‘My responsibility’: why overseas Taiwanese are returning to cast their votes

As Taiwan's elections approach this Saturday, thousands of Taiwanese citizens residing abroad are returning to their homeland to cast their votes in what is perceived as a pivotal election. Approximately 2 million Taiwanese live overseas, with the largest population, about half, residing in the United States. Every four years, many of them spend thousands of dollars to travel back to Taiwan, a self-governed island, to exercise their right to vote. Some also return for the municipal elections.

Heidi Dai, a 29-year-old PhD student studying music at the University of California San Diego, returned to Taiwan in late December. Anticipating that flights would sell out due to the election rush, she booked her ticket before she had even left Taiwan to commence her first semester in California. 'In the next couple of years, I won't be in Taiwan – I'll be in the US. So that means if there's any kind of political campaign or activism needed here, I cannot be here,' Dai stated. 'So I feel like it is my responsibility to come back here and vote in the presidential election just to ensure we can pick a more adequate candidate that can keep Taiwan in a firm political position.

Dai intends to vote for William Lai Ching-te, the current vice-president and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate. As a student at National Taiwan University, Dai participated in the Sunflower Movement, a 2014 protest against a free-trade agreement with mainland China. Her primary concern now is the potential for increased mainland influence in Taiwan, as military tensions escalate. 'I'm very worried that if we pick a pro-China president for the next four years, it's probably easier for the PRC to try to take over or try to immerse their culture or power into our society and our government,' she expressed.