Euro-American Models, Asian Realities: Rethinking Interculturalism from in East Asian Cities

This research critically examines how East Asian cities navigate and reinterpret Euro-American intercultural models of diversity management in their own unique contexts, focusing on Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. While European and American ideals such as universal human rights, multiculturalism and, more recently, intercultural dialogue have significantly influenced global migration policies, this study explores the complexities and challenges that arise when these models are applied in East Asian cities, where local political, cultural, and social realities diverge from those of Europe and North America, but also diverse inside the region.

Japan has long resisted comprehensive immigration policies, yet paradoxically, local governments have selectively adopted aspects of European interculturalism, leading to fragmented but proactive policy learning from Europe. South Korea initially embraced a top-down multicultural framework focused on “multicultural families” but has recently shifted towards a more flexible intercultural model to address the diverse needs of its cities. With its grassroots indigenous movements and community-based intercultural education initiatives, Taiwan presents a unique approach, though its contested international status limits its ability to engage in transnational policy dialogues.

Through qualitative interviews and document analysis, this study sheds light on how East Asian cities balance local realities with mainly Euro-American intercultural ideals under the aforementioned conditions, highlighting both the opportunities and limitations of applying Euro-American models of diversity management in different national and transnational contexts. This study also critically examines the state's role in policy diffusion as East Asian cities, unlike their European and American counterparts, often lack regional cooperation mechanisms for addressing shared challenges in migrant integration due to the absence of a broader state-level consensus.