Changing Identities in Taiwan under Ma Ying-jeou

Taiwan’s democratization has directly contributed to the emergence of Taiwanese identity and Taiwan nationalism. In spite of Ma Ying-jeou’s attempt between 2008 and 2016 to restore a more traditional Chinese and Republic of China (ROC) cultural and political identity, the Taiwanese civic identity has continued to consolidate. Ms. Tsai Ing-wen’s election and the DPP’s return to power in 2016 have confirmed this overarching trend. But at the same time, we are witnessing a diversification of the ways to be Taiwanese, leading some to associate their identity with the local culture, the building of a new Taiwanese nation and the quest for formal independence from China and others to accommodate their identity with a democratized, sovereign and de facto independent ROC on Taiwan.