Reply #91: Re: demographic profile [View All]

[mallard]

The indigenous population of Taiwan is generally considered in the same regional grouping with Malays (akin to Philippine/Indo) and gets divided into about 11 sub-groups, each with a unique language background. In the south, the Paiwan and Rukai are especially close to the tribes of Northern Luzon. Some words of the (largest and most widely dispersed) Tayal language are consistent with the original Malay trade lingo - including the numbers.

The natives of Taiwan now account for about one percent of the total population and are the only (significant) groups of non-Chinese to hold citizenship. They are legally identified as "Yen Dzu Ming" (sons of the land or 'bumiputra').

Along the west coast where there are no 'natives' to speak of
(Lukang/Peikang/Tainan) variations among the oldest local (immigrant) families show clear inter-mixing with western (Portugese) settlers, but these people are counted now as 100% Chinese.

Taiwan is already a part of the Chinese nation and it's the Taiwanese themselves who never get credit for having achieved this gradually over the past 350 years. There are no reservations for them about being called "Chinese".

Thanks for asking.