Numerous studies have investigated the cultural identities and acculturation strategies of marriage migrants in Taiwan, and found that they acquire bicultural identities. Studies about Southeast Asian community interpreters in Taiwan have gradually increased in the last decade and provide insights on the current condition and challenges of community interpreting in Taiwan. As of 2024, very little is known about Southeast Asian community interpreters’ acculturation strategies and their sociocultural adaptation in Taiwan. This study seeks to understand the impact of bilingualism on migrants’ adaptation by obtaining data from Indonesian-Mandarin community interpreters (IMCI) in Taiwan, and investigates the acculturation strategies of IMCI interpreters and to examine how bilingualism shapes migrants’ adaptation. This study employs a mixed method, combining quantitative and qualitative means of data collection. Data collection was conducted through quantitative means, and followed by qualitative means. The quantitative data collection utilizes The East Asian Acculturation Measure (EAAM) developed by Declan T. Barry in 2001 to assess the acculturation strategies of subject participants. Thirty-five subjects participated in the survey, and the study finds that the majority of participants employ integration strategies. They adopt the cultural norms of the host society while at the same time retaining their own native identity. To gain a holistic understanding of the results, the researcher interviewed four subjects individually. This study finds that IMCI interpreters can employ integration strategies only after acquiring a communicative level of Mandarin competence. They endure acculturative challenges when they first arrived in Taiwan, but their perseverance and eagerness to learn the official language used in the host society contribute to their adaptation to Taiwanese society. Their bilingualism and biculturalism give them broader access to various resources that the host society can offer. Being bilingual has given them an opportunity to attend community interpreting training, thus giving them a new professional identity. Indonesian migrants in this study are shifting their once-marginalized image to one of empowerment by serving as a mediator between the host society and the minority community. The findings expand our understanding of the relationship between migrants’ cultural competence and their sociocultural adaptation, and how migrants’ adaptation can benefit not only the migrants themselves but also the host society.
