The Settlement Experiences of Taiwanese Immigrants in Brisbane

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to document and explore the findings of a survey carried out in Brisbane from 16 August to 15 September 1999, on the settlement experiences of recent Taiwanese immigrants, their motive for immigration and their perception of Australian society. Ethnic immigrants in advanced industrialized countries have long been depicted as passive and powerless individuals. In the past fifty years, this tendency to portray migrants as disadvantaged victims has remained largely intact. However, the new wave of immigrants that arrived in the late 1980s mostly came from economically affluent north-east Asian countries, particularly from Hong Kong and Taiwan. Many of these people were skilled or professionally qualified independent immigrants, and a large number of them were in fact entrepreneurs who brought capital and other economic resources. Therefore, their settlement experiences may not necessarily involve marginalisation and dependency, nor is it appropriate to argue that they would be potential victims of structural discrimination. This study of the settlement experiences of Taiwanese immigrants in Brisbane aims, firstly, to examine the forces that motivated Taiwanese citizens to immigrate to Australia. Secondly, it explores the social and occupational mobility of Taiwanese immigrants measured by the changes in their self-identified class location between Taiwan and Australia. Finally, it investigates the sense of belonging of Taiwanese immigrants, and their interactions with their home country.