This research uses the Ethnography method to analyse the integration of the so called “mail order brides” based on interviews held with eight different Southeast Asian women.
These women were four Vietnamese, one Chinese, one Malaysian, one Indonesian, and one woman from Myanmar who had lived in Taiwan for more than 20 years. The interviews about their experiences were conducted in their working place or at home.
Furthermore, this research includes an observation conducted during the interview placing attention on how they react to the Taiwanese society. The observation and information from the interviews were summarized in a research diary which also included a self-reflection of the researcher.
A focus is put on the marriage life of the New Inhabitant woman and their integration into the Taiwanese society.
From the 1960s until the 1990s, Taiwan’s government did not have extensive laws in place to protect these migrants. Private agencies abused this opportunity to profit excessively, without thinking of how the new life in Taiwan would be like for the “mail-order brides”.
In the beginning of the 1990s, the Taiwanese government started to put some policies into effect to tackle and limit this new phenomenon. The Taiwanese policy changed again in 2004 when the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Education publicly denounced these transnational marriages as troublesome and urged the “foreign brides” to control their fertility, as their children’s poor educational level would deteriorate the education level of the Taiwanese population.
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
2. THE PHENOMENON OF NEW INHABITANTS IN TAIWAN
2.1 SOCIETY'S IMAGE OF THE NEW INHABITANTS
2.2 WHY TAIWANESE MEN ARE WILLING TO MARRY A FOREIGN WOMAN
2.3 TAIWANESE IMIGRATION POLICIES AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF PRIVATE MARRIAGE AGENCIES
2.4 THE PROCESS OF ARRANGED MARRIAGES
3. THEORETICAL APPROACH TO UNDERSTANDING MIGRATION
3.1 LEE’S PUSH AND PULL THEORY
3.2 WALLERSTEIN’S WORLD-SYSTEMS THEORY
3.3 MIGRATION NETWORK THEORY
4. THE HISTORY OF MIGRATION POLICIES IN TAIWAN
4.1 THE HISTORY OF THE NATIONAL IMMIGRATION AGENCY
4.1.1 MILITARY PERSONNEL AND CIVILIANS CONTROLLED SEPARATELY (FEB. 1949 - APR. 1952)
4.1.2 UNDER THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (APR. 1952-SEP. 1972)
4.1.3 UNDER THE NATIONAL POLICE AGENCY (SEP. 1972- JAN. 2007)
4.1.4 UNDER THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR (SINCE JANUARY 2007)
4.2 MIGRATION LAW IN TAIWAN
5. THE GOVERNMENTAL SOCIAL WELFARE SYSTEM
6. SOCIAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY NGOS
7. THEORETICAL APPROACH TO UNDERSTANDING INTEGRATION
7.1 BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL MODEL
7.1.1 BIOLOGICAL ASPECT:
7.1.2 PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECT:
7.1.3 SOCIAL ASPECT:
7.2 ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS THEORY
7.2.1 MICROSYSTEM
7.2.2 MESOSYSTEM
7.2.3 EXOSYSTEM
7.2.4 CHRONOSYSTEM
7.2.5 MACROSYSTEM
8. METHODOLOGY
8.1 QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
8.2 ETHNOGRAPHIC RESEARCH
8.3 SAMPLING
9. A GLIMPSE INTO THE REALITIES OF THE NEW INHABITANTS IN TAIWAN
9.1 BACKGROUND OF INTERVIEWED PARTNERS
9.2 FACTORS THAT FOSTERED THE MIGRATION OF NEW INHABITANTS TO TAIWAN
9.3 INTEGRATION ISSUES DEPICTED THROUGH THE INTERVIEWEES’ WORDS
9.3.1 ADOPTING TO THE TAIWANESE SOCIETY
9.3.2 DISCRIMINATION
9.3.3 STEREOTYPES
9.3.4 CULTURAL BACKGROUND
9.3.5 SOCIAL WELFARE AND SUPPORT
9.3.6 POSITIVE THINKING AS A SOURCE OF RESILIENCE
9.3.7 CHALLENGES THAT SOCIAL WORKERS FACE
10. CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSION
11. LIMITATIONS TO THE RESEARCH
Objectives & Key Themes
This research aims to analyze the integration experiences of "New Inhabitants" (immigrant women, primarily from Southeast Asia) in Taiwan. The work investigates how transnational marriage, facilitated by private agencies, functions as a migration pathway and how these women navigate the challenges of adapting to a new socio-cultural environment, discrimination, and language barriers, while examining the role of government policy and NGO support systems.
- Analysis of transnational marriage markets and agency-driven migration.
- Evaluation of Taiwanese government immigration policies and their evolution.
- Investigation of integration barriers including discrimination and cultural differences.
- Exploration of social support provided by NGOs for marginalized migrants.
- Ethnographic study of personal experiences, resilience, and identity construction.
