| dc.description.abstract | In this study we explore the ethnic imagery that six new immigrant women in
Yangmei District (Taoyuan City) have after they married Hakka husbands and
interacted with local Taiwanese. We used the in-depth interview method in qualitative
study to collect data. The subjects of the in-depth interviews are six new immigrant
women from China and Indonesia. The scope of this study includes their adaptation to
eating habits, religion, marital interaction, and education methods under the impact of
their native culture and Taiwanese culture, their identification with Taiwanese society
and culture, and the imagery they have towards the Hakka people after their
interactions with them. The results of this study are as follows:
1.The Problems They Encounter in Taiwan:
When two people enter into a marriage, both people’s original life styles will
change. Although new immigrants in Taiwan are far from home, the interviews
show that their adaptability is better than the author imagined it would be. The
author also found that the reason for coming to Taiwan affects their future
marriage views, that different nationalities lead to different lifestyle differences,
and that problems between the women and their mother-in-laws are caused by
their personalities and difficulties in developing interpersonal relationships.
2.Forming New Hakka Imagery:
Twelve Hakka imageries were compiled through multiple interviews and
observations to explore the new immigrant women’s imagery toward the Hakka
based on the dimensions of eating, worship, marriage, and education. The
imageries include the following: (1) packing culture; (2) excessive quantity; (3)
preference for bland food; (4) frequent worshipping and abundant offerings; (5)
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worshiping The Village Deity; (6) families get together to worship; (7) no
division of labor for household chores; (8) simple lifestyle; (9) strong family
values; (10) value age hierarchy; (11) the mother is the main educator; and (12)
free education perspective.
3.The Relationship Between the New Immigrant Women and Their Spouse Will
Affect Their Ethnic Identity:
If new immigrant women can establish a good relationship with their husband’s
family, then they generally will tolerate and respect cultural conflicts with the
husband’s family. Conversely, if they do not have a good relationship with their
husband’s family, the women will prefer their own hometown in their
self-identity. This shows that the relationship between new immigrant women
and their spouses will affect their ethnic identity and adaptability. The author
hopes that this study can benefit society and new immigrant women, as well as
help create harmony in Taiwanese society. | en_US |