A Bottle of Indonesian Chili Sauce Eases Homesickness; Migrant Worker Shirley Hopes to Stay in Taiwan to Share Her Hometown Flavors

Migrant Worker's Dream of Permanent Residency 2 (CNA, Taipei, July 4) - Shirley, a migrant worker from Indonesia, came to Taiwan to work as a caregiver to fund her daughter's education. Her employer prepared Indonesian chili sauce to ease her homesickness. Shirley also shared Indonesian cuisine with Taiwanese people, building deep emotional bonds. She wishes to reside permanently in Taiwan and let more people taste her hometown flavors.

Shirley, a 46-year-old Indonesian migrant worker, has been widowed for many years, leaving her with her young daughter. To cover her daughter's nursing school tuition, she left her hometown in 2009 to work as a caregiver in Taiwan, where she has been for 16 years.

Upon her arrival in Taiwan, Shirley struggled with the language barrier and found the food bland and unpalatable. Her employer thoughtfully prepared famous Indonesian chili sauce for her. Shirley was grateful, though she actually doesn't eat spicy food. Later, her employer drove her to Indonesian restaurants every week, using Indonesian cuisine to help Shirley overcome her homesickness.

One day, her employer bought an Indonesian cookbook and encouraged Shirley, "Why don't you cook for us to try? We also want to know the taste of your hometown." The employer's request for her to cook was actually for Shirley's benefit. "When I really miss home, especially since the Indonesian restaurants are so far away, and sometimes the boss drives me there, I feel too embarrassed to ask," she said.

The first Indonesian dish Shirley served was "Rendang," a meat dish that requires slow simmering and has rich layers of spices, also known as "Padang" stew. She chose "Rendang" because it is the most representative Indonesian dish, hoping her employer could truly taste her hometown flavors. Fortunately, her employer praised it as fragrant and delicious, thus beginning Shirley's journey of Indonesian cuisine in Taiwan.

In Indonesia, bringing food to gatherings with friends is common and a sign of friendliness. Shirley often accompanied her grandmother to church and saw everyone bringing dishes. She decided to prepare Indonesian food to share with Taiwanese people.

"Grandma said it's okay, see if anyone wants to eat it." Encouraged by her grandmother, Shirley brought Indonesian shrimp crackers and fried noodles, which were almost always finished. She laughed, "I eat their dishes, and I hope they can also taste mine."

Over the years in Taiwan, Shirley has tasted various Taiwanese snacks with her employer and learned to cook Taiwanese dishes by watching her employer in the kitchen. She has also made many Taiwanese friends through Indonesian cuisine. During the Dragon Boat Festival, she even makes zongzi with her grandmother, adding Indonesian spices to give the traditional Taiwanese snack an exotic flavor. Cooking has helped Shirley integrate into Taiwan and deepened her love for this land.

Shirley has had three employers in Taiwan. When she was nearing her 14th year of work, she saw information from the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding retaining talent for long-term use and asked her employer if they would convert her to a foreign skilled worker. Her employer happily agreed, and at the time, both parties believed this meant permanent residency. "The boss was very happy."

Shirley said that her employer's family all wanted her to stay and proactively helped her with the conversion. However, it only resulted in a change of status, allowing her to not have to return to her home country after completing 14 years of work.

On June 5, 2024, Shirley officially transitioned to a foreign skilled worker. She admitted that what attracted her most was the opportunity to apply for permanent residency after five years. "Because I can continue to work in Taiwan, and I hope to apply for permanent residency after five years."

However, the salary threshold for permanent residency poses a challenge for her. According to regulations, applicants for permanent residency must have a monthly salary of at least twice the minimum wage. Based on the minimum wage effective January next year, the monthly salary needs to be close to NT$60,000. Shirley's current monthly salary is about NT$30,000, and her employer increases it by NT$1,000 annually, which is already a relatively high salary for a caregiver, but still a significant gap.

Shirley does not want to give up. "I am already accustomed to living in Taiwan." Taiwan is a country with freedom of speech and good public safety. "I feel very safe," and the government also protects labor rights. She still hopes to obtain permanent residency in Taiwan one day and continue to integrate into Taiwan through her cooking. (Editor: Chen Ching-fang) 1150704

Stand with facts, your every donation is a force to protect press freedom

Download CNA's "One-Stop News" APP for real-time updates.

Text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.