Beyond Adversity: Indonesian Diaspora Association's Strategic Support for Small Entrepreneurship in Taiwan after The Pandemic

With the proclamation of COVID-19 as a global epidemic in recent years, the entire world is currently in a recovery phase as the death rate from COVID-19 infection decreases and a vaccine is developed. Small enterprises, especially those established by the diaspora in the host country, are one industry attempting to recover from the downturn. Several studies have found that the diaspora and its associations are important in strengthening a nation’s economy, particularly by supporting their businesses in the host country. Taiwan, as a country that welcomes the existence of diaspora, has developed several initiatives to assist diaspora entrepreneurs (DE in restoring their businesses, particularly in the post-COVID-19 period. This study seeks to comprehend the role of diaspora associations (DA) in assisting their communities by engaging with the government, local partners, and experts. This study also focuses on the Indonesian diaspora to provide a more comprehensive assessment, as it is one of the largest communities in Taiwan. Diaspora theory is used to investigate the role of the DA. An in-depth single case study of the Indonesian DA in Kaohsiung City, South Taiwan, was conducted to undertake the analysis.