Abstract
This research focuses on the life experience of the Taiwanese writer, Gu Zhao-Sen, who went to the US for his studies in the 80’s and became a US residence. Through the life story and the literature works of Gu Zhao-Sen, the author observed and analyzed the ways that “diaspora” has been described, and the descriptions of the multi-cultural identity in the migrant literature. Following this observation, the author also tried to find the positioning for Gu, under the historical context of the migrant literature category in Taiwanese literature history. First of all, in the reportage work of Gu, the “University of Iowa shooting” shows the difficulties of the overseas Chinese in the foreign society, and the reflections of these Chinese diaspora toward the difficult situation. In the meantime, this article summarized the impact of this issue on the writer himself. Secondly, in the short stories, Gu analyzed the development and characteristics of different generations of the Chinese diaspora. Through his analyses, he points out the multiple possibilities and the complexities of cultural identification. The author found senses of Taiwanese Modernism in the core and the writing skill in these stories. Lastly, by combing Gu’s essays, the author saw the cultural adaption process, the nostalgia, and the sadness of the past-away, as well as the phenomenon of cultural hybridity is his later work. Through analyses of Gu Zhao-Sen’s different literature works, this research aims to point out the cultural shock and the adaption process of the individuals of a diaspora after their immigration to a new home in a foreign country. The adaption process is not only related to the dynamics of cultural identification, but also driven by the actual needs to survive in a new society. The author has pointed out the positioning of Gu should be in the category of migrant literature according to above mentioned contents. At the same time, Gu’s should be considered as a Taiwanese modernism writer in the 80’s, regarding his skills and reflections of writing.