Who discriminates against Immigrants?

Trust,So
cialCategorization and the Attitudes towards I
mmigrants

Fen-ling Chen, Associate

Professor, Department of
Social Work, National
Taipei University

Welfare States and Immigratio

n
Increasingly researchers have viewed migration, imm

igrants, and ethnic diversity as challenges to the welfa

re state or threats to existing welfare arrangements.
A major worry concerns the impact of immigration o

n the legitimacy and popular support of the welfare st

ate.
Ethnic and racial diversity caused by immigration we

akens popular support for public provision of welfare.

Ethnic Diversity A Challeng

e?
The common view is that the welfare state is under st

rain because of immigration. But researchers find that

social insurance and means-tested benefits create diff
erent political dynamics of inclusion.
One of the first discussions on immigration and the E

uropean welfare state in a comparative perspective co

ncluded that expansive welfare states based on social
insurances schemes were less vulnerable than slim we
lfare states that rely heavily on means-tested scheme
s.

Trust towards Immigrants

Immigrant rights have figured more prominently in in

ternational migration and ethnic relations studies, and

received increasing attention in the welfare state resea
rch.
Meanwhile, attitudes or even trust towards the immigr
ants have become a major issue because they will infl
uence the integrative effect within the welfare state.
The question of who belongs is critical in distributiv
e social policy.

Background of Immigratio
n to Taiwan

Background of Immigration to Taiwa

n
In the mid to late 1980s, Taiwans employers found it diffic

ult to recruit and retain local workers, especially the semi-s

killed and unskilled

In October 1989, Taiwan passed legislation allowing the im

portation of foreign labour from a limited number of count

ries to meet the demands of planned construction projects

In 1992, migrant women were legally allowed to arrive as d

omestic workers and carers for the chronically ill, elderly a

nd very young. Employment Services Law

Increasing Female Immigrants for Marri

age
In the1980s, Taiwans government encouraged

people to expand business in South Asia. Some

of them married women from Thailand, the Phil
ippines and Indonesia.
Since the 1990s, marriage agencies have been a
ctive to introduce cross-national marriage betw
een Vietnam and Taiwan.
The relation improvement with mainland China
also caused a lot of cross-strait marriage.

