In December the Pearl S. Buck Foundation Taipei held a lively ceremony at Minchuan Elementary School to celebrate the close of the term for its Chinese language class for foreign brides. In addition to displaying the results of three months of study, the participants of the program also prepared an abundance of fine cuisine that filled the classroom and ranged from Taiwanese delectables such as fried rice noodles and sesame oil chicken to Vietnamese snacks. The 20-plus Indonesian, Vietnamese, and Taiwanese students that comprise the class were joined by their devoted teachers as well as representatives of the Pearl S. Buck Foundation. As the students and their families mingled throughout the evening, the blended sounds of Chinese, Taiwanese, and Vietnamese made for a convivial atmosphere.

The Pearl S. Buck Foundation takes its name from the Nobel Prize winning author, Pearl S. Buck, whose unforgettable renderings of China and its people are contained in the classics The Good Earth and Dragon Seed. The foundation was established in Philadelphia in 1964, and four years later a branch was established in Taiwan. At its inception, the focus of the organization was to address new social concerns engendered by the presence of the American military on the island, specifically the growing number of children of mixed Taiwanese-American parentage.

Pearl S. Buck Foundation executive director Chuang Li-chuan observes that over the years the foundation has helped over 1000 such children, the majority of whom come from single-parent homes. In most cases, the mother is too preoccupied with economic concerns to adequately care for her child. In addition to economic problems, these children of mixed heritage must face the pressures that arise from not resembling their peers, and therefore are often in need of psychological services.

The Taiwanese branch separated from the American headquarters in 1997 and officially registered as a local foundation. Two years ago, the organization began to extend its services to include providing aid for the continually expanding group of non-Taiwanese "imported" brides and their children, through family counseling, psychological support, and other related services.

Chuang Li-chuan points out that the problems these women face in acclimating to their new home in Taiwan inevitably influence the lives of their children. Therefore, the foundation has cooperated with Minchuan, Heti, and Tunghu elementary schools to provide Chinese classes for foreign brides. "Classes like these are actually a means to a larger end," Chuang notes, as the foundation seeks to use them as an opportunity to interface with these families, thereby gaining a deeper understanding of their problems and needs.

In addition to the Chinese classes, the foundation has also sponsored lectures on family-related subjects such as marital relationships and infant care, and has created peer counseling sessions for foreign women. Translation and referral services are also available for those who need them.

Although the Pearl S. Buck Foundation has made great efforts to assist foreign brides in whatever ways they need, applying for grants has been a trying experience. The greater part of Taiwanese society does not perceive the tribulations of these foreign wives and their families as being a problem worthy of attention. Accordingly, Chuang Li-chuan has suggested that such circumstances could necessitate a reshuffling of the foundation's priorities in the near future. Ultimately he hopes that society will cease to treat these women as merely "foreign," and rather view their welfare as a necessary social concern.