Taiwan Shift in Anglophone Fiction and Memoir.

The article examines the phenomenon of Taiwanese American writers who increasingly self-identify as such in authors’ notes and blurbs, often “Taiwanizing” their works through setting, plot, and character traits while expressing a nostalgic sense of loss regarding Taiwan’s substance. It analyzes three key works—Cindy Pon’s young adult dystopian novel *Want*, Jessica J. Lee’s memoir *Two Trees Make a Forest*, and Jean Chen Ho’s story collection *Fiona and Jane*—highlighting how each grapples with Taiwanese identity, diaspora, and cultural transformation amid personal and political complexities. The discussion situates these literary efforts within broader contexts of racial self-representation, Sino-American tensions, and the legacy of Taiwan’s historical traumas, noting that Taiwan often functions more as an ornamental or metaphorical backdrop than a fully realized presence. The article also critiques the Anglophone Orientalist framing of Taiwan and explores how these authors negotiate their hybrid identities between Taiwan and the West.