1930年代台灣人的國族認同──以台中「東亞共榮協會」之發展為中心

The National Identity of Taiwanese during the 1930s---- The development of the Common Prosperity Association of East Asia in Taichung

1930年代，台灣人組織的各類運動團體都被官方取締而解散，民族運動逐漸沉寂下來。但是在1933年12月，台中地區竟突然出現了「東亞共榮協會」，此一團體過去被認為是右翼運動之組織，其影響力有限，評價也不高。透過最近出版的林獻堂日記解讀後發現，共榮協會並非右翼團體，而是被右翼團體所激發出來的地方組織，其目標是促進台日民族之和睦。從實際效用來看，殖民政府透過此一團體運作所醞釀的和諧氣氛，達成以實施地方自治選舉交換停止台灣議會設置請願運動之目標。因此，該會基本上可以定位為，殖民統治者為瓦解台灣抗日民族運動陣營而創設的緩衝裝置。共榮協會是由台日雙方地方有力人士所組成，雙方主要幹部對「內台融和」與「日華親善」理念都抱持一定的想像。1936年之後，在軍部強勢干政之下，台灣人被迫展現愛國之言行，「內台融和」與「日華親善」之理念徹底幻滅，共榮協會也被迫解散。從共榮協會的設立宗旨與內部紛爭可以看出，當時台灣知識分子在國族認同上的苦惱。因為，在中日戰爭前夕，漢民族的台灣人對中國還存有文化與血緣上的認同，但是又被迫必須表示對日本殖民母國的效忠，夾在兩國之間的台灣人在國族認同上出現很大的困擾。透過東亞共榮協會相關之研究，對於日本殖民統治時期台灣人「國族認同」之問題，獲得更進一步的了解。

"During the 1930s, all kind of Taiwanese organizations were dissolved by the government and the national movement also gradually faded away, however, an organization called 'the Development of the Common Prosperity Association of East Asia' emerged in Taichung in December 1933. Many thought it was a right-wing organization only had a limited influence, therefore didn't pay much attention to it. The recent publication of the Lin Hsien-tang journal disclosed that this common prosperity association wasn't a right-wing organization but a regional party for the purpose of strengthen the friendship between Taiwanese and Japanese. Through this association, the colonial government kept the harmony between the Taiwanese and the Japanese to reach the goal of having a local self-government election to quiet the petition of forming a Taiwan parliament. Therefore, from its function, we can position this association as a buffer organization created by the colonial government to disintegrate the Taiwan people activity to against Japan. The Development of the Common Prosperity Association was organized by prominent people from both Japan and Taiwan with two common objectives – strengthening the friendship between Japan and the R.O.C. and increasing the integration between Japanese and Taiwanese. The two political ideals, however, were destroyed completely after 1936 under the military administration that demanded all Taiwanese to demonstrate their patriotism. Consequently, the Development of the Common Prosperity Association was forced to dissolve. Nevertheless, this association's objectives and its internal conflicts also reflected the national identity dilemma existing among the more educated Taiwanese. Prior to the Sino-Japanese War, the Han Taiwanese-Chinese felt connected to the mainland China due to sharing the same culture and ethnic background, but under the colonial government administration, they must show their loyalty toward Japan. Because Taiwanese situated in the middle of the two countries, the nation identity was a big issue among them. More in depth study and research in regarding to the Development of the Common Prosperity Association of East Asia should shed more light on the Taiwanese nation identity issue during the Japanese colonial period."