| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 14,000[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Bluefields,Puerto Cabezas,Managua | |
| Languages | |
| Spanish,Mandarin,Cantonese,Hokkien, others | |
| Religion | |
| Buddhism andChristianity | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Chinese Cubans,Overseas Chinese |
Chinese Nicaraguans (simplified Chinese:尼加拉瓜华人;traditional Chinese:尼加拉瓜華人;pinyin:Níjiālāguā huá rén;Spanish:Sino-nicaragüenses) areNicaraguans ofChineseancestry who immigrated to or born inNicaragua. They are part of theChinese diaspora.
Chinese people first arrived in Nicaragua's Caribbean coast in the latter part of the 19th century and most of them settled in cities such asBluefields,El Bluff,Laguna de Perlas andPuerto Cabezas.[2] The Chinese immigrants dominated the commerce of the main coastal towns on the Caribbean coast prior to 1879. Then in the late 19th century, they began migrating to the Pacific lowlands of the country.[3]
TheChinese were thought to have arrived inNicaragua in the late 19th century, the majority of which came from China'sGuǎngdōng (广东) province.[4] This supposition remained unsubstantiated until the secondcensus (in 1920) revealed that 400 citizens of Chinesenationality lived in Nicaragua. According to documents, the population ofPuerto Cabezas in theR.A.A.N.department was formed not only by theMiskitos, but by communities ofJamaicans,Germans and also Chinese in 1925.[5] Also, the community of Chinese immigrants inBluefields was thought to be the largest inCentral America.[6] The first Chinese consul came to Nicaragua in 1930.[7]
Many Chinese in Nicaragua committed themselves to thecommerce industry and openedbusinesses.[5] They also dedicated themselves to thecandy,soap, andclothingindustries. They dominated the commerce of the main coastal towns on the Caribbean coast prior to 1979.
Although information about when the Chinese first arrived in Nicaragua is scarce, Fernando Centeno Chiong, a Nicaraguan historian, journalist and university professor of Chinese descent, published an article inLa Prensa about the presence of the Chinese. Chiong wrote that there are some references that exist stating that the Chinese first arrived in Nicaragua in the mid-19th century,[8] most notably during theCalifornia Gold Rush, in which people from all over the world traveled toCalifornia tomine forgold, tens of thousands of whom travelled bysteamboats operated by theAccessory Transit Company, whose director was CommodoreCornelius Vanderbilt.[9] The steamboats' course went up theSan Juan River, a site that had been proposed for theNicaragua Canal, Chiong wrote:
"...It is possible that between the thousands of passengers who made that passage there were Chinese citizens who remained in Nicaragua, attracted by the natural beauty and the hospitality of a country that continues maintaining those same characteristics to the immigrants of different nationalities that have already made Nicaragua their second mother country."
— Fernando Centeno Chiong[8]
During that time, there were restrictions that prohibited the entrance of Asian citizens in the country,[5] in spite of which, many of them defied the prohibition and settled in what is thought to have been the first Chinese presence in theAmericas, perhaps before the arrival of these citizens toPeru orPanama.[8]
Shortly afterWorld War II, which began in 1939 and ended in 1945, large quantities of Chinese began arriving in Nicaragua, but during the 1979Sandinistarevolution, many fled to nearbyHonduras,Costa Rica, and the United States.[10]
The Chinese had begun heading to the Pacific side ofNicaragua and therefore started to settle in the cities ofManagua,Granada,Leon, andMasaya at the end of the 19th century. The majority of them were men, many of whom converted toChristianity, and married Nicaraguan women,[5] introducing the country to last names such as: Lau, Sujo, Chang, Cheng, Siu, Law, Quant, Chow, Chiong, Kuan, Wong, Samqui, Saint and Loyman, all of which represent thedescendants of the first immigrants.[8] It is approximated that theTaiwanese are descendants of 15 families.[11] Also, there are an estimated 7,000 people who speakChinese.[12]
The first club founded for Chinese Nicaraguans,Club Chino (Chinese Club), was conformed in theSouth Atlantic region on Nicaragua's Caribbean coast. It wasn't until the 1940s that the club expanded into the capital city ofManagua, after which theAsociación China Nicaragüense (Chinese Nicaraguan Association) was founded and became one of the most active and important associations of Nicaragua, due to the greateconomic power that the Chinese represented in the nation.[13]
During theSandinista revolution, many Chinese Nicaraguansemigrated to neighboring countries and the United States, causing the association to be inactive for approximately 10 years. That changed, however, in 1992, after some members approached the Chinese ambassador and expressed to him the importance to celebrate theRepublic of China'sDouble Tenth Day (双十节).[13]
Other active clubs/associations include the Club de Jóvenes Chinos de Nicaragua (Club of Chinese Teens of Nicaragua).
