An "exchange" of population
International marriage has become a way for Taiwan men to handle the pressure of continuing the next generation. The Census Bureau announced at the end of July this year that in 2002 a quarter of all Taiwan grooms married "foreign brides," (including mainland Chinese) for a total figure of 44,843 women.
Given global trends today, it is difficult to challenge the concept of international marriage on moral grounds. Precisely because of this, however, society cannot afford to ignore the problems that come along with it. Professor Lin Wan-i points out that most of the women from Taiwan who marry abroad are senior high school and university graduates, while the women marrying into Taiwan are of lower socio-economic backgrounds, an exchange that will negatively impact the quality of Taiwan's population. This will affect Taiwan's future productive capacity and economic power.
Although foreign brides from Southeast Asian countries can lead to the increased diversity of Taiwan society, and Taiwan citizens can learn through this to be more accepting and more open, we must lose no time in responding to the possible conflict and segregation that this could create.
Professor Lin Wan-i notes that the recent anti-Middle Eastern xenephobia stemming from the US-Iraq War and the experience of Japanese war brides in the US immediately following World War II both illustrate that foreign spouses cannot completely preserve the culture of their mother country, neither is it easy for them to blend into the local society. If Taiwan, which has suffered the problems of "clan" society from the beginning, were not to cultivate an accepting attitude, the introduction of foreign brides would lead to a society with even more complicated group relationships.
"It is especially in regard to mainland Chinese spouses that the question of national identity arises," says Professor Lin Wan-i. All along the status of mainland Chinese spouses has been "fuzzy." But because there are no language barriers, problems of social contact are reduced and as a group they have been placed outside the category of "foreign bride" and called "compatriots." In fact, however, they are unable to enjoy "compatriot" treatment. Thus mainland Chinese brides hidden away in Taiwan society face problems that are perhaps less understood. Mainland Chinese brides are "neglected by politics," and "left alone by politics." But sweeping problems under the rug may make them worse.
Respect, harmony, love
"In our more than ten years of service we have been deeply moved by the unfortunate situation created by international marriages. The harm and lasting effects on women and children is truly frightful and difficult to gauge accurately," says Sister Therese Tang, executive director of the Good Shepherd Sisters Social Welfare Services Foundation. The government should set up an appropriate system of preventative measures, she says, but in the end, family problems must be solved by the families themselves.
In mid- and late April the Catholic Good Shepherd Sisters Social Welfare Services Foundation launched an islandwide campaign called "Respect, Harmony, Love-Prayers of Blessing for Families of International Marriages" hoping to encourage mutual respect and harmony in these families and praying that they would forgo violence and allow the children to grow up in an atmosphere of love.
"To solve the problems, we must first abandon the concept of the commercialization of marriage," says Professor Lin Wan-i. These go-betweens in the form of commercial marriage brokers have existed for more than ten years but there's no sign that any relevant government office has intervened. What, after all, is our population policy? How can unscrupulous marriage brokers be controlled? We have always lacked the laws and measures to deal with this.
Professor Lin says, "Taiwan society must take on the responsibility and make up for this unintended error and accept this burden." We must increase future public service investment that focuses on the families of international marriages in areas such as health, education and social welfare.
We must increase our assistance and cultural education for foreign brides in language, life habits, health, law, human rights, etc. Even more important is to teach Taiwan citizens how to treat these "wives from abroad" in a kind and friendly way, for making them fend for themselves and leaving them nowhere to turn to for help is merely "collective violence" against them by society as a whole. "The best prevention should take place before the marriage, otherwise the social costs will be very high," says Professor Lin. It is difficult to calculate the price society will have to pay for this but it is not fair to leave it to the next generation.
We can predict that this will be a major task for Taiwan in the future. The dilemma, and the challenge, is how to show due concern for societal development while at the same time acting in a humane way.