TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwanese singer Bell Chung (鍾綺) said people who do not care about being called Chinese instead of Taiwanese do not represent all Taiwanese, SETN reported Monday.
Speaking in a social media video, Chung said a new friend told her many Taiwanese seemed not to care about their national identity. Chung said she was upset to hear that some Taiwanese appeared indifferent to being called Chinese, especially because she feels hurt when Taiwan’s identity is ignored.
Chung said she was not ashamed of being Taiwanese. She said she felt ashamed of people who were unwilling to recognize where they came from.
She said she could not understand why some people would reject the place where they were born and raised. Chung said this was why she made the video with both Chinese and English subtitles.
Chung asked international viewers not to assume that people who are indifferent to being called Chinese speak for all Taiwanese. She said many people in Taiwan clearly know who they are and are proud of their identity.
“Please do not think they represent all of us,” Chung said in English. She said many Taiwanese are proud of Taiwan and want others to understand that.
FTV News reported that many viewers said they understood her frustration and thanked her for speaking out. Some said Taiwanese overseas often avoid discussing identity to prevent conflict, while others said the issue remains complicated by history and politics.
Chung is a Taiwanese singer who blends pop, R&B, soul, and jazz with Taiwanese-language music. She recently told Taiwan News that Taiwanese is “home” and said she hopes to help turn Taiwanese music into “T-pop,” giving it a distinct place in global music.
