People take photographs during the 2009 Taipei Lantern Festival outside the City Hall in Taipei, Feb. 6, 2009. (Nicky Loh/Reuters)

Taiwan? That's my brother's name!

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Average Joes and Janes on Taiwan: blank stares, knit brows

By Jonathan Adams
Published: July 5, 2009 11:30 ET

TAIPEI — What does the average American know about Taiwan?

Not much — at least if my conversations on a recent trip back to the U.S. are anything to go by.

What I did get was lots of confusion, wrinkled brows and blank stares.

A sign of things to come came at a Starbucks in Washington, D.C., where I talked to the staff at 6:30 in the morning while working off jetlag.

"Taiwan?" said one employee, after I'd told him where I live. "They still spanking people over there?"

It took me a moment to realize he was talking about Singapore, where an American man famously received four lashes with a rattan cane for vandalism in 1994.

"Taiwan — is that in the Middle East?" the other employee said.

"No, Far East," I said.

"I had a friend who lived in the Middle East," he replied, undeterred. "Iran, I think. He had to leave, he said it was too hot."

Later, at an airport bookstore, a clerk was pushing a frequent buyer card on me. After several no's, I finally said, "Look, I can't use the card — I live in Taiwan."

"Taiwan?" she said with surprise. "That's my brother's name!"

"Really?" I said, surprised. Then, after a moment, "Did your parents realize that's also the name of a country?"

"I don't know," she said. "I don't think so."

Actually, it wasn't the first time I'd heard of Americans named Taiwan. California produced a star football player named "Taiwan Jones," and there are listings for the same name on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Apparently, it's a variant of similar names like "Taevion," "Travone," or "Tyronne."

But the best response had to come from a woman at Plimoth Plantation's "1627 English Village." She was an actress, firmly in character as a 17th century settler in one of the earliest American colonies.

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Posted by inspire on July 5, 2009 13:45 ET

The average "Joe" in America living on the West Coast does not even know where Vermont is so Taiwan would be quite the stretch. Having said that, there is no value in discrediting Americans geography skills unless you are from Europe and merely having fun. If you live in Taiwan and support the country fully, than you would not want to write for a website that has no direct link to Taiwan: just one of China's neighbors.

Posted by Joe 6 Pack on July 5, 2009 23:08 ET

Jonathan Adams,
Very amusing piece. It made me chuckle. But it was so predictable. The "Dumb American who Knows Nothing About World Geography" is so clichéd.

I wish I had the time to look for a YouTube link of video shot by a Chinese journalist interviewing Chinese people about America at the Hooters restaurant in Beijing. They love those buffalo wings but know jack about America.

When asked about Obama, several of them drew a blank and weren't even sure who he was. One Chinese customer said, "Ah, is he the black man?"

My point? Ill-informed people are EVERYWHERE and Americans don't have a monopoly on being ignorant about world affairs.

Posted by tiedupintaiwan on July 10, 2009 04:36 ET

Joe 6 Pack,

As an American living in Taiwan, I have a different take on this article. Taiwan is especially off the map for most Americans. I don't hold it against my fellow citizens, but it's a fact.

Here, an oft-cited joke is the foreigner who confuses Taiwan and Thailand.

Also, are Hooter's and buffalo wings some sort of emblem of American culture? I'm American, and I certainly don't think so. I've also never understood why they make the waitresses wear those ugly orange shorts.

A lot of Taiwanese speak English, and very interested in American culture, even if they don't know much about it. That's more than I can say for many Americans, most of whom don't speak foreign languages, nor express much interest in what goes on beyond their borders.

Posted by spankoz on July 6, 2009 00:42 ET

Taiwan is not alone , when I am in the US , I am occassionally complemented on my English . Sometimes it is necessary to explain that Austria and Australia are not the same country . Thank you U.S. media and expat #1 , Rupert Murdoch !

Posted by spankoz on July 7, 2009 06:53 ET

I did not have the benefit of seeing the other responses before making my reply . I would like to say that I think staffing a " Hooters restaurant in Beijing " may present an HR challenge .

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