Contested Memories of the Past: The Politics of History Textbooks in Taiwan

Abstract

A Japanese colony from 1895 to 1945, and then a retreat for the defeated Nationalist government beginning in 1949, Taiwan has been struggling to find its identity. Remnants of this identity crisis can be seen in political realm, with its extreme polarization on various social, political, and historical issues. This article explores the ongoing textbook controversy in Taiwan, situating it in evolving domestic and international contexts. It suggests that Taiwan society’s representation of its colonial and Cold War past is highly contested, which was influenced by democratization. It attempts to provide an overview of the course of the textbook controversy in Taiwan from a historical perspective, and to show the reactions from educators, students, and the general public. Through an analysis of the different ways that Taiwan’s history was interpreted and represented in its history textbooks, this article shows how these factors help construct Taiwan’s contested identity.