Migrating TSMC engineers and their families find Taiwanese support in Arizona

Migrating TSMC engineers and their families find Taiwanese support in Arizona

2023-02-01

The opening of TSMC’s new U.S. fab means relocation for many Taiwanese silicon engineers and their families. Hundreds of Taiwanese citizens have newly arrived in Arizona to start a new chapter in their lives in a radically different culture. But settling in a foreign country is no easy feat. That’s why some associations are stepping in to provide support and welcome services to new immigrants. For lots of families, the most pressing concern is navigating the very complicated U.S. healthcare system. But even simple tasks can also be challenging in a foreign environment.

The opening of TSMC’s new U.S. fab has seen many Taiwanese families pack up and relocate to Arizona for a new life.

As they find their feet in a new country, the biggest worry for most is healthcare. The U.S. system is totally different to that of Taiwan. When you have a major health issue, you’re liable for potentially catastrophic costs.

Many struggle to describe their health troubles in English, or understand technical terms used by doctors. Now a U.S. healthcare and insurance provider has taken note of the growing population of Mandarin speakers in Arizona. They’re offering healthcare services in Mandarin, to support the many new TSMC expats.

Dru Bhattacharya
US Healthcare Company diversity manager
Making sure we have the interpreter services, translation services – all these kind of go together. There are many hidden costs that many immigrant families aren’t aware of.

Tina Chang
Taiwanese-American Chamber of Commerce
We hold events every now and then, and if our members have any needs, if they need help, then we have all kinds of different professionals.

With support from locals, this Taiwan-American association held a major event for Chinese speakers, with free talks and volunteers on hand to answer questions from the family members of TSMC’s new U.S. workforce. Being a newcomer in a strange land, even knowing where to go grocery shopping can be a problem. But these Taiwanese expats are supporting each other.

Fion Huo
Taiwanese resident in US
It’s very unfamiliar to me too, but I think I can tell the children that “Mommy and you are from the same country, we’re in this together, we all don’t understand, and we’ll solve this together.”

Tiff Wang
Taiwanese resident in US
When I look at how the children have grown up in this environment, with a diverse upbringing, I think it’s a totally different kind of life experience. So at first it’s very hard work and I want to encourage folks a bit.

For these families, stepping out of Taiwan and into a new life across the Pacific is a once-in-a-lifetime challenge, a door into a new world of possibilities.

亞利桑那打造台積村員工攜家帶眷陸續遷入

2023-02-01

台積電赴美設廠，陸續有自家員工和眷屬到亞利桑那州，上百位菜鳥新移民面對全新的文化生活，醫療和孩子的教育都是挑戰，一起來聽聽這些菜鳥新移民，跨出舒適圈的心得，以及海外台灣人如何互助。

台積電赴美設廠，大批台灣員工舉家搬遷，到亞利桑那州展開新生活。

除了找到落腳的地方，移居最擔心的，就是美國醫療制度不同、一旦有健康問題，要面對的就是昂貴的醫藥費。

看醫生不知怎麼用英文形容，專有名詞聽不懂，就有醫療保險公司，看到逐漸增加的中文人口，提供華語醫生媒合服務，協助大量台積電新居民。

[[醫療保險多元平等部主任 Dru Bhattacharya]]
“確保我們有口譯翻譯服務，需要通盤考量。體制上有很多盲點，需支付高費用，是許多移民家庭沒注意到。”

[[台美商會會員 Tina Chang]]
“不定期舉辦一些活動，那如果說會員之間，有一些什麼樣的需求，需要幫助的話，我們會有各種不同的專業人士。”

利用當地舉辦大型華人活動時，台商團體辦免費講習、當起志工，回答這些家屬的問題，畢竟人生地不熟，一開始連去哪裡採買都是問題，就靠台灣人互助。

[[旅美台灣人 Fion Huo]]
“我也很陌生，但是我覺得，你可以讓孩子知道，媽媽跟你是同一國的，是一起的，我們一起不知道，我們一起解決。”

[[台灣新移民 Tiff Wang]]
“看著小孩跟這邊的一個環境，多元化的養成之後，我想這是完全不同的人生經驗，所以就是說一開始很辛苦，我要給大家一點鼓勵。”

跨出台灣舒適圈，菜鳥新移民在新的國度，迎接新挑戰。

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