Beijing Welcomes You

There's been a lot written about the Beijing Olympics. Accusations of an only worsening human rights situation in China, punctuated by the Tibet riots not too long ago, are the most prevalent. In response, leaders worldwide have considered boycotting the opening ceremonies. Protesters hindered the torch as the Chinese and the International Olympic Committee tried, often in vain, to assure an unbroken light all the way to Beijing. Editorials cropped up around the country, urging more pressure on the Chinese government to live up to its promises of clean air and more. Where do I stand? I don't know. It's so easy to stand on the American pedestal. Go through the litany of wrongs the Chinese government is guilty of, and may have no intention of correcting. Point the finger and say their human rights are atrocious. It's not so easy to be Taiwanese American. As I'm writing this, I'm watching the “Bejing Huan Ying Ni,” or Beijing Welcomes You, video on YouTube. I read somewhere 100 artists were involved in this video; I didn't take the time to count, nor does it really matter. It's a higher-budget, well-planned version of all those haphazardly created togetherness songs and music videos created after every disaster. Artists I've never seen before and ones that I love are together in this video; Chinese artists, I'm pretty sure, are the ones I don't recognize. I know a lot of the Taiwanese ones: Jolin, FIR, Richie Ren, and more. I know the ones that got their starts in Taiwan, though they're from islands or other countries: JJ Lin, Yanzi, Wong Lee Hom. I recognize many from Hong Kong: Gigi Leung, Karen Mok. It's not a bad song. It's not as cheesy as you'd expect, and surprisingly not as monotonous either, given the nearly 7-minute running time. I can see a lot of reasons to like this video. Many scenes it shows are breathtaking. But it just made me uncomfortable. The Taiwanese government, not too long ago, refused to let the Olympic torch pass through Taiwan during the Chinese portion of its run. And here these artists are, welcoming the world to Beijing? Acting as if Beijing is part of their country too? Can they welcome the world into a city that hosts the most immediate threats to their own country? My dad told me not to look at it that way. They're businessmen. They need every opportunity to present themselves in the largest market they have. But the song is so personal. “The front door of my house is open, awaiting you,” they sing. Their house? Really? It's so disconcerting. We're not all the same. Not in my mind. I can't welcome anyone to Beijing. I have no connection. I want to be proud of the 2008 Olympics. I want to show China and its landmarks to the world-- because it's my history too. Where do our histories stop being the same? Was it when my ancestors stepped on those boats and left the mainland? Was it when the revolution overthrew the dynastic cycle? Was it when the communists imposed their new traditions over the ones that had reigned? There's still so much left I want to claim as mine. I'm Taiwanese, but I know where my roots are, and go back several hundred years-- we're all the same people. So do I base my judgments on the politics of today? Because if I do that, I can't in good conscience support anything to do with pouring money and attention into an oppressive country that threatens my own little island and the lives of many of its billions of people. Or do I base it on our shared history? I should be proud of what my people created so many thousands and hundreds of years ago. I should want the world to come and learn what it means to be Chinese. Is there enough history to cancel out the evils of the current regime? I don't know. You can view the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFQ1JDw-d70 Karen is still listening to the damn song, because it's catchy anyway. And it's fun to guess the artist signing at the moment. She still prefers the Winter Olympics over the Summer Olympics, because who doesn't love to see grown men run and push a sled along, then fail at jumping in? She can be reached at kshih33 at gmail dot com.