President Tsai Ing-wen says the coexistence of a variety of cultures and languages in Taiwan is one of the things that make it unique in the world. That statement came during an interview for International Community Radio Taipei’s We Love Hakka program on Monday.
The president gave the interview on International Mother Language Day, celebrated on February 21 every year. She says that language and culture are inseparable, and when we use our mother tongues, we connect more closely to our homes and better understand our identities.
Tsai says promoting mother languages is a global trend. In Taiwan specifically, Tsai says languages are a way to learn about the cultures of different groups inhabiting Taiwan and deepen mutual understanding between them. In this way, Tsai says she believes mother tongues can strengthen people’s pride in being Taiwanese and bring people together.
The president also shared her experience learning Hakka, which is part of the same language family as Mandarin Chinese. Almost 7% of Taiwan’s population say they speak Hakka at home, and President Tsai herself is partly of Hakka descent. Tsai says learning Hakka was difficult at first, but with time she discovered the language’s beauty and its deep connections to the land.
The president ended the interview with greetings in Mandarin, Taiwanese, Hakka, and Paiwan, which is the language of one of Taiwan’s Indigenous groups.