What Made This German Girl Become a Taiwanese Citizen?

What Made This German Girl Become a Taiwanese Citizen? Michelle (雪兒) is a German-Italian mixed-race girl who has lived in Taiwan for 12 years. Her upbringing was not easy—her parents divorced when she was five, and her mother raised three children on her own. Michelle recalls the economic struggles of her family, with her mother enduring a high-pressure, low-income lifestyle. There was often not enough food at home, and sometimes they had to steal to make ends meet. She was frequently ill as a child, and they lived in an unsafe neighborhood, where she was attacked several times. These hardships pushed her to start working at the age of 12 to help support her family. In high school, she worked four jobs to support her family. Michelle had always dreamed of leaving Germany to explore other places, especially Asian cultures. At the age of 16, she decided to travel to Taiwan, which became a turning point in her life. At that time, she was financially struggling and even had to borrow 600 euros from her uncle to buy a plane ticket, which she later paid back. After graduating from high school, she decided to move to Taiwan. At first, finding a job was not easy. The language barrier made it difficult for her to succeed. She recalls going for an interview at a drink shop, but was rejected because of the language barrier. She also tried applying to tutoring centers, offering her multilingual skills, but was unsuccessful due to her age. One day, she met the owner of a red bean pancake stall on the street. The owner spoke English and told her that the store was looking for help. This is how Michelle found her first job in Taiwan. This job not only changed her life, but the owner treated her like family, and even had the owner’s name listed as her “father” on her ID card. As time passed, Michelle decided to give up her German citizenship and choose to become a Taiwanese citizen. To her, this was a logical decision because she had long identified with Taiwan and regarded it as her home. She does not criticize foreigners who are unwilling to give up their own nationalities, but she believes that if one wants to be Taiwanese, they should fully integrate into Taiwanese society. Michelle’s family did not support her decision to give up her nationality, especially her mother, who was always worried about her life in Taiwan. Her friends, however, supported her decision. Michelle says that Taiwan gave her a chance to start over, and she does not regret this choice. As a Taiwanese citizen, her life became much more convenient, including the ability to apply for bank loans, rent a house, and travel abroad. Having a Taiwanese ID card also made it easier for her to enter China, something that was difficult when using her German passport. Michelle recalls having some conversations about the Taiwan-China issue. She once went to Fujian for a job interview, and the HR’s first question was: “Are you from Taiwan?” Although she was surprised by such a direct question, she honestly answered, “I grew up in Taiwan, and for me, Taiwan is definitely a country.” HR then mentioned that in their Taiwan branch, employees generally considered Taiwan to be part of China, but she believed they said this because of business dealings with China, not out of sincerity. Regarding such issues, Michelle says she would directly express her stance, believing that Taiwanese people should be more straightforward in expressing their identity with Taiwan. She emphasizes that Taiwan and China should not be conflated and that the concepts of “China” and “Mainland China” should be distinguished. She said: "If I were to travel to China now with a Taiwanese ID, they would probably think I’m a pro-independence activist." This statement reflects her firm identity and her sensitivity to cross-strait issues. Finally, Michelle also mentioned that if Taiwan faces the risk of war, she would not choose to leave. She believes that Taiwan is her home, and she cannot abandon this place. Oh, and by the way, congratulations to Michelle for becoming a full-fledged Taiwanese citizen! 雪兒 : https://www.instagram.com/michelle_casale/ Become a Member : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNppJwgHLB3qi4ne0HvwHQA/join My Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/jaychen_taiwan/ My Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091472618500