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G. HUGO –NGUYEN THI H. X.
“ My father in-law was very happy when my boy was born and
he loves him a lot. My husband told me to take care of our son
and to do only easy housework. If I do something wrong my father-in-law
never complains, he only gently shows me how to
do it properly. I am very happy with my married life so far. ”
But when the brides have female children there is no guarantee of
them being treated so favourably.
4. Conclusion
While the flow of marriage migrants to Taiwan is attracting a great
deal of attention in Vietnam, there is an increasing number of reports
of an upswing in marriage migration into southern China. Some of this
movement involves women being attracted by the promise of a better
life and is arranged through intermediaries although the trafficking
component is also significant. 13 However, with the increasing imbalance
between males and females in China as a result of the combination
of the longstanding preference for male babies and the one child
policy, the pressures for marriage migration from Vietnam’s massive
northern neighbour will undoubtedly increase. The commoditization of
marriage migration has created a significant transnational industry
linking Vietnam, Taiwan and increasingly China as well as South Korea
and Singapore, in which large profits are made by many people, in a
complex network of interlocking relationships. The presence of this
industry will ensure the continuation of marriage migration in Vietnam.
The drivers within Taiwan are also unlikely to lessen in the foreseeable
future given the excess of younger males and the changing roles and
attitudes of Taiwanese women. Together with poverty in rural Vietnam
these forces will ensure the continuation and expansion of marriage
migration flows.
The whole process currently involves little intervention by government
both at the Vietnamese and Taiwanese ends. But nongovernmental
organizations are increasingly involved in both origin
and destination areas to provide more balanced information to potential
migrants, protect them from exploitation, help them integrate
Taiwanese society and assist them if they wish to return to Vietnam. It
is clear that these flows will continue so it is imperative to implement
polices and programs both in Vietnam and Taiwan, which will regulate
the activities of the intermediaries to combat exploitation; Provide
accurate information to potential brides and their families to help them
13 See Ta (2002) and the chapter by Le Bach et al. in this volume.