One or two countries? The “Taiwan problem” under the point of view of an overseas Chinese community (Ciudad del Este, Paraguay)

Abstract

The article deals with the “Taiwan Problem” and its dilemmas of being or not being a Nation-State. The data are based on an ethnographic research that was carried out in Ciudad del Este (Paraguay) among Taiwanese, Chinese and Paraguayans. Paraguay is one of the few countries in the world that has established diplomatic links with Taiwan, and this fact will be central in the building of “Chinese identities”. In the first part of this article, it is presented a wide view of the macro social question involving China, Taiwan and Paraguay. In the second half, the impact of policies set upon the daily life scope of both immigrants and natives is analyzed.