Reversing stereotypes – Compassion of new immigrants in Taiwan

Taiwan’s new immigrant population is close to 500,000, with Vietnamese people accounting for roughly 90,000. Vietnamese cafes are visible on streets the length and breadth of Taiwan but many of these new immigrants are stereotyped as simply being here for the money, or as a vulnerable group. Intent on reversing such stereotypes, new immigrant, Ruan Qing-shui (阮清水), began spreading kindness to others in cooperation with Sanchong District Office in New Taipei City. Each Wednesday afternoon, Miss Ruan can be seen busily rushing around delivering “compassion lunches” to elderly people in the area who are living alone. 

Miss Ruan also makes and teaches gelatin flower art, empowering people in vulnerable positions with a skill in which to make a living. What’s more, she donates all the money she makes from sales of her gelatin flower art to vulnerable groups or international disaster relief. Miss Ruan hopes that through this she is not only helping Taiwanese people but also doing her bit for the international community. Providing “compassion lunches”, creating gelatin flower art, and even collecting second-hand clothes to send back to Vietnam are all ways that Miss Ruan tries to help others, not only proving that new immigrants can not be stereotyped as a vulnerable group, but also that they care about helping others. 

Reversing stereotypes – Compassion of new immigrants in Taiwan

URL：https://www.peopo.org/news/335991

(以下是中文對照)

扭轉刻板印象 新住民在台做愛心

照片

台灣新住民人口接近五十萬人，其中來自越南的新住民人數約有九萬，街邊也常見越南美食等小吃店，然而許多人對新住民可能都帶著來台賺錢的刻板印象，或是直接認定他們為弱勢族群。新住民阮清水決定扭轉刻板印象和散播愛心，便與新北市三重區公所合作，製作愛心便當發送給獨居老人，每週三總可見到他忙進忙出，準備要給長輩的餐點。

阮清水平常也製作和教學果凍花，讓困苦的人有一技之長，能自力更生，果凍花義賣的所得會捐給國內弱勢族群，或國際賑災使用，希望不只是幫助台灣人，也能為國際間需要幫助的對象盡一份力。從愛心便當、果凍花義賣，到收集舊衣服寄回越南偏鄉等，都是阮清水幫助他人的方式，也證明了新住民在台灣不只有弱勢形象，也能為需要幫助的人盡一份力。