我不夠格嗎？都市原住民青年內外交困的歧視處境

Am I Indigenous Enough? The Challenge of Perceived Discrimination among Urban Indigenous Young Adults in Taiwan

研究目的：臺灣原住民族近半數人口居住於都會區。身處在主流社會的都市原住民青年，幾乎會面臨人際互動之種族歧視。此現象並未隨著社會重視人權價值而有顯著改善，反而更隱微地持續發生在日常生活中。本文聚焦探討都市原住民青年種族歧視與隱微歧視經驗與影響，以促進大眾對其處境之瞭解。研究方法：本研究深度訪談十二名都市原住民青年。研究結果：參與者在求學階段因為原住民身分受到同儕排擠，也因為都市的成長背景被質疑升學優待的資格及作為原住民的正當性。其次，參與者也經歷主流社會自認為善意或無意的要求原住民符合刻板印象，構成種族隱微歧視。第三，參與者面臨原住民族內部對都市族人處境的不理解，質疑其「不夠原住民」。研究結論：來自外部與內部的種族歧視與種族隱微歧視皆會導致認同模糊、自我懷疑、高度警覺等，進而衝擊身心健康。為減少種族歧視與隱微歧視的發生，從歷史脈絡切入有助於更全面地瞭解都市原住民青年的生活處境。

Purpose: Because of the social changes caused by a long history of colonial oppression, nearly half of Taiwan’s indigenous people live in urban areas. Urban indigenous people living in mainstream society face racial discrimination in their interpersonal interactions. This phenomenon has not significantly improved with the increased focus on human rights in Taiwan. Racism continues in daily life, albeit less visibly than in earlier times. In this article, we focus on the experience of racial discrimination and microaggression by urban indigenous young adults in order to promote public awareness. Method: We conducted in-depth interviews with 12 urban indigenous young adults (age 22-33). Results: Using thematic analysis, we identified 3 ways that our participants experienced racial discrimination and microaggression: 1) When they were students they were ostracized by their peers because of their indigenous status, and at the same time their legitimacy as indigenous individuals and eligibility for preferential treatment were questioned because they grew up in an urban environment. 2) Participants experienced racial microaggressions from mainstream Taiwanese, in particular the unintentional demand that they conform to indigenous stereotypes. 3) Due to a lack of understanding of the urban context, members of their own indigenous community questioned them and told them they were not indigenous enough. Conclusions: Our participants recounted experiencing macroaggressions and discrimination both from mainstream Taiwanese and indigenous peers. Such experiences can cause harm leading to a vague sense of identity, self-doubt, and hypervigilance, any of which can impact psychological health and well-being. Understanding urban indigenous young adults through a historical lens might aid understanding and help reduce racial discrimination and microaggression.