Defining 'Is'

One day soon, all my soc learning will be but a distant memory, but that day has not yet come.  So although I haven't heard anyone quote C. Wright Mills in years, resist the temptation to talk about cultural frameworks, and generally withhold myself from imposing sociological ideals on both my lefty and normal friends-- just give me the chance and I can still call people out.

(last night, Patrick was discussing how boring it was to be 100% German…)

Moi: Well, on my dad's side, I'm Chinese.  And I'm mom's side, I am, surprise, Chinese.

Katy: No, you're not.  You're Taiwanese.

Moi: I'm ethnically Chinese, and Taiwanese by-

Katy: No, there's a difference.  You're Taiwanese.  My friend said he was Taiwanese because his family had been there for generations.

Moi: Was he aboriginal Taiwanese?  No.  Then he's like me. 

Katy: But-

Patrick: I really like how you're arguing with her on this.

"Do you really want me to do this?"  I asked, and well, she gave me the OK.  So I gave a brief history of Taiwanese peoples (the aboriginals, 200 years, and 'mainlanders').  Then, just to drive home to point but mostly for giggles, I moved on to Taiwanese identity.  "Who of us is really Taiwanese, or any other ethnicity?"  I don't recall the details, and it must not have been as eloquent as I had intended, but I believe the phrases "identity as social construct" (that's a classic, it had to go in), "othering" (oh, I miss othering), "binary of Chinese vs. Taiwanese identity," "confluence of Japanese, Chinese, and 'native' Taiwanese cultures," were all tossed in there.  It wasn't pretty.  but I can still wing it enough to make Riles and Band Man proud.  Most importantly, I can still toss enough oblique terms around to make sure Katy never challenges my rights to Chinese-ness and Taiwanese-ness again.