For the past one to two decades in Taiwan, people can sense the addition of a group of new friends in their living environment; they came from China, Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand etc. According to statistics, as of July 2011, the number of new immigrants in the Greater Tainan region has reached 28,681 (China: 19,212, Southeast Asia: 9,469).
For foreign marriages, various problems can occur due to differences in language and folk customs, for instance: Acclimatization to the living environment (difference in climate and food), marriage harmony (conflicts between couples), getting along with family (mother-in-law and daughter-in-law), children’s education and legality of residence etc. These issues present a major challenge to the families of foreign marriages as well as the individuals.
Considering the increase in the number of new immigrants and their offspring in the Greater Tainan region, the diverse families formed by foreign marriages have become an integral part of Taiwanese society, however, the general public still possesses limited knowledge of the diverse culture of the new immigrants. Consequently, as of 2004, the center has been committed to promoting the “New Immigrant Family Education Program”.
The center organizes various activities that actively encourage new immigrants to speak for themselves and share their stories in the sisterhood, so that they can interact directly with the public in Taiwan to bridge the gap among one another. By bringing the new immigrants into the community to introduce their country’s cultural characteristics, Taiwanese people will be able to appreciate dazzling foreign culture without leaving the country. In addition, by sharing their valuable information, the foreign daughter-in-laws in Taiwan will be able to endow the local population with an international perspective and stimulate cultural exchanges. Furthermore, through community family parent-child activities, domestic families can share happiness with new immigrant families, so as to reduce the distance among one another and eliminate any misunderstanding or discrimination caused by unfamiliarity.