Activists revive Taiwan language

A native Taiwanese language is undergoing a revival after more than a century of diminishing use. The disappearance of Tâi-gí, a variety of Hokkien, “is tied to a long history of colonization,” The Dial wrote. When Taiwan came under Japanese rule in the 1800s, Japanese became the dominant language; then, after the Chinese Civil War, the defeated Nationalist government that took over the island in 1949 promoted Mandarin.

Now, shepherded by a group of Taiwanese linguists, activists, and artists, more written works, songs, TV shows, and movies are starting to embrace it. “Our identity is complex and difficult to explain. So I think language is the simplest way for me to understand who I am,” one Taiwanese activist and YouTuber said.