17-country new immigrant market showcases international leisure features in Kaohsiung

[17-country new immigrant market Kaohsiung international leisure]

The Michael Social Welfare Association held the "Love Kaohsiung New Immigrant Market" on 6/22 at Labor Park, bringing specialty goods, exotic foods, cultural challenge games and folk performances from more than 17 countries including Russia, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Nepal, Inner Mongolia, China, Japan, Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, Austria, Malaysia, Turkey, Poland and Germany. The scene was as lively as an international carnival.

There are 49,632 new immigrants in Kaohsiung, 86% of them women, and they have already become the mothers of a majority of Taiwan's children. Those of Chinese nationality account for the largest number at 26,920, followed by 12,467 of Vietnamese nationality. Kaohsiung's total population is 2,773,026, and new immigrants account for about 2% of the total.

The international event attracted enthusiastic participation from the people of Kaohsiung. Throughout the event, it was practically like a big test of international history and geography. In addition to performances of foreign cultures on stage, there were endless prize quizzes on the history and culture of various countries, which was truly a bountiful harvest of knowledge for the public. There were also seven question-and-answer challenge activities combining Taiwanese and foreign children's games, getting to know multiple languages, cultures and national flags, and taking part in them truly felt like traveling through many countries. There were also friends from various countries wearing traditional clothing and taking photos with the public. Mr. Guo, a member of the public, said: "If I don't have the chance to go abroad, I should at least take this opportunity to stroll through an international market. Taking photos with people from various countries is just like I've been abroad."

Many people signed up in advance and came with their whole families to take part. Through the challenge activities and stage programs, they could learn more about the new cultures in Taiwan, and also taste foods and handicrafts from various countries. There were also many passersby on site who came in to try things out, and the participants kept saying that this was a very rich intellectual journey.

The people taking part in the market kept asking, can it be held every month? The new immigrant friends setting up stalls also said they hoped the government could give more opportunities, let Taiwanese people know more about the new immigrants in Taiwan, and increase the number of times the market is held, so that they could use it to introduce their home countries' cultures and have some source of income.

Shi Lingyao, chief executive officer of the Michael Social Welfare Association, said: "Holding a new immigrant market is truly not easy, especially because contacting translators and communicating in various languages took a lot of time and energy, but it also shows the importance of international activities to our fellow citizens. New immigrant friends hope we can continue holding it, and feel that someone is speaking up for new immigrants and helping new immigrants have more connections and interactions, so that everyone knows Taiwan is a friendly and diverse place."