Marriage Immigrants in Taiwan,

2014 Oct
%

total
number

South-eastern Asia
%

495,574 100.0

Vietna Indon
m
esia

Thail
and

Philip
pine

Kampu
chea

18.30

1.70

1.61

0.86

5.69

China

others

67.54

4.29

Age of marriage immigrants

others
total
15-24y

SE Asia

number

36,743

44.6

46.5

25-34y

33,554

40.7

35-44y

8,861

45-54y

China
others

total

China

HK,
Macao

number

2.0

10,579

11.3

11.6

1.5

41.3

29.3

51,944

55.5

56.5

18.5

10.8

9.6

36.5

19,636

21.0

20.6

35.5

2,353

2.9

2.2

17.3

7,841

8.4

8.0

24.6

55-64y

642

0.8

0.4

10.2

2,339

2.5

2.3

10.4

Over
65y

205

0.2

0.1

4.6

1,212

1.3

1.1

9.5

Avenues of Cross-national Marr

iage
agency

Introduce Known by
by
themselves
relatives

others

total

21.9

54.1

23.0

1.0

SE Asia

35.9
1.7
37.8

46.5
19.4
48.0

17.0
77.8
13.7

0.5
1.0
0.5

9.6
5.8
9.8

60.8
47.2
61.4

28.3
44.6
27.5

1.4
2.4
1.3

male
female
China
male
female

Divorce

immigrants
year

total

Taiwanese

2007

10.98

2008

total

China

Southeastern Asia

9.61

28.23

25.70

31.16

10.52

9.05

28.36

24.77

33.68

2009

10.72

8.97

31.14

27.67

36.70

2010

10.89

8.75

34.82

33.37

36.45

2011

10.66

8.75

31.46

28.89

35.90

2012

10.39

8.66

28.57

26.11

32.80

11

Divorce-by year of marriage

Taiwanese

12

immigrants

<5y

5 9y

>10y

<5y

5 9y

>10y

2004
2005

26.97
24.85

24.92
24.87

48.10
50.28

85.30
76.45

11.36
19.45

3.34
4.09

2006
2007

24.32
25.74

23.83
23.36

51.85
50.90

63.94
52.42

29.53
39.16

6.54
8.42

2008
2009
2010
2011
2012

25.99
27.05
28.51
29.14
29.13

22.53
21.70
21.40
21.64
21.11

51.48
51.25
50.09
49.22
49.76

43.07
32.87
25.36
27.31
27.36

46.38
53.26
57.98
48.72
42.91

10.55
13.87
16.67
23.97
29.73

Who discriminates against Immig

rants? Analysis from SQ research
in Taiwan

Theories for Racism

1. SocialCategorization Theory
. Strong tendency to divide people into in-groups and out-gro

ups.
. The classification of persons into groups on the basis of com
mon attributes.
Enlarge differences between in-groups and other out-groups
2. Realistic Conflict Theory
Hostility between population groups is caused by direct com
petition for limited resources.
The competition for resources may be of more imagination t
han reality.
People may fell offended by immigrant groups because of a s
ense of relative deprivation.

Research Method 1
Taiwans survey completed 1,6

07 questionnaires in 2009, usin

g SQSQ data.

Survey on Acceptance of Immig

rants
1. An immigrant can become a political lead

er if qualified
2. Taiwanese students should be given priori
ty over the immigrant applicants in colleg
e admissions if they are equally qualified
3. An immigrant can become CEO of a Taiwa
nese company if qualified.
. Higher scores mean more acceptance for i
mmigrants.

ANOVA Analysis of Acceptance of Immigr

ants by Countries
Table1 ANOVA Analysis of Acceptance of
Immigrants by Countries
Mean
(1)HK-Hong Kong

10.54

(2)KR-South Korea

8.99

(3)TH-Thailand

6.54

(4)TW-Taiwan

9.77

F-test

Post Hoc Test

758.086*** 1>4>2>3

***P 0.001 **P 0.01 *P 0.05

Acceptance of Immigrants by Ge
nder
Table2 Acceptance of Immigrants by Genders

Male
Female

Mean

T-test

P-value

9.88
9.66

2.204

0.028*

***P 0.001 **P 0.01 *P 0.05

Acceptance of Immigrants by Educational Ac

hievement
Table3 Acceptance of Immigrants by
Educational Achievement
Mean
F-test
(1) Junior high school

9.29

andbelow
(2) Senior high school 9.54
10.01
(3) University and
beyond

Post Hoc
Test

16.716*** 3>1
3>2

***P 0.001 **P 0.01 *P 0.05

Acceptance of Immigrants by Age Group

Table4 Acceptance of Immigrants by Age Group
Mean
(1)20-29
(2)30-39
(3)40-49
(4)50-59
(5)60

9.98
9.93
9.54
9.66
9.58

F-test

Post Hoc Test

3.272* 1>5 1>4

1>3
2>3 2>4

***P 0.001 **P 0.01 *P 0.05

Acceptance of Immigrants by Family Income

(monthly)
Table5 Acceptance of Immigrants by Family
Income (Monthly)
(1)Low income (<$19,999)

Mean
9.53

(2)Middle income ($20,000-99,999)

9.83

(3)High income (>100,000)

9.98

***P 0.001 **P 0.01 *P 0.05

F-test
2.741

Acceptance of Immigrants by Tolerance for

Neighbors
Table9 Acceptance of Immigrants by Tolerance
for Neighbors
Mean

T-test

P-value

Accept as Neighbors

9.04

8.614

0.000***

Not Accept

9.96

***P 0.001 **P 0.01 *P 0.05

Acceptance of Immigrants by Tolerance of Di

fferent Languages
Table10 Acceptance of Immigrants by
Tolerance of different languages
Mean
Accept as Neighbors

8.89

Not Accept

9.90

T-test
7.530

***P 0.001 **P 0.01 *P 0.05

P-value
0.000***

Acceptance of Immigrants by Ide

ntity (1)
Table 11: Acceptance of Immigrants by Identity
Identities

Familiar Mean T-test P-value

9.75
Close
Resident of my
-1.024 0.306
neighborhood
9.86
Distant
9.77
Close
Resident of my city
-0.018 0.986
9.77
Distant
9.82
Close
A Taiwanese
2.200 0.028*
9.55
Distant
***P 0.001 **P 0.01 *P 0.05

