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🇹🇼 Taiwan /Culture & Society

Vietnamese vendor in Taiwan faces alleged discrimination; politician offers support

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • A Vietnamese immigrant vendor in New Taipei City's Wanli District allegedly faced discrimination from a customer who insisted she was Chinese and criticized her accent.
  • Taiwan's New Taipei mayoral candidate Lee Chien-lung expressed sympathy for the vendor, stating that politics should not be brought into market stalls.
  • Lee emphasized that anyone who marries into Taiwan is a Taiwanese citizen and a resident of New Taipei City.

A Vietnamese immigrant vendor at Wanli's Guihou Fishing Harbor, identified by the surname Li, recently reported experiencing discrimination from a customer. The customer reportedly questioned her accent, insisted she was Chinese, and told her not to speak Taiwanese.

You are not wrong.

— Li Chien-lungNew Taipei mayoral candidate Lee Chien-lung's statement of support for the vendor on Facebook.

Lee Chien-lung, a New Taipei mayoral candidate for the Kuomintang party, voiced his support for the vendor on Facebook, stating, "You are not wrong." He later told reporters that he felt heartbroken seeing the vendor being "attacked online." Lee stressed that while political opposition and criticism are acceptable, they should not spill over into people's livelihoods.

Politics can be confrontational, we can criticize each other, but don't bring it to people's stalls.

— Li Chien-lungLee Chien-lung's comment to reporters about the incident.

"No matter what country she comes from, if she marries into Taiwan, she is Taiwanese, a citizen of New Taipei City," Lee stated. He recounted seeing a video of the incident where the vendor was interrupted while describing shrimp. Her daughter posted the video online, calling it discrimination. Lee, who had previously purchased crabs from the vendor without knowing her background, expressed his deep sympathy for her situation.

No matter what country she comes from, if she marries into Taiwan, she is Taiwanese, a citizen of New Taipei City.

— Li Chien-lungLee Chien-lung's statement emphasizing the vendor's belonging to Taiwan.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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