Asset or Liability: Transnational Links and Political Participation of Foreign‐Born Citizens in Taiwan

Abstract

Viewed as outsiders clinging onto links with their country of origin, immigrants do not often feature positively in electoral politics in their host society. Challenging this conventional view, this article examines how immigrants make use of their transnational ties to foster their political participation in the host state. This exploration is conducted through our study of the political participation of Vietnamese and Chinese immigrants in Taiwan. Our research finds that transnational ties are politicized by the mainstream political parties. However, such politicization does not necessarily restrict immigrants’ agency and their sociopolitical space for political participation. Their transnational ties constitute a dynamic sociopolitical field in which these maintained connections are acted upon and give rise to a variety of strategies for responding to issues affecting their interests.

“I Vote so I am”: Marriage Migrants’ Political Participation in Taiwan

“…Many mainland sisters decided not to vote KMT this time! (Anonymous 5, 2016) Lack of representation was one of the reasons that led some mainland spouses to operate outside of mainstream parties, by establishing independent political parties (Cheng, Momesso and Fell, 2018;Momesso, 2017). Although these actions had a minor political impact, they represented an important example of what a group of migrant women and men managed to do when felt unrepresented in mainstream politics in a context of favourable political opportunities both in Taiwan and in China.…”

“…Earlier scholarship explores their political participation by means of non-conventional political actions, such as protests, rallies, and petitions (Chang, 2004;Chao, 2006;Hsia, 2008;King, 2011;Momesso and Cheng, 2017). Yet, more recently, the literature has alerted us to formal practices of political engagement through electoral and party politics (Chen and Luo, 2014;Cheng, 2014;Cheng, 2016;Cheng and Fell, 2014;Cheng, Momesso and Fell, 2018;Momesso, 2020a). This scholarship, similarly to broader debates on migrant political participation in the Western world, focuses on social, economic, and legal factors in shaping marriage migrants' political integration and participation, such as acquisition of citizenship rights, class and ethnic background, transnational connections.…”

A Review on Micro/Nanoforming to Fabricate 3D Metallic Structures

“…[ 79,80 ] In addition, other research on dry friction in microforming processes indicated that the friction coefficient changed little [ 81 ] or decreased when using a surface coating. [ 82 ] To explain the dry tribology behavior of microforming, Zheng et al [ 83 ] proposed a multi‐region model by considering the effects of grain interior and grain boundaries based on the modified Tabor friction model. The simulation results demonstrated that the grain boundaries had little effect on the dry friction behavior, and the random grain orientation distribution led to dispersive average friction coefficients.…”

We want productive workers, not fertile women: The expediency of employing Southeast Asian caregivers in Taiwan

“…While both groups are discriminated against and mark the boundary of national community (Yuval‐Davis, 1997; Lan, 2008), the bodies and fertility of migrant wives, who are reluctantly included into the national community, are further politicised. In the past, justified by eugenic interests, their motherhood was under the pressure of assimilation (Cheng, 2013), but lately, it has been utilised by the state as a transnational asset in deepening socio‐economic relationships with Southeast Asian countries (Cheng et al ., 2019). What foreign caregivers and migrant wives share is that their fertility is intertwined with Taiwan's nation‐building.…”