• Taiwanese History
    • Taiwan was initially settled by aboriginals, but in the 11th/12th century, the Han Chinese began settling the island
    • Taiwan was considered a small region of the Qing dynasty, and by 1895, the island was ceded to Japan
    • 1945 - Taiwan is returned to China after Japanese defeat in WW2
    • 1949-1987 - Long period of martial law known as the “White Terror”
    • Taiwan, thus, is an island that has been ruled by multiple people and “tossed around” instead of being giving its own independence
      • This leads to an inherent sense of sadness, as Taiwan is never allowed to be a sovereign state
    • Linguistic oppression was common in Taiwan as the ruling party changed multiple times
      • Seen in HTLS when Charles talks about his mother teaching him English despite it being her “distant third language”
    • Currently, America supports a One China Policy where Taiwan and China are one country and that the issue is an internal matter
      • Known as strategic ambiguity
      • Still provides support to Taiwan as if it were an independent nation (naval support)
    • As China grows in power, fewer and fewer countries recognize Taiwan’s sovereignty
      • Creates issues due to the fact that Taiwan is actively shunned from the international discussion, such as how to COVID-19 outbreaks
    • Taiwan now relies on its semiconductor industry in order to maintain its economic independence (“Silicon Shield”)
      • Perhaps this is the way to “live safely in a science fiction universe”; to create a world that depends on you in order to establish yourself
  • Charles Yu as a Taiwanese-American
    • Yu is an open supporter of the Taiwanese democratic party and of Taiwanese sovereignty
    • Argues in HTLS that the sadness of Charles and his father is inherited from their Taiwanese ancestors
      • The characters in the novel are unable to choose their own path, to “self-determine” their futures, much like how Taiwan cannot have self-determination
      • The ending of HTLS is indicative of this
        • In Appendix A, Charles says, “Enjoy the elastic present, which can accommodate as little or as much as you want to put in there” which is a resolution of the Taiwanese story - Taiwan, who is currently under Chinese control, must make its own future out of the present