« Taiwan Journal of Political Science No.18Publish: 2003/06

Beyond Resistance and Compliance: A Study of the Home Rule Movement in Taiwan under Japanese ruled

Author: Tsui-lien Chen

Abstract / Chinese PDF Download

The dichotomy of “resistance vs. compliance” frequently is applied in previousresearch on Taiwanese political movement during Japanese-ruled period. People whodidn’t  apparently  revolt  against  the  colonizer  were  classified  subservient.  Suchdichotomous  practice  too  simplifies  the  relationship  between  the  colonizer  and  thecolonized.  During  mid  Japanese-ruled  period,  the  Home  Rule  Movement  not  onlyresisted colonial oppression, but also obeyed the colonizer’s rules as well. Struggledfor the rights that a Japanese has, it further request to sustain particularity of Taiwan.This is a typical phenomenon of “hybridity”.This  paper  explores  ambivalent  relationship  between  the  colonizer  and  thecolonized   inside   the   Home   Rule   Movement.   Advocators   of   the   Movementappropriated   the   colonizer’s   discourses,   such   as   self-governing,   civilization,humanism. With such effort, the Movement promoted rights and status of Taiwanese.During  that  period,  internal  conflict  resulted  in  Taiwanese’  cleavage,  while  mutualfriendship were gradually built through amicable interacting like Japanese supportfor reformation. The colonizer and the colonized became interpenetrated.In  addition  to  explore  diversified  countenance  under  colonized  Taiwan,  thepaper  also  addresses  confinement  of  the  Movement  incurred  by  coppying  thecolonizer’s discourses.

Keywords:anti-colonial struggle、assimilation、hybridity.、the Home Rule Movement