Ethnic identification of children of new immigrants in Taiwan: the roles of the immediate environment and government policy

In this study, I explore the ethnic identification, which is an important indicator of the assimilation of the immigrant second generation, of adult children of new immigrants in Taiwan. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and an online survey. Findings reveal that daily experiences in the immediate environment in which ethnic identity has played a trivial role have contributed to the majority of the participants’ strong identification with the larger society and weak identification with their immigrant heritage. For the dual-heritage identifiers, they have often constructed their identification with their immigrant heritage through transnational social connections and relevant courses in college. Government policy has also played a role by creating a friendlier environment in which the participants feel safe to claim a Taiwanese identity and switch between different identity labels in different situations and encouraging higher education institutions to offer relevant programs and courses that have provided opportunities for children of new immigrants to interact with the culture and language of their new immigrant parents’ country of origin, which has helped them strengthen their identification with their immigrant heritage. Both a nonthreatening environment in general and the government’s focus on new immigrants and their children in recent years have resulted in the participants’ positive attitudes toward their immigrant heritage.