How Immigrant Families are Reshaping NCCU’s Southeast Asia Department

According to the National Immigration Agency, Taiwan is home to more than 615,000 new immigrants as of March 2026, a demographic shift reshaping university classrooms and society. At National Chengchi University’s Department of Southeast Asian Languages and Cultures, heritage-language students like Harry Chan and Sean Hsu are navigating university-level Vietnamese studies while redefining cultural identity in a changing Taiwan.

Heritage-Language Learners Face Unique Academic Hurdles at University

For 19-year-old Harry Chan, Vietnamese was a cornerstone of family life growing up between Vietnam and Taiwan. Raised partly by his maternal grandparents and speaking the language with his mother and younger brother, Chan realized upon entering university that he was effectively illiterate in the language, according to CNA staff reporter Sunny Lai’s reporting. His classmate, 19-year-old Sean Hsu, experienced the opposite dynamic. Hsu regularly visited relatives in Vietnam as a child and recognized some written words, but his family primarily communicated in Mandarin, leaving him capable of little more than basic greetings.

Both students enrolled in the Vietnamese track at National Chengchi University (NCCU) to bridge these gaps. Department chair Le Thi-Nham notes that heritage-language students frequently arrive with conversational skills or close family ties but soon discover that the curriculum extends far beyond basic vocabulary. According to Hsu, the program introduced him to Vietnamese cultural and historical backgrounds that his working mother never had time to teach him. Chan adds that his coursework covers women’s status across Southeast Asian countries, regional economic development, and broader social issues.

Confronting Social Stereotypes and Stigma in Daily Life

Choosing to study their maternal heritage language has not always met with understanding. Both students faced skepticism from high school classmates who questioned the value of studying a language they already spoke or suggested they simply learn it from their mothers. Furthermore, the academic department itself faced online mockery last year as a “migrant worker department,” a label reflecting a broader societal tendency to associate Southeast Asia primarily with the roughly 895,000 migrant workers living in Taiwan.

Such attitudes echo childhood experiences. Chan recalls that speaking Vietnamese in public sometimes drew unwanted attention, with market vendors occasionally treating him and his mother differently. Hsu remembers passersby staring into his mother’s shop when Vietnamese music played or when her friends gathered. However, both note a distinct cultural shift today. Vendors now react with surprise and admiration upon hearing Chan speak Vietnamese, while Hsu observes that people are increasingly likely to compliment his bilingualism rather than question his background.

Building Belonging and Shaping Taiwan’s Future

Joining the NCCU department has fostered a deeper sense of belonging for both students, particularly since roughly half of their cohort shares immigrant family backgrounds. Le, who moved to Taiwan from Vietnam in 2010, observes that second-generation students are increasingly embracing their heritage. Where children of immigrants once concealed their backgrounds out of fear of discrimination, Le notes they now proudly state, “I am half Vietnamese, and I love my mother’s culture.”

Looking ahead, both students see vital roles for themselves and their peers. Hsu expresses interest in translation, teaching, or potentially living in Vietnam, while Chan remains equally open to working there. Department chair Le points out that these students enrich classroom discussions by bringing authentic family stories that help classmates understand Southeast Asia from diverse perspectives. Ultimately, as Hsu observes, the growing population of immigrant families acts as an essential bridge linking Taiwan and Southeast Asia through trade, travel, and cultural exchange.

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