| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立清華大學 === 社會學研究所 === 105 === This thesis explores the process of how cross-strait families, who are long-term residents of China, choose between Taiwanese or Chinese citizenship for their children. Issues such as the time of residence, the spouse’s' nationality, political awareness, the two countries' respective economic strength and other related factors come into play when parents are forced to pick either Taiwanese or Chinese citizenship for their children. How do they arrange, deliberate and negotiate with each other? What are the complex factors shaping the selection process?
With a total of 24 respondents, this study employs in-depth interviews as the principal method of data collection. The results of the interviews show that Taiwanese citizenship is still the main option for cross-strait families. This study explains this choice on the basis of three factors: First, in comparison to a Chinese passport, cross-strait and international travel is more convenient with a Taiwanese passport. Second, with the Chinese government adopting a “quasi-citizen treatment" for Taiwanese residents, children holding Taiwanese citizenship enjoy certain advantages when entering the Chinese school system. Finally, the improvement of Taiwan's healthcare system with its stable quality of medical treatment in comparison to China. All of these factors are part of cross-strait parents' pragmatic considerations, leading them to ultimately choose Taiwanese citizenship for their children.
This thesis further points out that, in the initial stage of China's reform period, the differences in lifestyles between Taiwan and China have caused cross-strait marriages to prefer Taiwanese nationality for their children. However, in contrast to China’s overall national strength fueled by rapid economic development in recent years, Taiwan’s economic growth has dwarfed. To a certain degree this has affected parents' willingness to choose Taiwanese citizenship for their children. Although families have benefited from China's economic development, improving their quality of life, they ultimately have to face the many contradictions their “Taiwan consciousness” creates with regard to China, making Taiwanese citizenship the main option for cross-strait families.
In other words, the choice of a child’s nationality as it presents itself in cross-strait families who are long-term residents of China can be described as a mutually intertwined mode of selection. When choosing a nationality, parents are confronted both with the improvements in China's society and the restrictions set up by cross-strait nationality management, letting them choose only one passport. Ultimately, the parent's imagination for the child's nationality, and long-term consultation and consideration within the family determine whether cross-strait families will choose Taiwanese or Chinese citizenship for their offspring.
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