On October 13th, the Chairman of the Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation, Hsin-Huang Michael Hsiao, attended the award ceremony of the “9th Taiwan Literature Award for Migrants”, held at the plaza outside Shanjia RailwayStation in Shulin District, New Taipei City. Held annually, the award encourages migrant workers and new immigrants from Southeast Asia to write in their native languages, providing a platform for them to share their stories and enrich Taiwan’s cultural landscape by giving their voices a space to be heard.
In his speech, Chairman Hsiao stated that since the foundation's establishment in 2018, it has “shown strong commitment to supporting migrant workers and new immigrants in Taiwan”. He emphasized that TAEF will continue to promote the enhanced version of the New Southbound Policy ( also known as "NSP+"), strengthening Taiwan's friendly relations with its New Southbound Policy partner countries.
Chairman Hsiao mentioned that the foundation not only focuses on international exchanges but also is equally invested in improving the lives of migrant workers and immigrants in Taiwan. He stresses that, "we not only need to promote foreign relations abroad with the New Southbound Policy partner countries, but we must also start taking meaningful actions here at home." He further pointed out that Taiwan currently hosts 750,000 migrant workers, and that "our immigrants— who are our spouses, our children's mothers, and our daughters-in-law, number around 200,000. Together with their children, the total exceeds 1 million." The foundation will continue to pay close attention to improving the quality of life, human rights, and labor conditions of these migrant workers and new immigrants communities.
Chairman Hsiao also reflected on the history of the “Taiwan Literature Award for Migrants”, noting that it once faced the risk of being discontinued. However, Chairman Hsiao continued to offer his encouragement for the award to carry on : "We constantly reminded Chang Cheng (the event host), saying it must go on, it must go on." The chairman expressed his hope that the 10th Taiwan Literature Award for Migrants will be held as scheduled next year, and he promised that the foundation will continue to support this important event, ensuring that the stories of migrant workers and immigrants will continue to be heard and celebrated.
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