Week 4_Joshua Liu_ASA 114

I think that Pei-Chia Lan's "Legal Servitude and Free Illegality: Migrant 'Guest' Works in Taiwan," provides multiple details that correspond to the definition of the term "diaspora." In class, we have talked about how diasporas are formed when people are displaced from their homes. In Pei-Chia Lan's writing, this displacement is caused by immigrants' desire to find work and provide for their families in their homelands. The harsh treatment of immigrants in Taiwan as described by Lan (which includes unreasonable workloads and abuse) contributes to the formation of a feeling of resentment towards the immigrants' new homes. However, they are still connected to the nation due to the relationships formed between their new (non-contracted) employers, as well as other members of the diaspora. One question that I would ask is what steps nations such as Taiwan are taking regarding this topic; are they attempting to improve the qualities of life for OCW's, are they continuing to exploit them, or are they keeping the system the same?