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Society's Image of the New Inhabitants
When the first New Inhabitants came to Taiwan, the Taiwanese media constructed a negative narrative around the “foreign brides phenomenon” and presented them as a social problem. The brides were portrayed either as passive victims or materialist “gold-diggers (tāo jīn zhě)” who are prone to committing crimes. Meanwhile, the grooms were portrayed as the “social undesirables” with physical or mental disabilities and as morally inferior. At the time, the media overflowed with stories of “run-away foreign brides”, of “divorce and domestic violence”. This narrative has led to a widely negative social image of the New Inhabitants by presenting them as either taking the Taiwanese money or as really poor and problematic. (Hsiao-Chuan HSIA, 2008)
In one incident in April 2006, a legislator even went as far as publicly arguing that because the US military used a lot of chemical weapons during the Vietnam War, which caused Vietnamese women to give birth to deformed children, politicians should consider that the foreign brides in Taiwan might still have poison in their bodies. As their Taiwanese spouses were mostly from a weak economical background, or had physical and mental disorders, this could affect the quality of the new Taiwanese children. Therefore, the government should not waste taxpayer's money by supporting foreign brides who may have serious health problems. (City News, 2006) As politicians generally have a high reputation in Taiwan, the public depreciation of the New Inhabitants and the media propaganda about them have further entrenched the stereotypes that many Taiwanese people have towards the New Inhabitants.
Summary of Chapters
INTRODUCTION: Provides an overview of Taiwan's economic rise and the subsequent emergence of the "mail-order bride" phenomenon due to migration policy gaps and private marriage agencies.
THE PHENOMENON OF NEW INHABITANTS IN TAIWAN: Discusses the impact of globalization and privatization on Southeast Asian migration to Taiwan and the social stigma faced by these women.
THEORETICAL APPROACH TO UNDERSTANDING MIGRATION: Outlines academic frameworks, specifically Lee’s Push and Pull Theory, Wallerstein’s World-Systems Theory, and Migration Network Theory, to explain the migration phenomenon.
THE HISTORY OF MIGRATION POLICIES IN TAIWAN: Reviews the evolution of border control and immigration institutions in Taiwan, from military-led systems to the establishment of the National Immigration Agency.
THE GOVERNMENTAL SOCIAL WELFARE SYSTEM: Examines state-funded initiatives and policies designed to address the challenges faced by foreign spouses and their children in Taiwanese society.
SOCIAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY NGOS: Details the grassroots activism and support services established by non-governmental organizations to empower New Inhabitants.
THEORETICAL APPROACH TO UNDERSTANDING INTEGRATION: Applies the Biopsychosocial Model and Ecological Systems Theory to understand the complexities of the integration process for immigrants.
METHODOLOGY: Describes the qualitative and ethnographic approach used in the study, including interview techniques and researcher self-reflection.
A GLIMPSE INTO THE REALITIES OF THE NEW INHABITANTS IN TAIWAN: Presents the backgrounds of interviewees and discusses findings related to integration issues, discrimination, and resilience.
CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSION: Synthesizes the findings, highlighting the persistent challenges faced by New Inhabitants and the ongoing struggle for true social integration.
LIMITATIONS TO THE RESEARCH: Acknowledges the specific scope of the study and suggests that findings cannot be generalized to the entire immigrant population in Taiwan.
Keywords
New Inhabitants, Taiwan, Migration, Transnational Marriage, Integration, Social Welfare, NGOs, Ethnography, Discrimination, Stereotypes, Structural Violence, Push and Pull Theory, Ecological Systems Theory, Biopsychosocial Model, Human Rights
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The research focuses on the integration experiences of "New Inhabitants" in Taiwan, specifically Southeast Asian women who have migrated through transnational marriages facilitated by private agencies.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The themes include the socio-economic drivers of migration, the impact of government policies, the social stigma and discrimination against migrants, the role of NGOs, and the personal resilience strategies used by these women.
What is the primary research question?
The research asks how the marriage-based migration system functions, how government policy has evolved to support these migrants, and how New Inhabitants integrate into Taiwanese society while shaping their own identities.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The study uses qualitative research, specifically an ethnographic approach involving semi-structured interviews with New Inhabitants and social workers, along with participant observation and research diary analysis.
What does the main body of the work address?
It addresses the historical development of migration policies, theoretical frameworks for migration and integration, the specific challenges of social integration, and the lived experiences of interviewees regarding discrimination and support.
Which keywords characterize this work?
Key terms include New Inhabitants, transnational marriage, social welfare, structural violence, integration, and cultural identity.
How does the "New Inhabitant" terminology affect the research?
The term was officially adopted by the National Immigration Agency in 2012 to replace disparaging labels like "mail-order bride," reflecting a shift in official attempts to promote better social inclusion.
Why is the "Ecological Systems Theory" relevant here?
This theory is used to examine the multi-layered challenges migrants face, from the immediate family environment (microsystem) to broader societal norms and cultural beliefs (macrosystem).
What role does the "Biopsychosocial Model" play in this study?
It provides a holistic view of the migrant's health and well-being, acknowledging how biological, psychological, and social factors intersect to affect the integration and mental health of New Inhabitants.
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- Cheng-Hsiang Hsueh (Autor:in), 2020, The integration of new immigrants in Taiwan. An interview-based analysis, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1032634
