圓桌論壇 Roundtable

摘要

        移民研究已成為全球化時代備受國內外學界關注的焦點，涵蓋面向包括世界各地不同移民社會之組成及其歷史，乃至移民群體在接收國的生存處境與認同問題等等。然而，由於眾多的移民社群與接收國的其他族群建構了各異的互動與權力關係，致使不同學科領域對於移民的定義往往眾說紛紜、莫衷一是。尤其當移民群體逐漸取代了當地原居民而成為人口優勢，既有的移民概念及論述似乎難以涵蓋如是的人口結構及其在政經、社會、文化上的多重影響。因此，本文嘗試借鑑「定居殖民研究」(settler colonial studies)的論述框架，藉著「定居殖民批判」(settler colonial critique)的分析概念重新審視「移民社會」與「定居殖民社會」的差異之處。接續，將論述焦點轉向位居中國西北地區的新疆維吾爾自治區，透過中國當代作家豐收的文學作品《西長城——新疆兵團一甲子》，來思考當地漢人定居者群體與當地原居民(在該案例中即是身為少數民族群體的維吾爾族)之間的跨族群關係與互動，以及其中攸關種族、性別、階級所交織而成的諸多議題。

Migration studies has garnered significant attention in both the domestic and international academic communities in the era of globalization. This field of study covers a wide range of aspects, including the formations and histories of various (im)migrant societies worldwide, as well as their living conditions and identity issues that different (im)migrant groups encounter in receiving countries. The definition of migration, however, often varies across different disciplines, particularly as different (im)migrant communities establish distinct forms of interactions and power relations with other groups of people within the receiving countries. Current scholarly discussions on (im)migration, in this sense, seem insufficient in conceptualizing such complex demographic structures and their multidimensional, sociopolitical, economic, and cultural impacts on receiving countries, especially when immigrant groups gradually replace the indigenous populations and eventually become the demographic majority. Drawing upon the framework of settler colonial studies, this essay firstly reexamines the distinctions between “(im)migrant societies” and “settler societies” through the lens of settler colonial critique. Next, it shifts its focus to Xinjiang (officially known as the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region) located in northwestern China by reading contemporary Chinese writer Feng Shou’s literary work, The Western Great Wall—Sixty Years of Xinjiang Corps. The essay will investigate the complicated interethnic relationship and interactions between the Han Chinese settlers and the indigenous population (the Uighur ethnic minority in this case), particularly by looking critically at the dynamics of race, gender, and class as articulated in the text. 

摘要

       1990年代跨國婚姻媒合業的蓬勃發展促使大批中國和東南亞的移民來台結婚。然而，由於各種文化與家庭的衝突，過去二十年在台的跨國離婚明顯增長。透過訪談36位新住民單親媽媽，本文將探討這些單親媽媽如何平衡育兒與工作來確保自己的母職公民身份得到社會認可。本文將說明，新住民單親媽媽的母職公民身份不僅是種族化亦是分層化的公民身份，並且需要不間斷的母職勞動。然而，他們的母職勞動因為經濟的不穩定和有限的時間而變得危殆且脆弱。失衡的母職將引起社會對新住民單親媽媽是否能成為一位“好母親”的質疑，並強化因為種族和階級差異而產生的社會歧視。受限於原生家庭的支援有限以及可能的語言與文化隔閡，新住民單親媽媽往往面臨比本地單親媽媽更大的挑戰，跨國離異家庭也呈現比本地離異家庭更複雜的家庭動態。通過新住民單親媽媽的故事與分析，本文力求翻轉台灣社會對新住民離婚女性為「逃跑新娘」或「不負責任的母親」等過去的刻板印象。

This paper aims to examine the parenting strategies employed by divorced immigrant single mothers within the Taiwanese context. The proliferation of transnational marriage brokerage in the 1990s led to a substantial influx of marriage migrants from China and Southeast Asia to Taiwan. Over the past two decades, however, the region has witnessed a notable surge in transnational divorces. These divorces can be attributed to a multitude of factors, including age and cultural disparities between couples, conflicts between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law, and instances of domestic violence. For example, in 2010, the number of transnational divorces reached an unprecedented peak, constituting nearly a quarter of all divorce cases. Before legislative amendments to pertinent laws and policies, divorced single mothers who had not acquired Taiwanese citizenship at the time of divorce or failed to obtain custody of their children faced repatriation, resulting in numerous family tragedies. Today, thanks to a heightened awareness of human rights, family rights, and the “best interests of the child” principle advocated by the United Nations, immigrant single mothers are permitted to remain in Taiwan, provided they have a minor child who is a citizen to care for.

Despite legal progress in Taiwan, however, a considerable number of immigrant single mothers confront dual moral and economic burdens stemming from the social stigma attached to divorced foreign spouses and a lack of economic and cultural capital to compete for higher-paying jobs in the local labor market. Consequently, many of these single mothers opt for employment in the low-end or underground economy, such as the 3D industry (dangerous, dirty, and difficult) and the sex-entertainment business. Struggling to balance childcare responsibilities with work commitments, some choose to send their children back to their natal families, while others endeavor to raise their children in Taiwan. Drawing on data gathered from 36 interviews with immigrant single mothers who serve as primary caregivers and breadwinners residing in Taiwan, this paper examines how these single mothers employ the parenting strategies to secure their maternal citizenship. I argue that this maternal citizenship is not only racialized and stratified but also contingent on their ceaseless and uncelebrated maternal labor. Moreover, it is contended that their maternal labor is precarious due to the instability of their economic situation and inflexibility of their time, both of which are common issues among these single mothers. Failing to balance the demands of childcare and work invites social scrutiny regarding their qualification as “good mothers” and results in further social discrimination, grounded in racial and class differences.

