| Abstract |
This paper examines the memoirs of several Liudui Hakka individuals to consider how the experience of moving from Taiwan to central China during the Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) led to a new outlook on life and a new sense of identity. Prior to the war, the Liudui Hakka had been living in Taiwan for hundreds of years; though they sometimes migrated to central China during this time, they seldom made a serious attempt to integrate themselves with their surroundings. During the war, however, they could no longer afford to remain so isolated, for they had a compelling need to secure a livelihood. To make ends meet, some of them passed themselves off as “Cantonese Chinese,” which allowed them work in Nanjing and Shanghai, then under the control of Wang Jingwei’s pro-Japanese Reformed Government of the Republic of China. Others referred to themselves as “Japanese of Taiwan,” so that they could tap into the social network of Japanese Taiwanese and work in various local Japanese organizations. No matter what identity they assumed, however, life was not easy for the Liudui Hakka during the war. Tracing the overseas experiences of the Liudui Hakka helps to enrich our understanding of Taiwan's history from an ethnic perspective. |
