Foreign workers gather to celebrate Chinese New Year

Participants and their families enjoyed genuine Southeast Asian delicacies, recreational activities and free international phone calls provided during an afternoon event organized by state-run Chunghwa Telecom Co. (CHT) and Nice & Baby — a phone card provider — for the occasion.

“Thank you for educating the next generation (of Taiwan children),” said Leng T. F., president of CHT’s international Business Group, during her introductory address, before receiving loud applause from the public.

Leng explained to The China Post that in October 2006, CHT set up a toll-free phone line in five different languages, allowing foreigners to receive proper information in their mother tongue anywhere in Taiwan.

She added that a new experimental program financed by CHT has provided a family educational program to up to 300 immigrants and their children in various languages.

She also suggested that in the future, CHT’s phone television service called Movie On Demand (MOD) could also be used for educational purposes.

Taiwan new immigrants refer to the foreign spouses of Taiwan citizens. They come mostly from China and Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines or Myanmar.

According to various tallies, new immigrants totaled up to 390,000 people in 2007. Together with their children and husband, they nearly amount to 1 million people in Taiwan.

Foreign workers, on the other hand, totaled up to 330,000 people last year. Most also come from Southeast Asian countries, working in factories, construction projects or as caregivers to children and elderly people.

“My wife has already adapted to Taiwan’s life,” said a man surnamed Hong, who married a Vietnamese five years ago. Hong’s wife works full time in a factory but still manages to attend Chinese language classes regularly. Hong’s son is fluent in both Vietnamese and Chinese.

“I met my husband 30 years ago in Jakarta,” said Mrs. Chen, an overseas Chinese from Indonesia. Chen explained she has completely adapted to Taiwan’s life as she speaks both Chinese and Taiwanese.

She noted, however, that her children later on adapted so well to their life in Taiwan that they stopped learning their mother tongue.

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