Life

A land of diversity

(Photo: Huang Chung-hsin)

• Publication Date：08/05/2011
• Source： Taiwan Today

On July 27, one of the largest international gatherings of aboriginal artists from around the world got under way in Taiwan. The Global Indigenous Peoples Performing Arts Festival, a three-week event attended by groups from 13 countries, presents locals with a valuable opportunity to experience the diversity of overseas tribal cultures while also learning more about the island’s original Austronesian inhabitants.

Hosted by the ROC government’s Council of Indigenous Peoples, the event is a celebration of multiculturalism that reflects the tolerant and welcoming nature of Taiwan society. But more than that, it is a strong statement on the value of building nations where people of all ethnicities can live and work side by side as they strive toward the attainment of happiness and greater prosperity.

With a culture shaped by Chinese, Dutch, Japanese and Spanish influences, Taiwan’s 23 million people have long understood that the world outside their island has much to offer. This approach has seen new ideas and trends quickly embraced and incorporated in daily life, creating a modern, open-minded society that is renowned as one of the most hospitable and welcoming in the world.

This attitude also extends to immigration. Between 1991 and 2009, the number of foreign nationals living in Taiwan jumped 1,245 percent. This significant change is attributed to the arrival of guest workers beginning in the early 1990s and a recent increase in marriages between ROC citizens and those from abroad.

For the bulk of Taiwan’s migrants, who hail from destinations throughout Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand, the island offers employment, safety and a peerless standard of living. While many of these new arrivals play a vital part in powering Taiwan’s economy, they also enrich local society through sharing their cultures, customs and traditions.

Such a contribution is particularly important in Taiwan given its population is over 95 percent ethnic Han, including Holo, Hakka and mainland Chinese arriving in 1949 following the relocation of the ROC government to Taiwan. The remainder comprises immigrants from the four corners of the globe and indigenous Austronesian peoples.

As of the end of 2009, the government recognized 14 aboriginal groups accounting for around 2 percent of the population. Activists continue to push for more tribes to be added to the list, with the book well and truly open on helping these citizens achieve greater rights within the framework of the ROC Constitution.

In a world where immigration has become an emotive issue, Taiwan stands as an example of how embracing multiculturalism allows minority traditions to be respected in an open and welcoming society that celebrates rather than deprecates differences. ROC government policymaking plays a central role in this process, ensuring the nation’s people live together in harmony while building a better country for all.

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