The Economic and Employment Exclusion of Marriage Immigrants from Southeast Asia: an Analysis from a Strength Perspective

[[abstract]]This study aims to explore how the marriage immigrants from Southeast Asia experience the economic and employment exclusion in Taiwan, and by what means they use their personal strength to confront these experiences. Firstly, this study explores the growing environment of the immigrants’ home countries, their family structures, socio-economic status, social life, education, social networks and their individual and family employment status, so as to identify their personal strength and potentials, and the ways that they face and handle issues. Secondly, a strength perspective is used to discuss their experience of economic and employment exclusion, and how they use their personal strength and the formal and informal resources. Through this study, it is found that those marriage immigrants are capable of handling problem themselves. Hence, in this patriarchal society they are not the mere oppressed. This study employs in-depth interviews to 6 marriage immigrants from Southeast Asia in Taiwan. The study finds: firstly, the marriage immigrants are capable of using their personal strength and resources to confront the economic and employment exclusion; secondly, the person with the initiative in confronting problems can accumulate experience and has the ability to handle problems alone; thirdly, although the government’s welfare measures for immigrants have improved gradually, since the respondents live in the rural area, less formal resources are available; fourthly, respondents have utilized their social networks to find jobs since they are not familiar with employment services; and finally, the support from the husband’s family and the immigrants’ taking initiative are two foremost factors boosting their employment prospects