芋仔與蕃薯－－臺灣「榮民」的族群關係與認同

TAROS AND SWEET POTATOES —Ethnic Relations and Identities of 'Glorious Citizens' (Veteran-mainlanders) in Taiwan

1945年以後隨蔣介石來台的國民政府及外省人大體來說掌握政軍權力核心，可以劃歸為「優勢少數」，可是外省人中的「榮民」卻在本省人的意象中屬於「弱勢少數」。當本文以低官階退伍的「榮民」為觀察主體時，發現他們的處境相當特殊：一方面認同權力核心的意識型態並受到某些優惠保障，另方面卻處於社會社經地位之底層。若與台灣以往幾波漢人移民相較，「榮民」彼此間的血緣、地緣關係較薄弱。『榮民』與其他族群的關係區隔性大於接觸性。本文藉著分析花蓮地區數類具代表性的榮民社區之實際情況，來顯現「榮民」如何在土地等資源已十分有限的新移居地求生存發展。如非透過政軍權力核心之支援庇護，「榮民」很難在競爭激烈的台灣找到棲身之處。從花蓮四類榮民社區的現況描述中我們尚發現「榮民」之婚姻、家庭、與性關係並不圓滿，有部份原因可歸咎於給予他們限制的政軍權力體系。可是反而因為在台灣家庭與婚姻之殘缺不全使他們對領袖（蔣總統）、國家（中華民國）、主義（三民主義）、黨（國民黨）視之為一體之延伸，有如圖騰標誌物般崇敬，其中也夾有愛怨交織的矛盾「圖騰」情感。從本文探討之榮民與外界的區隔與接觸實例中我們可以較真切地瞭解「圖騰」情感存續之因。從「榮民」是台灣新移民的角度來看，其中約百分之九十已發展了在台灣定居的意識，某種程度地由「芋仔」轉化為「蕃薯」。但在「榮民」主觀認定上仍傾向於否認已由「大陸人」轉變為「台灣人」，或者認為自己是「大陸人」也是「台灣人」。轉化為「台灣人」（蕃薯）若意味著與中國大陸分離，這些大陸來台「榮民」將會拒絕此種轉化。這是此族群認同上難以跨越的界線，也是此族群在認同上較穩固之屬性，可用以與其他族群區分。

This essay first examines the origin of the ethnic term 'taros' as referring to veteran－－mainlanders migrating to Taiwan after 1945. In the eyes of 'sweet potatoes' (the native Taiwanese), most 'old taros' unlike mainlanders in the core of the political structure, are in low socio-economic strata. But these 'glorious citizens' a named by Chiang Kai-shek identify with the ideology held by those dominant mainlanders at the core of political and military power. After analyzing four types of veteran－－mainlanders' communities, the author shows that members in this ethnic group have weak kin and territorial bonds and are rather isolated from other ethnic groups in Taiwan. It would be very difficult for them to survive if the core of military and political power has not provided them special supports and benefits. Although the 'glorious citizens' tend to attribute the reasons for their unsatisfactory marriages, families and sexual relations to the restrictions of the military and political power; paradoxically, they become emotionally more dependant on the leaders (Chiang Kai－－shek and his descendants), the country (Republic of China), and the party (the Nationalist Party) and treat them as 'totemic' emblems with ambiguous, kin－－based 'totemic' sentiments. About 90 percent of veteran－－mainlanders have decided to settle down in Taiwan, to a certain degree transforming themselves from 'taros' to 'sweet potatoes'. On the other hand, these 'glorious citizens' insist that if the transformation from 'taros' to 'sweet potatoes' implies a separation from the mainland China and a loss of their Chinece identity, they will refuse such transformation.