Acceptance of Immigrants by Ide

ntity (2)
Table 11: Acceptance of Immigrants by Identity
Identities

Familiar Mean T-test

Close
Distant
Close
An Asian
Distant
Close
A World Citizen
Distant
My Nation or
Ethnicity

9.84
9.61
9.70
9.77
9.68
9.74

P-value

2.228

0.026*

-0.778

0.437

-0.613

0.540

***P 0.001 **P 0.01 *P 0.05

Regression Analysis of Acceptance of Immigr

ants
Table 13: Regression Analysis of Acceptance of Immigrants
Model 1
Gender
-0.100*
Education
0.141*
Marital status
Monthly income
How much you trust in Foreigners
Familiar with A Taiwanese
Familiar with My Nation or Ethnicity
Trust towards State Mechanism
R2
F
1. ***P 0.001 **P 0.01 *P 0.05

0.070
0.085
0.025
-0.087
0.025
-0.063
0.041
4.632***

Research result 2
Taiwans survey completed 500

questionnaires in 2013, 250 par

ticipants were Taiwanese, 250
were female immigrants.

Attitudes towards Immigrants- opport

unity for achievement
agree
Can be a
political leader

average
disagree

Positive action
for education

agree
average
disagree

become a CEO agree

28

average

Taiwanese

immigrants X2

39 14.1

53 19.1

185 66.8

54 19.4

81 29.1

143 51.4

125 45.6

93 33.9

142 56.3 194.908***

88 34.9
22 8.7
191 75.5 201.974***

54 21.3
8 3.2
188 74.0 53.248***

56 22.0

Population contribution
Taiwanese

immigrants

X2

Reduce the agree

90 32.5 64 25.2 28.881***
quality of

population average 102 36.8 55 21.7

disagre 85 30.7 135 53.1

e

Solve the
agree
138 50.0 152 60.3 10.762**
problem of

low
average 84 30.4 75 29.8
fertility

rate
disagre 54 19.6 25 9.9
e
Note *p<0.05 **p<0.01 ***p<0.001

29

Economy
Taiwanese

NI good for
Taiwan economy
NI increase the
unemployment
problems
Government
spent a lot of
money on it
NI family are
poorer

agree
average
disagree
agree
average
disagree
agree
average
disagree
agree
average
disagree

Note *p<0.05 **p<0.01 ***p<0.001

73(26.3)
130(46.8)
75(27.0)
84(30.4)
96(34.8)
96(34.8)
108(39.0)
129(46.6)
40(14.4)
86(30.9)
112(40.3)
80(28.8)

immigrants X2
180(71.4)
59(23.4)
13(5.2)
75(29.9)
41(16.3)
135(53.8)
72(28.7)
58(23.1)
121(48.2)
87(34.4)
99(39.1)
67(26.5)

114.607***

28.051***

73.807***

0.781

30

Culture and resources

Bring new
culture

agree
average
disagree

Difficult to
become a part
of Taiwanese

agree
average
disagree

NI use a lot of
public
recourse

agree
average
disagree
agree

Taiwanese

immigrants

X2

176 64.0

60 21.8
39 14.2
54 19.5
107 38.6

116 41.9

107 38.6

93 33.6
77 27.8

212(84.1)

29.556.***

30(11.9)
10(4.0)
96(37.8)
45(17.7)

36.160***

113(44.5)
54(21.3)
47(18.6)
152(60.1)

56.153***

31

What Factors influence the attitudes to

wards Immigrants?
1. Realistic Conflict Theory a sense of relative deprivati
on
Women viewed the female immigrants as a supple
ment of marriage market.
Low income family regarded the new immigrants as
a supplement of welfare resource, compared to the
reason of job opportunities in Western countries.
2. SocialCategorization Theory- ethnically different
people who speak different languages, and grew up
in different places are regarded as OUTSIDERS.

Conclusion
Attitudes towards immigrants in Taiwan a

re more of social categorization than reso

urce conflict perspective.
However, certain population groups (wo
men , low education, and elder people) h
ave less trust in immigrants.
Learning to trust? Recent public efforts to
integrate foreign spouses (multi-culture e
ducation in school, let them join commun
ity service) should enhance the trust in im

Thank you for yo

ur attention