Immigration Agency Holds Craft Course for New Residents, Creating Indonesian 'Sticky Rice Dumpling Keychain'
The Immigration Agency’s Northern District Office held a family education and legal awareness course for new residents at the Taoyuan service center to help newcomers better integrate into Taiwanese society. The event featured the Indonesian new resident, Guan Meilian, who shared her journey in Taiwan and taught participants how to make a 'coconut leaf sticky rice dumpling keychain.' This craft activity fosters an understanding of Indonesian culture and promotes social integration.
The Taoyuan service center stated that the Immigration Agency offers new residents free access to borrow tablet computers or laptops for convenient information gathering. New residents with a national ID or residence permit can borrow an iPad or laptop for a loan period of 30 days, which can be renewed once.
Guan Meilian has been married in Taiwan for over twenty years. When she first arrived, she faced challenges due to language and cultural differences, prompting her to learn Chinese and actively participate in various training programs. She currently serves as a mother language instructor at both junior high and elementary schools and frequently promotes Indonesian culture in different venues. To help her children better understand their cultural heritage, she has involved them in new resident-related competitions, achieving several accolades.
During the craft experience, Meilian shared cultural significance between the Zhongzi (sticky rice dumpling) eaten during Taiwan’s Dragon Boat Festival and the coconut leaf-wrapped dumpling served during Indonesia’s Eid, illustrating themes of self-reflection and repentance during Ramadan. To deepen participants' experience of Indonesian culture, she guided them in creating miniature versions of the dumpling using ribbon instead of coconut leaves.
Taoyuan service office director Huang Ying-gui emphasized that they hold family education and legal awareness courses for new residents every month, inviting outstanding new residents to share their experiences and enhance multicultural exchanges through craft activities.
