of China (ROC) or the Taiwan identity. Contrary to the previous studies in which I demonstrated the ways how overseas Chinese connect themselves to Taiwan, in this study I try to explore the ways the studies both of the academic field in Taiwan and of the Japan academy which focuses on Taiwan locate the issue of Overseas Chinese in their research. Overseas Chinese are always recognized as an ambivalent entity in terms of the nation building either of ROC or of Taiwan. They should be included as one of the population of ROC but will be excluded from the localized political entity of Taiwan.

Studies of Overseas Chinese early after-war Taiwan deal with them as one of the national population of ROC. Especially academies depict the Overseas Chinese from Myanmar or northern Thailand in the relationship with KMT. Even some of the ethnic minorities who moved to Taiwan are surveyed by anthropologist in this framework. After the Taiwanization of ROC, however, the studies on Overseas Chinese became more multifaceted. Creole and hybrid nature of Overseas Chinese, the transnational networks of re-migrants or the ambivalent identity of Overseas Chinese start to be discussed.

This paper traces the diachronic variation of the image of the Overseas Chinese both in Taiwan and in Japan. And it further tries to locate it in relation to the pursuit of identity construction of ROC or Taiwan.