TAIPEI : Taiwan's classrooms are getting more diverse these days.
With more racially-mixed children being born on the island, educators are concerned as many of these children have problems adjusting in schools.
In the last of a three-part series, Channel NewsAsia examines the impact of this growing shift on Taiwanese society.
This is seven-year-old Jiawei. His mother is Vietnamese. "Good morning, how are you?"
This is seven-year-old Jiaxian. Her mother is from China's Hainan island. "Uncles and aunties, how are you?"
And this is six-year-old Sumei. Her mother is Vietnamese. "Good morning. How are you?"
These youngsters are called the 'new children of Taiwan'.
In fact, locals call the Chiang Chun kindergarten in Penghu County a mini- United Nations.
This is because most of the children at the kindergarten have foreign mothers from Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia or Mainland China who are married to local men.
In the 80s, there were only local Taiwanese students in the kindergarten in Penghu. But five years ago, one out of three students who came to the kindergarten were from mixed parentage.
Last year, the figure was 50-50. This year, the racially-mixed children there actually outnumber the local Taiwanese.
Fifteen of the 28 children in Chiang Chun kindergarten now come from mixed marriages.
And this reflects a growing trend across Taiwan.
These days, one in eight babies are born to foreign mothers, that's more than double from a decade ago.
As more of such children reach school-going age, experts say they are changing the social and racial dynamics of the classroom.
Seven-year-old Kaiwen says he gets teased because his Vietnamese mother is a foreigner.
His mother said: "Some Taiwanese children look down on my son. I'm saddened by this, but I keep my feelings to myself. The way he's treated has an impact on his schooling. We can only take things one step at a time, with courage. I'll learn along with him. We just have to press on."
Kaiwen's teacher also worries for racially-mixed children like him, as many come from less privileged backgrounds.
Yao Mei Ya, Head Teacher of Chiang Chun Kindergarten, said: "Both their parents have to work. Their grandparents take care of them and they're not as strict, so the children are naughty."
According to a recent medical study, 90 percent of racially-mixed children have slower cognitive and language development skills.
This could be due to a combination of their mothers' linguistic handicap, fractured family relationships and financial problems.
Eventually how well these children integrate will profoundly impact Taiwanese society and identity.
For with their growing numbers, the 'new children of Taiwan' will be a significant force in deciding the political future of their island. - CNA/de
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Racially-mixed children shaping new Taiwan society 
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