Teaching cultural diversity
In order to change public stereotypes about immigrants and foreign workers, Ho and other cultural diversity lecturers give talks and courses in schools and various communities. Hu tailors her teaching style to suit different audiences. When she visits elderly audiences, for example, she will highlight cultural similarities and differences between Taiwan and Vietnam. Vietnam shares many of the same traditions, such as the Dragon Boat Festival and the making of wrapped rice dumplings, though they are made slightly differently. Fried pancakes are also popular in southern Vietnam just as they are in Taiwan. This helps seniors better understand the native culture of their daughters-in-law.
When Ho first began this work she was saddened to see that the children of immigrant mothers often felt embarrassed and looked down on their mothers’ cultures. She wondered if her own child would feel the same. So in her multicultural training programs, she invites the children of immigrant mothers to share their experiences of Southeast Asia with the class to help them build confidence and help other classmates understand the benefits of cultural diversity.
Whenever possible Ho brings her own son and daughter to work with her to let them meet people of various ethnic backgrounds and see that people are all different. “Perhaps after meeting different people through my work, they will not try to hide their mother’s background, but instead say proudly that their mother is Vietnamese,” Ho says.
Aside from lecturing in the hundreds of cultural diversity courses offered each year, Ho also guides students who need her help, hoping to cultivate new teachers from among the immigrant women. Taiwan’s efforts at creating a multicultural society rely on the immigrant community to promote mutual understanding. “If the people of Taiwan and the new immigrants mix together, won’t that lead to new understanding and cultivate new talent?” she asks with sound logic.
Ho says that she has always loved to talk and to get involved in other people’s lives, so she naturally fell into the role of looking after other immigrant women. Straightforward by nature, she is unafraid to speak up when something needs to be said.
She never imagined a public service career or becoming a national policy advisor. When she first came to Taiwan, she was a young woman longing to see what life held in store. Today she stands fearlessly as a representative for the immigrant community.
Ho admits that she has found life in the complicated world of politics somewhat exhausting, and she sometimes misses the simplicity of her old life. But who would speak up for the interests of her fellow countrywomen if she didn’t do it?
Ho has no regrets about choosing to live in Taiwan. She feels that it was both destiny and a self-chosen path. And she’s not looking back.
Immigrant women confidently show off their talents at a multicultural fair.
Family is Ho Thanh Nhan’s greatest source of strength. (photo by Chuang Kung-ju)