Becoming "New Second Generation": Children of Transnational Marriages Amidst Multiculturalism and Geopolitics

In Taiwan, the number of children from transnational marriages is estimated to exceed 500,000. These children were once called "Children of New Taiwan." Since the promotion of the New Southbound Policy, the government has renamed them "New Second Generations," overtly indicating their immigrant background. However, how do "New Second Generations" view this label? How do second generations from different ethnic groups, social classes, and with varying migratory experiences define themselves and answer the question "Who am I?" This book seeks to explore how these "New Second Generation" young people negotiate their identity within complex ethnic identity politics, under the tension of geopolitical circumstances and multicultural policies.

 

This book features in-depth interviews with sixty-one adult second-generation children whose mothers are from Southeast Asia or mainland China, as well as fifteen of their immigrant mothers. Through their life stories, the aim is to understand how changes in national policies and geopolitical contexts influence the life experiences and ethnic identity of these immigrant children. What are the differences in experiences between second generations whose mothers are from different countries, especially "Taiwanese Southeast Asian Second Generations" and "Taiwanese Chinese Second Generations"? What identity strategies do they adopt to resist or avoid the stigma of being outsiders, arising from ethnic/geopolitical factors? And in the current political and social atmosphere, can the multicultural backgrounds of these new second generations be successfully transformed into identity dividends (such as special selection or admission opportunities)? Or will they lead to unintended negative consequences? What identity changes do children who return from abroad, as well as second generations who have migrated back to their parents' home countries (reverse migration), experience during the process of transnational mobility?

 

Based on field analysis, this book also proposes relevant action recommendations, including changing established cognitive frameworks to view immigrant children as active agents rather than vulnerable individuals; defining "New Second Generations" more broadly to recognize differences and inequalities within the group; and making more nuanced distinctions—for instance, defining the connection between New Second Generations and their mothers' home countries at a cultural and local level, rather than overgeneralizing or even excluding them from the community.

 

The life experiences and evolving identities of these "New Second Generations" also prompt us to rethink the definition of "Taiwanese." As Taiwan's population gradually incorporates more diverse sources of immigration, the boundaries of what it means to be Taiwanese are continuously being rewritten and expanded. Just as our ancestors "became" Taiwanese at the intersection of various ethnic groups and cultures during different historical periods, the "New Second Generations," whose parents embarked on immigrant journeys to Taiwan, will continue to expand the identity and cultural boundaries of being Taiwanese.