Relational citizenship: Examining Taiwanese membership development through immigrant framing in public discourses

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis essay unpacks how new immigrants and citizenship are framed in public discourse in Taiwan. Since the 1980s, Taiwan has experienced significant demographic changes. As a postcolonial, neoliberal capitalist democracy, imbued with Confucianism and collective interests, Taiwan provides an intriguing case for study. Through analyzing discourses of new immigrants, relational citizenship emerged as a strategy to anchor and authenticate membership in Taiwan. This challenges discussions on belongingness beyond the language of law, economics, and humanitarianism, to address interactions that occur between citizens and im/migrants as interdependent and relational partners. Although the concept of relational citizenship is culturally specific, it may also be applied to other societies and contexts.