Taipei: For Harry Chan, Vietnamese has always been part of family life. Born in Vietnam and raised by his maternal grandparents, Chan moved between Vietnam and Taiwan, growing up speaking Vietnamese with his mother and younger brother. However, he realized as he got older that he could understand spoken Vietnamese but could not read it. "I realized I was effectively illiterate," Chan said, expressing his frustration.

According to Focus Taiwan, Sean Hsu had a contrasting experience. Despite regular visits to relatives in Vietnam where he could recognize some written Vietnamese, his family mainly communicated in Mandarin, leaving him unable to say much beyond simple greetings. Both 19, Chan and Hsu, who have Vietnamese mothers and Taiwanese fathers, are now entering their second year in the Vietnamese track at National Chengchi University's (NCCU) Department of Southeast Asian Languages and Cultures. They enrolled to improve their Vietnamese and understand the culture connected to their mothers, reflecting a demographic shift in Taiwan. The National Immigration Agency reported over 615,000 new immigrants living in Taiwan as of March 2026, with children from immigrant families becoming a significant part of society.

Transitioning from Vietnamese at home to the classroom posed challenges. Both students spoke Vietnamese with a southern accent, making it difficult when courses were taught in a northern accent. They soon found the department offered more than language training. "My mother was busy working and didn't teach me much about Vietnam's cultural or historical background," Hsu said, noting the newfound knowledge gained at university. Chan's courses introduced him to topics such as women's status across Southeast Asia, regional economic development, and social issues beyond personal experience. Department chair Le Thi-Nham highlighted that heritage-language students often discover the department means learning about the region's "cultures, history, civilization, literature, politics, and economics."

Their decision to study Vietnamese was sometimes misunderstood. High school classmates questioned why they needed to study a language they already spoke or suggested learning it from their mothers. The department faced online ridicule as a "migrant worker department," reflecting stereotypes associated with the 895,000 migrant workers in Taiwan. "Calling us a 'migrant worker department' is meaningless," Hsu countered. Chan added, "The people actually learning the language are us, not them." Both recalled unwanted attention from speaking Vietnamese publicly as children. Chan noted market vendors' differing looks after hearing Vietnamese, while Hsu remembered stares into his mother's shop when Vietnamese music played.

Today, reactions have changed. Chan noted vendors now respond with surprise and admiration. "They'll say, 'Wow, you can speak Vietnamese,'" he shared. Hsu observed similar shifts, with people now complimenting rather than questioning his bilingualism. Le, who moved to Taiwan from Vietnam in 2010, witnessed a societal shift over the past decade. Initially, many children of Southeast Asian immigrants concealed their backgrounds due to fear of discrimination. Now, as Taiwanese society becomes more familiar with Southeast Asia, students embrace these identities. "Most of the second generation now step out," Le said. "They say they're very proud. They say, 'I am half Vietnamese, and I love my mother's culture.'"

Joining the department strengthened Chan and Hsu's sense of belonging, particularly as about half of their cohort also comes from immigrant families. "I am now proud of this identity," Chan said. Hsu noted that becoming more fluent in Vietnamese strengthened his connection with his mother's family and appreciation for his Vietnamese heritage. Both believe schools could better support children from immigrant families. Hsu noted Vietnamese was not offered at his schools, despite Taiwanese (Hokkien) and Hakka classes' availability. Chan said classmates treated the Vietnamese elective as an easy course rather than a serious learning opportunity. Expanding access to Southeast Asian language classes, they argued, would help more children from immigrant families understand their backgrounds and feel confident about their identities.

Le emphasized that students from immigrant families enrich classroom discussions with "very authentic and very real stories," helping classmates understand Southeast Asian cultures from diverse perspectives. Looking ahead, Hsu expressed interest in translation or teaching and hasn't ruled out living in Vietnam. Chan is also open to working there. Hsu suggested the growing number of immigrant families could link Taiwan and Southeast Asia through travel, trade, and cultural exchange. Chan said children from immigrant families could help society become more accepting of different cultures. "They are simply a new group that has come to our country," he said. "They are proof of our diversity."