Coreano Cubanos 한국계 쿠바인 | |
|---|---|
| Total population | |
| 800 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Havana · Matanzas | |
| Languages | |
| Cuban Spanish | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Korean Mexicans |
Korean Cubans (Spanish:Coreano Cubanos,Korean: 한국계 쿠바인;RR: Hangukgye kubain) are citizens ofCuba ofKorean ancestry. Most of them are descendants ofKorean immigrant farmers from Mexico who left to Cuba in search of a better life. Today about 800 descendants of the Korean farmers live aroundHavana,Matanzas and other areas of Cuba.[1]
The first ethnic Koreans to arrive in Cuba came fromMexico'sYucatán Peninsula in search of a better life.[2] In 1905, 1,033 Koreans set sail on a cargo ship fromIncheon to Yucatán. Upon arrival, instead of the riches they had been promised, all they found was the most menial type of labor. They were sold to 22 landlords[3] and became sugarcane and hemp (henequen) cutters, toiling from sun-up till sundown in the dry and harsh tropical sun.
Korean immigrant Lim Cheontaek wrote a history book calledCubaiminsa in 1954 that describes the history of Korean immigrants living in Cuba.[4]
Most Korean Cubans today speak theSpanish language. A Cuba-Korea culture center was built in 1921 that taught Korean writing and history in an attempt to remind the descendants of their heritage. But lack of funding shuttered the center and now it is hard to find a descendant of the Korean immigrants who can speak theKorean language.[1]
