With a Chinese-Indonesian background inherited from her mother, as a child she became accustomed to being asked where her mother was from. Answering questions like this became a normal part of her life, so to deal with it she began making up fanciful replies. Eventually her mother’s image became a realm of unlimited possibilities, and perhaps it was this experience that inspired her to begin writing.

Through her writing, Chen Yuchin has always wanted to give a voice to second-generation migrants, to make them visible in society. The photo shows Chen (center) sharing her experience of creative writing with readers. (courtesy of Chen Yuchin)

No categorization necessary

Chen is quite relaxed about her ethnic background. “Lots of people think that being a second-generation migrant is somehow special, but I can’t imagine what could be special about something so remote from my life today. Everyone is different, and I’m myself regardless of my background or what type of literature I like. Why should we try to put people and things into categories? Does it bring any greater understanding?” asks Chen.

Some people question whether her book Tai­pei People to Be is an essay or a novel. The writer’s answer is always the same: “It’s up to the reader to categorize the book however they want to. As a writer, I reflect on what I see and feel about the world in my writing, and I have no greater qualification than a reader to make such judgments.”

Chen’s Chinese-Indonesian mother (right) has always had the sharp wit to deal with sensitive racial issues, often providing inspiration for Chen’s writing.

Quiet father, bold mother, optimistic daughter

Taipei People to Be tells the plain and simple story of the writer’s parents. Her father was a military veteran from mainland China and her mother a Chinese-­Indonesian, who together settled in New Tai­pei City’s San­chong District. The book departs from previous works which tended to focus on second-generation migrants and their lives.

Chen’s father was a very quiet man, and perhaps this served as an inspiration for one of her other books, Communication Without Borders, which portrays a deceased father who sends constant and detailed mystical messages from the next world. It seemed that men of her father’s generation would often communicate through shared memories remote from the young.

In contrast to her father, Chen’s mother had a strong and resilient personality. Having gambled her future on a one-way flight to Taiwan, she arrived in the country on a tourist visa knowing that she needed to find a husband before her visa expired. Eventually, she settled down in San­chong. Regardless of whether she actually won a better life with her husband, at least she had the courage to make her own way.

Chen is similar in many ways to her mother. She has an assertive streak that allows her to deal with the serious issues of life with a humor and lightness of being that is reflected in her writing.

This family snap, taken when Chen was a child, shows a quiet father, a bold mother and an optimistic daughter. (courtesy of Chen Yuchin)

Freedom of choice

Chen has visited Indonesia several times in recent years and says her mother’s hometown is more like a holiday resort for her. There she can enjoy the hospitality of her mother’s family in their old house, and relaxed shopping in a nearby shopping mall, all in a familiar Hakka­-speaking environment. It’s just like most people’s experience of returning to their ancestral home, with mixed feelings of curiosity and awkwardness and so many people who are addressed as uncles and aunts. There are none of the sad stories about second-generation expats searching for their roots that many people might imagine.

However, as a second-generation immigrant, Chen’s writing inevitably touches on issues surrounding her origins. But it’s not a big issue for her as her roots are strong and sure. Everyone is unique. Everyone has roots somewhere. So, Chen says, just take it easy. As you travel the road of life, each person needs to find their own co­ord­in­ates by which to navigate.

Chen admits that she is quite fortunate. She has never been hurt by labels of any sort, but she is well aware that others may have been. While she welcomes current government efforts towards building and maintaining an openhearted and friendly environment, she would prefer less emphasis on ethnicity and more on inclusion.

Second-generation immigrants want nothing from the government except to allow them full rights to choose their own way. Life is full of warmth, but people need the freedom to find their own direction.

As second-generation migrants continue to seek a sense of identity in their new home, when will come the day for these “Taipei people to be” to narrow this rift? “It’s like a race for life. People are always trying to eradicate ­divisions, but the more you become aware that you are still stuck at the starting line, the more likely you are to remain there,” says Chen.

A young woman roams the city, following a seemingly random path. But in fact her every step is meticulously planned. As a river is fed by small streams, every word and line in Chen’s writing is an expression of her emotional remembrances. Like the bridges connecting Tai­pei City with San­chong, as long as two sides are connected, they can communicate. Regardless of whether Chen’s stories accurately reflect the real lives of Tai­pei people, as long as readers are willing to read, that’s enough for the writer.

Always bright and smiling, Chen’s sparkling personality is also reflected in her writing. (courtesy of Chen Yuchin)

Like the bridges connecting different parts of Taipei City, Chen attends to the voices of others to bring them together.

Chen is happily immersed in her writing, which for her is more recreation than work.