Fun times for all are part of
the Foreign Worker Festival
Parade Float Show.

Dressed in traditional ethnic
clothing, foreign workers
proudly share their own
cultures.

Dressing up and winning prizes at the Parade Float Show

Experience a foreign cultural festival!

Words by Huang Yu-qing Translated by S. Ying
Photos by Labor Affairs Bureau of Taichung City Government

The make-up of Taiwan's labor force began changing far back in 1989, when the nation began welcoming foreign workers. Today, Taichung's foreign-worker population is ranked third in size nationally with over 77,000 in blue-collar jobs. In addition, as more multinational firms set up operations, the city is also home to over 2,000 white-collar foreign employees from over 75 countries, helping to boost Taichung's economy.

In Taiwan, both the labor-intensive and home-care sectors have seen an increasing number of foreign workers, meaning that showing respect for diverse cultures is critical to transforming Taichung from a "local city" into an international, cosmopolitan metropolis. Towards this goal, recently-elected Taichung City Mayor Lin Chia-lung has announced his vision to make Taichung a vibrant and friendly city, filled with hope.

The Taichung Labor Affairs Bureau attaches importance to upholding proper living standards and protecting the rights of foreign workers. There is counseling available for foreign workers during the first three months of their time in Taiwan to ensure they are well-adjusted, understand their employee rights, and help resolve any possible issues they may have with their employers. There is also a 24 hour hotline (1955) for queries about labor affairs.

Window for cultural exchanges
In addition, the Labor Affairs Bureau assists foreign workers outside of work by providing HR recruitment help, employer visits, cultural events, concerts and competitions. For example, Taichung hosted the first-ever Mandarin and Taiwanese speech contest for foreign workers, providing an outlet to help them relax outside of work, and encouraging cultural exchanges as they practice their Mandarin or Taiwanese speeches.

Blue collar foreign workers in Taichung are mostly from Southeast Asia, specifically Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand. Large-scale events hosted by the Labor Affairs Bureau encourage the community to learn more about the backgrounds and cultures of foreign workers and engage with them in cultural exchanges.

May is also Labor Month and, with temperatures heating up, the city government will host a Songkran Festival as a fun, friendly event showcasing cultural traditions. In addition, elements of a parade float show--very common in North America--will be included in this year's foreign worker cultural festival, when the city is welcoming its foreign workers and Taiwanese to dress in their traditional outfits and showcase their cultures, together with lively music and cultural flair, as they parade through the city streets.

Parade fun for all
This will take place on May 24 at the 2015 Taichung City Foreign Workers Festival. Teams of three to six participants can be formed for this parade float show and a total of eight floats will be decorated, encouraging participants to highlight their creativity as they display their home cultures. The parade will start at Taichung Park around 10 a.m. and continue along GongYuan, ZiYou, MinQuan and SanMin roads before heading back to Taichung Park, taking about an hour and covering a distance of about 1.75 kilometers. Friends and family are also encouraged to dress up and participate in this walking event.

The day will include a fashion show and judges will select the winners based on a catwalk display, the style of their clothing, and creativity, with the top three contestants winning cash prizes.

At Taichung Park, there will also be an International Food Market with food vendors, cultural booths and even DIY tables to make crafts. The Labor Affairs Bureau is not simply hosting an event for foreign workers, but is encouraging residents indigenous backgrounds and various ethnic groups to join. This will ensure that the community will get to enjoy a wonderful, multifaceted, multicultural experience, from food and clothing to performances.

Come Join the Festival
Labor Affairs Bureau of Taichung
http://www.labor.taichung.gov.tw/
For more information, contact:
(04) 2382-3535, ext.12 Ms. Hsu; (04) 2228-9111, ext. 35523 Ms. Qiu