Peng Yi-ning, a senior at Tainan Tak Guang High School, is the daughter of a Vietnamese immigrant mother. She progressed from knowing no Vietnamese to passing the advanced (C1) proficiency test and used her language skills to serve as a summer interpretation volunteer at the Tainan First Service Station of the National Immigration Agency’s Southern Affairs Brigade. Passionate about writing, she also submitted an entry in Vietnamese titled "Gentle New Immigrant Mother" to the 9th Migrant Worker Literary Award, successfully making it to the preliminary round and showcasing her talents.
Peng Yi-ning uses her language skills to serve as a summer interpretation volunteer at the Tainan First Service Station of the National Immigration Agency's Southern Affairs Brigade (Photo sourced from National Immigration Agency website)
Peng Yi-ning recalls that from the age of seven, her mother single-handedly shouldered the family’s financial burden, selling traditional Vietnamese dishes from a small truck on the roadside. During the summer, she would join her mother at 5 a.m. to help. In the early days, business was slow, and they would sit by the roadside chatting, with her mother sharing stories of challenges when she first arrived in Taiwan, including language barriers, loneliness, and social prejudice. These stories left a deep impression on Peng Yi-ning and motivated her to improve her Vietnamese.
As her family’s business stabilized, Peng Yi-ning started helping at the store, learning to cook Vietnamese dishes and engaging with Vietnamese customers. Gradually, her Vietnamese became increasingly fluent, and she was praised by customers for her authentic accent, as if she had lived in Vietnam for years. This sense of accomplishment spurred her to continue learning and solidified her future goals.
Peng Yi-ning helps out at her family’s small business (Photo sourced from National Immigration Agency website)
Despite a busy academic schedule, Peng Yi-ning continues to improve her language skills and is determined to major in Southeast Asian languages in college to study Southeast Asian culture deeply. She hopes that by gaining a deeper understanding of language and culture, she can promote cultural understanding and exchange and contribute to Taiwan’s multicultural integration.
Lin Zhi-hong, Director of the Tainan First Service Station, highlighted that the National Immigration Agency has long promoted initiatives like the "Empowerment Program" and "Dream Building Program" to support cross-cultural exchange and learning for second-generation immigrants. This year’s "11th Dream Building Program for New Immigrants and Their Children" is open for registration until November 25, 2024, and through Peng Yi-ning's story, they hope to inspire second-generation immigrants in Taiwan to embrace multiculturalism and create a unique future for themselves.