Immigrant single mothers often encounter more substantial challenges than their local counterparts due to limited support from their natal families and language barriers that hinder their access to legal resources in the first place. As a result, transnational divorced families exhibit a more complicated family dynamic than local ones. Through a comprehensive analysis of the narratives and stories shared by these divorced immigrant single mothers, this paper endeavors to dispel stereotypical depictions of divorced marriage migrants as “runaway brides” or irresponsible mothers, shedding light on the understudied but emerging phenomenon of transnational divorces in Asia.

摘要

       中國福建九龍江口，在西方文獻中常被稱為Chincheo，其週邊的海澄、同安、龍溪等縣，再到外圍的漳州和泉州諸縣，在現在的語言中統稱「閩南」，自唐宋帝國以降就是中國重要的海外貿易據點。自1567年明帝國開放海禁後，閩南商人重新回到東亞海域，成為近代初期東亞商貿網絡中的重要角色，影響了東亞和東南亞國家的文化和民族多元性。在閩南人的歷史論述中，鄭成功及其家族也因建立自己的政權，並與清朝對抗而備受矚目。但還有許許多多的閩南商人和殖民者，一面實踐與當權者合作的傳統，一面離開原鄉，在海外默默地成為不可忽視的殖民勢力。這樣的移民現象，或許可以和西方近代初期的「歐洲擴張」（European expansion）相比，名之為「閩南人擴張」。世界史上近代初期隨著歐洲在十九世紀的歷次革命而遠去，在亞洲則在十九、二十世紀之交隨著國族主義的興起而走入歷史。對閩南人擴張來說，跨越族群與海洋的交流則是其基本特徵。當東亞各國的國族畛域逐漸形成，以跨域族群與地理界線而興起的閩南人，自然在新的國族疆界中變得裡外不是人。但只有在臺灣，因為其獨特的殖民與被殖民經驗，以及現代的民主化歷程，住在臺灣的閩南人與其他漢人族群共同建立起一個類似美國和澳洲的定居者殖民地。但不論是閩南人，還是共存於臺灣的客家人、外省人，這些廣義上稱為「漢人」的族群，都不是臺灣的原住民。在目前的歷史論述中，對 1895 年以前漢人對臺灣的殖民，通常都以「移民、拓墾、開發」等用語描述。但如果我們將臺灣放在閩南人擴張史中討論，就必須正視閩南人和其他漢人族群殖民臺灣，這件大家不願面對的事實。藉由這篇報告，我想將閩南人與其他漢人族群視為殖民者，以妥適處理臺灣作為漢人殖民地在世界史中的定位。

This paper aims to examine the parenting strategies employed by divorced immigrant single mothers within the Taiwanese context. The proliferation of transnational marriage brokerage in the 1990s led to a substantial influx of marriage migrants from China and Southeast Asia to Taiwan. Over the past two decades, however, the region has witnessed a notable surge in transnational divorces. These divorces can be attributed to a multitude of factors, including age and cultural disparities between couples, conflicts between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law, and instances of domestic violence. For example, in 2010, the number of transnational divorces reached an unprecedented peak, constituting nearly a quarter of all divorce cases. Before legislative amendments to pertinent laws and policies, divorced single mothers who had not acquired Taiwanese citizenship at the time of divorce or failed to obtain custody of their children faced repatriation, resulting in numerous family tragedies. Today, thanks to a heightened awareness of human rights, family rights, and the “best interests of the child” principle advocated by the United Nations, immigrant single mothers are permitted to remain in Taiwan, provided they have a minor child who is a citizen to care for.

Despite legal progress in Taiwan, however, a considerable number of immigrant single mothers confront dual moral and economic burdens stemming from the social stigma attached to divorced foreign spouses and a lack of economic and cultural capital to compete for higher-paying jobs in the local labor market. Consequently, many of these single mothers opt for employment in the low-end or underground economy, such as the 3D industry (dangerous, dirty, and difficult) and the sex-entertainment business. Struggling to balance childcare responsibilities with work commitments, some choose to send their children back to their natal families, while others endeavor to raise their children in Taiwan. Drawing on data gathered from 36 interviews with immigrant single mothers who serve as primary caregivers and breadwinners residing in Taiwan, this paper examines how these single mothers employ the parenting strategies to secure their maternal citizenship. I argue that this maternal citizenship is not only racialized and stratified but also contingent on their ceaseless and uncelebrated maternal labor. Moreover, it is contended that their maternal labor is precarious due to the instability of their economic situation and inflexibility of their time, both of which are common issues among these single mothers. Failing to balance the demands of childcare and work invites social scrutiny regarding their qualification as “good mothers” and results in further social discrimination, grounded in racial and class differences.

Immigrant single mothers often encounter more substantial challenges than their local counterparts due to limited support from their natal families and language barriers that hinder their access to legal resources in the first place. As a result, transnational divorced families exhibit a more complicated family dynamic than local ones. Through a comprehensive analysis of the narratives and stories shared by these divorced immigrant single mothers, this paper endeavors to dispel stereotypical depictions of divorced marriage migrants as “runaway brides” or irresponsible mothers, shedding light on the understudied but emerging phenomenon of transnational divorces in Asia.