2025-12-16
From Awareness to Action: NCCU Students Host Two-Day Workshop on Migrant Worker Realities
A two-day camp organized at National Chengchi University by students of the Capstone course: Migration Studies, offered by the International College of Innovation, aimed to raise awareness among high school students about the situation of migrant workers. The program included interactive activities, a film screening, food tastings, and participation in a peaceful march. These activities prompted high school students to rethink migration and labor in Taiwan.
Taipei, December 6–7, National Chengchi University (NCCU) students from the Capstone: Migration Studies course, taught by Professor Tzu-Chi Ou, organized a two-day educational camp to promote understanding and awareness of migrant worker communities in Taiwan. NCCU Awareness to Action Workshop was designed for local high school students, and offered a series of immersive and interactive activities — including a film screening, discussions, games, food booths, and a parade — to deepen participants’ knowledge of migrant workers’ daily realities, working conditions, and vital contribution to Taiwanese society.
On Saturday, participants took part in interactive roundtables where they established a baseline of existing knowledge, addressed existing bias, and shared insights into the cultural climate. They also did quizzes and fun knowledge-based activities, creating a dynamic environment for peer learning. A tasting of Myanmar cuisine provided cultural immersion before the afternoon film screening. The high school students had the opportunity to watch the film 飛機飛過的時候 — When the Plane Passes By (2025), a short documentary that highlights the lives of four pregnant migrant women living in a shelter for vulnerable migrants in Taiwan. The film sheds light on often-invisible realities: dismissals or pressure after announcing a pregnancy, forced job changes, uncertainties linked to shelter life, isolation, and the challenges of balancing work, motherhood, and financial stability, especially for foreign workers. It therefore addresses the issues of reproductive rights and dignity for migrant women workers.
The screening was followed by a Q&A session with Ms. Lina Lin and Ms. Chen, who were staff members of the Serve the People Association. Students were able to ask Ms. Lina Lin directly about the living and working conditions of these women, particularly the difficulties they faced throughout their journeys. This exchange fostered learning through testimony and created a space for dialogue among the students. This day was therefore marked by an introduction to the topic of migrant workers, not only through factual knowledge but also through a sensory experience: tasting unfamiliar dishes, watching powerful images of a migrant’s daily life, and listening to authentic stories.
On Sunday, students participated in a role-play simulation aimed at deepening their understanding of migrant workers’ living and working conditions. Lunch featured Indonesian food, and the day concluded with collective participation in a public march advocating against the work-year limit, reinforcing the workshop’s commitment to social engagement. This march was one of the major events of this weekend. On the morning of the parade, the high school students were asked to draw words or illustrations of their choice on water bottles to convey a message. The goal was to give these bottles to migrant workers during the Sunday afternoon parade. Leo (a high school student) explained that “I wrote in Indonesian and Chinese to cheer up the migrants, because they are hardworking and they are suffering a lot of things in Taiwan. So I just want to cheer them up, and tell them to keep going.” Cody (a high school student) also explained what he wrote on his bottle: “I write to abolish the work year limit and that they have to stay here now because it’s their home.” Indeed, in Taiwan, blue-collar migrant workers are generally restricted to a maximum of 12 years of cumulative employment in the country, while caregivers can work for up to 14 years under specific criteria. This limit has prompted protests, with migrant workers and advocacy groups demanding its abolition, arguing that it disrupts livelihoods and fails to recognize the skills and contributions of experienced workers. Nina (a high school student) described her drawing : “There is a whale and a twelve for the 12-year work limit. And there is the word freedom and some chains. There are also some eagles for freedom. The whale means you can swim wherever you want to go, so it’s like freedom. The message is to let them (migrant workers) have choices.”
The parade was a significant political event that sparked discussions about the movement’s impact and about mobilizations more broadly; prompting questions about the form these gatherings should take. Leo (a high school student) shared his point of view of protests in Taiwan during the migrant workers parade: “There are sometimes parades in Taiwan, like for the migrants, and LGBTQ and stray animals, and also on nuclear. (…) But it’s never violent. The cops are here to protect us.” Alex (a high school student) was asked a question about how useful a peaceful protest is. “Here, people basically just yell. And the government will still do nothing about it, because we don’t really hurt them. They (the protesters) know they can do something more aggressive, but they will still not do it, because for them this is what a protest is. I have no idea why Asian people protesters are like this, the government will do nothing. We just walk and yell.” He then explained that even though Taiwan is a democracy, the protests were often misrepresented in the media to discourage citizens from protesting.
Overall, the march really had an impact on how the participants perceive the resistance for migrant’s rights. Gus (a member from the administration team) explained “I feel like no one received money for being in the parade, but they are still here to fight against the issues, especially the work year limit, so it’s essential to fight against this system, and I feel like I understand more the stakes.” Leo (a high school student) shared a personal moment of his by telling the other participants : “When I handed out the bottle to the migrant worker, I looked into his eyes, and I felt like he was really grateful. We can not do much, but we are doing our best to show them that we care about them.” Then Emilia, a member from the planning team, answered, “I believe that for Taiwanese people, simply showing up is already a support, and it’s also a signal to the public that it’s not only migrant workers who stand with them, but Taiwanese citizens as well.”
The December 6–7 workshop, led by Capstone Migration Studies students, successfully brought together ten high schools for an immersive and educational experience. Nina (a high school student) explained what she thought about the whole workshop, “It’s really good to understand more about the migrants because I didn’t really know anything about that before. I will now think about the problems they are facing and their work environment.” Another high school student named Fufu shared her feelings, “I think it’s great, because I never joined something like this, it’s the first time. I will try to get to know them (migrant workers) more now.” The effectiveness of the event is reflected in the unanimously positive feedback from the high school participants : “At first, I was actually scared, but I found that I could understand it more or less, and slowly integrated into it. “Migrant workers” is a voice that we see almost every day, but we always ignore their voices. Today, in addition to giving me a very special experience, it also let me know that we think it is a comfortable living environment, but it is actually a lot of sacrifice” (from an anonymous participant).
Students actively took part in all activities, strengthened their English skills, built new friendships, and enriched their personal perspectives through shared knowledge and experience. The atmosphere throughout the weekend was supportive, dynamic, and fun, allowing students to learn and discover with confidence. This workshop not only raised awareness on the realities faced by migrant workers but also paved the way for greater interest in the future. Following the success of this event, the USR team and invited guests plan to build on this momentum by continuing to develop educational activities and outreach initiatives with participating high schools, while maintaining close contact with filmmakers and guest speakers to organize future screenings and discussions. They also aim to explore opportunities to expand the camp into a recurring program that can reach additional schools and communities. Finally, the team hopes to encourage participating students to stay engaged through follow-up projects or youth-led initiatives that promote migrant rights.
This event marks a meaningful step toward building a more informed and engaged youth community committed to understanding and supporting migrant workers.
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