National Library Bibliothèque nationale du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Oîtawa ON KI A ON4 Ottawa ON KIA ON4 Canada Canada Yom fi& Votre référence Our 6& Notre réfdrence The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sell reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microfoxm, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/^, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fkom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels rnay be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. Abstract This study is about why and how Taiwanese immigrants construct their cultural identie through public festivals within Canadian multicultural Society. The study stems from intrigue with prevailing practices in art education, both those characterizing Chinese as a homogeneous ethnic group and those viewing Chinese culture as a static tradition. Analyzing cultural representation organized by the Taiwanese comrnunity, 1 argue that ethnic cultural festivals are not only a site where immigrants inquire into cultural identity, but &O a creative response to the receiving society's social context. This study does not ask what Taiwanese culture is, but how it is constructed in Canada. The Taiwanese studied are immigrants who came with a colonial history and a particular political experience. Two of their cultural festivals demonstrate how the selectivity of cultural production reveals the immigrants' view of themselves, and how they wish to be seen. The Taiwanese Cultural Festival and the Lunar New Year Festival reflect identity construction achieved through the dynamics of choosing and narning cultural elements which are important to them. Interview data provided by the festivals' organizers and participants suggest that cultural identity is a creative response to the multicultural context. In order to juste their place in the Canadian mosaic, the Taiwanese emphasize their differences IÏom other Chinese descendants. Difference is a signifier for Taiwanese to select fiom a variety of ethnic markers and to interpret their colonial past. The Taiwanese Cultural Festival asserts Taiwanese particularity, congruent with a socio-political consciousness of the native land. The traditional Lunar New Year Festival is a cultural statement that reflects immigrant parents and children reaching out to other Canadians. Both festivals intend to promote cross-cultural understanding among the general public and the festivals' end products are a showcase of ethnic representations. For the immigrants themselves, 1find that education happens during the process of constructing the festivals, thereby interpreting cultural heritage through inquiring into their past. In a multicultural society, festivals are intensive sites raising questions about cultural identity and social place. Canada, largely composed of immigrants, is a place where ethnic groups fiorn different parts of the world coexist. It is a global village in miniature, where ethnic and cultural identities are becomuig a heated topic. The case of Taiwanese festivals in Canada demonstrates the selective process establishing cultural traditions and the complexities of identity formation. Particularity is emphasized in order to become a member of a multicultural society. The assertion of dserences allows post-colonial subjects to bd their past and search for means to live in the present. For Noah American multicuftural educators, this suggests a range of post-colonial issues and the need for an awareness arnongst educators of the evolving nature of cultural tradition at the nemis of Western cultural impact and immigration experiences. iii Table of Contents A~STRAC~................. ....-... ..... ........................................................................................................... II TABLEOF CONTENTS.............................................................................................. S.S..........................~ ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS................................................................................................................ .........VI DEDICATION.................................................................................................................................. VII CHAPlCER ONE: INTRODUCTION ........................................................................... .............. 1 BACKGROUNDOF THE STUDY................................................................................................................ 4 The evolving dejïnition of culture .................................................................................................. 4 Multicultural art education pracrice ............................................................................................... 8 Multicultural art. .education and ethnic comunities ..................................................................... II Ethnic communrhes and cultural festivals ..................................................................................... 12 LEADINGQUESTIONS .......................................................................................................................... 14 THEPURPOSE OF THE STUDY............................................................................................................... 19 RESEARCH M~THODS.......................................................................................................................... 20 THESIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY....................................................................................................... 21 THELIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY........................................................................................................ 23 OVERVIEWOF THE STUDY................................................................................................................ 25 CHAPTER TWO: ETHNIC RELATIONS AND DIASPORA IDENTITY: AN ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK .................... ....................... .................................................................................... 27 THEORETICALPOSITIONS ON ETHNICRELATIONS ................................................................................ 28 Park, Blumer and Symbolic Inreractionism ................................................................................... 28 Edward Said. Orienralism. and Imperialism ..................... ... ..................................................... 31 Homi Bhaba and Border Theory .................................................................................................. 34 Diaspora identity and the politics of diflerence.................................................................. 37 IN THE CONTEMPORARYCIUNESE DIASPORA.................... ..... ....,., .................................... 41 CHAP'IXR mE:SOCIAL CONTE= OF TAIWANESE IMMIGRANTS IN VANCOUVER .. 47 Soao-POLITICALHISTORY OF TAIWAN.............................................................................................. -48 Phase 1: Taiwan as a land of Southeast Chinese immigrants ..................................................... 48 Phase 2: Taiwan as a Japunese colony (1895- I945)..................................................................... 50 Phase 3: Taiwan as a post-colonial society (i945-1949)............................................................... 51 Phase 4: Taiwan as a one-pany ruling srare (1945-1987)......................................................... 52 Phase 5: Taiwan as a posr-modern socieiy (1987-present).......................................................... 56 TAIWANESE~~~IGRANTS INVANCOUVER ........................................................................................... 60 The senior group ........................... ,.., .......................................................................................... 62 The intellectual exiles and new business immigrants..................................................................... 63 The young urban professional generation ..................................................................................... 66 THE TAIWANESE-CANADIANCULTURAL SOCIETY ........................................................................... 68 TCCS relation to local Chinese communities .................... ..... ................................................. 68 TCCS relation with the Taiwanese Nationalist governrnent... ..................................................... 71 Structure of the TCCS ............................................................................................................ 71 The Purpose of TCCS................................................................................................................... 72 S UMMARY .................................................................................................................................... -77 CHAPTER FOUR: RESEARCH METHODS TEROUGH A TAIWANESE LENS................ .., ....... 79 EXPERIENCEAS A STANDPOMT.......................