A Comparative Study of the State and Policy for Muticultural Family in East Asian Counties

Abstract

Korea, Japan, and Taiwan (hereafter referred to as ‘the three countries’) commonly experience the influx of the population. In common, those three countries show increase of marriage migrants and foreign workers. Especially, the increase of marriage-migrant women had a leading role in shaping multicultural families in the three countries. Thus, this study aims to seek for improvement of the multicultural family policy through understanding the current state and the core policy on the multicultural family in each country and comparing them. This study finds that Taiwan has “Measures for support and guidance on foreigners and mainland spouses(Taiwan policy)”, Japan has “Multicultrual commensalism plan(Japan policy)” and Korea has“Multicultural family policy(Korea policy)”, and these basic core plans commonly emphasize education for children in multicultural families. In addition, three plans include policies on employment, but contents are slightly different from each other. Korean policy includes education and training for job skills, and it supports for job positions. Japan policy includes supports for starting businesses and Taiwan policy includes not only training for job skills but also supports for acquirement of formal education, which is closely related to improvement of foreign spouses’ capability. Because of the importance of language in adjustment, three countries emphasize language education in common. Korea and Japan share characteristics in policies for promotion of health. Both countries focus supports for improvement of language skills even in health related plans. However, Taiwan plan includes various plans for promotion for health. Uniquely, Japan plan includes strategies for the elderly and the disabled. In regard to plans for improvement of consciousness and social participation, Korean policy reflects social characteristic well by including contents related to multicultural education, discriminatory act and religion in the military. In terms of plans for protections and safety, Taiwan and Korea have similar plans for protection from domestic violence, harm in using marriage brokerage, and a sham marriage. On the other hand, Japan plan includes strategies for natural disaster. Basic core policies for multicultural families in the three countries have similarities and differences simultaneously. From these similarities and differences, we could find implications. Korea could consider more diverse policies on promotion of health and medical care. Moreover, Korea needs to establish social and cultural environments to embrace both multicultural and non-multicultural families by raising two-way efforts. Furthermore, we need to reconsider roles of civic organizations and enterprises as well as government.