The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday called on residents of New Taipei City to take part in a “bring home books you don’t understand” donation drive to help facilitate the transition of new immigrants, whether due to marriage or if they are moving to Taiwan to work.
Speaking to a press conference at the party’s New Taipei City chapter office, DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said that Taiwan welcomes and appreciates immigrants and foreign workers, as they inject a new element of vitality and make Taiwan a more vibrant society.
“Books and other items from home is the best relief for the soul and we hope that our party’s efforts, as well as the efforts of society, will help the new immigrants feel at home by bringing back to Taiwan a book in a language that most Taiwanese do not understand,” Tsai said, adding that she hoped the campaign would help the nation garner more books from Southeast Asia.
“Many of our brothers and sisters from Southeast Asian nations live here with Taiwanese and learn our culture, and we believe in the adage ‘time makes a foreign place become home,’” Tsai said.
Tsai said that she spent time abroad while studying for her degree and had also spent a lot of time traveling in different countries for work, adding that despite being used to other cultures and being able to live in a foreign environment, she was nevertheless drawn to things that were in her own language.
Tsai said she fully empathizes with foreign spouses and foreign workers, adding that no one can understand the sort of feeling one has when seeing the familiar in a strange place until one has been in their shoes.
“We believe that the vitality these newcomers bring to Taiwan enhances society’s vibrant and diverse lifestyles,” Tsai said.
Former DPP secretary-general Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全) and DPP New Taipei City headquarters director Luo Chi-cheng (羅致政) also took part in the press conference.
The books received would be donated to the Brilliant Time Southeast Asia Themed Bookstore (燦爛時光東南亞主題書店) in New Taipei City’s Jhonghe District (中和), the party said, adding that it would also be announcing which local party headquarters would receive the books and provide a lending service.
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