臺北市新住民專區網站英文版

Columnist for the CommonWealth Magazine

Assistant Professor at Tamkang University

Name: Kim Yung Keng 

Nationality: Indonesian

I am Kim Yung Keng, my father is Taiwanese, and my mother is Indonesian. I was born in Jakarta, Indonesia, but I went to school and grew up in Taiwan. I speak Chinese, Indonesian, and English. After graduating from university, I was awarded a scholarship from the Ministry of Education and I moved on to pursue my doctoral degree at the University of Hawaii in the USA. In 2016, I was selected as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the Republic of China and am currently serving as an assistant professor at Tamkang University.

As a second-generation new immigrant, I have always had a linguistic advantage from a young age. Throughout my education, I noticed that second-generation new immigrants with bilingual abilities tended to achieve better academic results and exhibit greater learning abilities. Speaking two languages gave me a significant advantage in my studies; furthermore, it helped me prepare for my career early on. I chose to enter academia and delved deeper into research in the Southeast Asian region. This decision was not only driven by my interest but also because my background provided me with a clearer direction in this field.

Being both Taiwanese and Indonesian, my identity as a new immigrant gives me an advantage over others. I have never felt inferior because of my differences; instead, I take pride in being the child of a new immigrant mother. My mother has provided me with advantages that set me apart from others. Through my upbringing, I discovered that people with different national backgrounds not only possess bilingual abilities but also tend to excel academically. Regardless of where our parents come from, we should first and foremost love and honor them. Only by acknowledging our cultural heritage and roots can we achieve success. It was only when I began to take pride in my multicultural background that I could truly leverage my strengths and see how I stand out from others.