Argentinos orientales (Spanish) | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Argentines at the Japanese stand of the 2012 Gastronomic Patio held inBuenos Aires | |
| Total population | |
| East Asian ancestry predominates 380,000 (estimated)[1] 0.8% of the Argentina's population There is no official census data | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Predominantly in theBuenos Aires City | |
| Languages | |
| Majority:Spanish Minority:Mandarin · Japanese · Korean · Hakka · Cantonese · Laotian | |
| Religion | |
| Majority:Catholicism Minority:Taoism · Buddhism · Irreligion | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| East Asians East Asian Americans · East Asian Canadians East Asians in the United Kingdom |
East Asian Argentines (Spanish:Argentinos orientales) areArgentines who have predominantly or total ancestry from the peoples of theFar East. East Asian Argentines are currently the fourth largest group in the Argentine Republic.[1]
The first Asians in Argentines were Filipinos, who were fellow subjects under Spanish colonization. Eventually, the Filipinos joined the Argentines in theArgentine War of Independence.Hippolyte Bouchard, who was a privateer for the Argentine Army who laid siege toMonterey, California, had in his second ship, theSanta Rosa, which was captained by the American Peter Corney, a multiethnic crew that included Filipinos.[2]
In the 20th century, Argentina saw a wave of East Asian immigrants, particularly theJapanese came largely fromOkinawa Prefecture in small numbers during the early 20th century. The overthrow ofJuan Perón in 1955 precipitated a long period of unrest and economic instability that stemmed Japanese immigration after 1960. The second wave consisted primarily ofKorean entrepreneurs, settling inBuenos Aires during the 1960s, a considerable number of people came fromHong Kong and the southern coastal region of China. The third wave was mostly composed ofChinese entrepreneurs, who settled in Buenos Aires during the 1990s, mostly from the coastal province ofFujian.[3] Also arriving were a group full of young vagrants who often arrived via the illegal smuggling route originating in China'sFujian province.[4] However, many of the small supermarkets that are present in many neighbourhoods ofBuenos Aires come from the community present during the third wave of immigration. The first wave of immigrants came from small coastal towns between 1914 and 1949.[5]
Laotian refugees first arrived in the country after the Vietnam War in 1975 and settled inBuenos Aires as part of aUnited Nations sponsored program. The community initially struggled at first, although it gradually strengthened with the founding of a Theravada Buddhist temple (although some have converted toRoman Catholicism) and Laotian-owned businesses.[6]
There is no official census data on the number of people in Argentina who have a predominantly or total ancestry from theFar East, onlynatives andblacks are counted in the latest censuses.[7]
It is estimated that in theBuenos Aires City there is a greater proportion of East Asian Argentines due to the fact that it received a greater immigration ofChinese,Japanese andKoreans compared to the rest of the country.[1]
Buenos Aires' Chinatown is a largely commercial section five blocks long and two blocks wide in thebarrio ofBelgrano, Buenos Aires. This neighborhood contains severalChinese restaurants, grocery stores, and aBuddhist temple. It is the heart of theChinese community in Argentina. The neighborhood began to develop in the 1980s when newly arrivedTaiwanese andChinese immigrants settled in this area.[8] The neighborhood is also known for itsChinese New Year celebrations.
