Escaping Martial Law: Taiwan to the US  

By Zan Rainey

“I wanted life to be kinder and to have freedom of speech.”

A vintage sepia-toned photo shows a family group portrait. Four women and one man stand behind three young girls.

This interviewee shares what it was like growing up under the restrictions of martial law in Taiwan, which outlawed political organizing and speaking languages besides Mandarin. Martial law in Taiwan ended in 1987 and the interviewee migrated to the US in 2001.