Bo-Han Li

Symbols and Melodies: Transnational Displacement, Cultural Metaphors, and Identity Construction in Lo Ta-yu’s “Orphan of Asia”

Lo Ta-yu’s 1983 song “Orphan of Asia” has long circulated as a cultural text through which Taiwan’s histories of colonialism, authoritarianism, displacement, and contested political recognition can be heard. This article asks how the song uses lyrical metaphor and musical arrangement to bring political non-recognition,...