Chinese Venezuelans
| |
|---|---|
 | |
| Total population | |
| 400,000[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Valencia, Caracas, Maracay, Barquisimeto, Barcelona-Puerto La Cruz, Maracaibo, Maturín, Acarigua | |
| Languages | |
| Venezuelan Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin Chinese, English | |
| Religion | |
| Buddhism, Roman Catholicism, Taoism and Irreligion | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Asian Latin Americans |
Chinese Venezuelans (Spanish: Chino-venezolanos, Chinese: 委内瑞拉华人) are people of Han Chinese ancestry who were born in or have immigrated to Venezuela. The country is home to nearly 400,000 Chinese.[1] Almost all their businesses are related to the culinary field.[2]
History
[edit]The presence of Chinese people in the country can generally be traced back to three waves, beginning approximately in 1847, in which Chinese immigrants arrived, mainly from Canton (Guangdong).
Since then, the presence of Chinese Venezuelans has been constantly increasing, becoming more pronounced in the decades of the oil boom lasting until 1999.[3]
Economy
[edit]Until the mid-20th century, the Chinese community in Venezuela was primarily engaged in the laundry industry. One of the pioneers in this was José Peña, who adopted this name in Cuba and later arrived in Venezuela between 1885 and 1886, opening the first Chinese-run laundry in Caracas.[4]
Likewise, the Sino-Venezuelan community has been known for its restaurants. For example, Joaquín Hau, who had arrived in Venezuela around 1928, started the first Chinese restaurant in Caracas with four nephews, which was called Chop Suey.[4]
Gastronomy
[edit]Chinese food in Venezuela is predominantly of Cantonese origin and/or influence. While generally consumed traditionally within the Sino-Venezuelan community, Chinese restaurants will often offer dishes adapted to the Venezuelan palate.[5] Similarly, these dishes have been influenced by the style of Sino-American cuisine, particularly that of San Francisco.[4]
Among the most common dishes offered by Chinese restaurants in Venezuela are lumpias, sweet and sour pork ribs, fried rice, and chop suey. However, some restaurants do offer a more varied menu.[4]
Demographics
[edit]Population
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States with the highest proportions of Chinese-born population tend to be those of the Capital Region and Eastern Region. The states with the most population of Chinese-born people are also located in the central-north area.
At the 2011 census, this was the breakdown of Chinese-born population by state:[6]
| State | Chinese-born Population | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
 Amazonas |
31 | 0.021 |
 Anzoátegui |
1,193 | 0.082 |
 Apure |
116 | 0.025 |
 Aragua |
1,305 | 0.081 |
 Barinas |
414 | 0.051 |
 Bolívar |
515 | 0.037 |
 Capital District |
1,765 | 0.092 |
 Carabobo |
2,016 | 0.09 |
 Cojedes |
167 | 0.039 |
 Delta Amacuro |
42 | 0.026 |
 Falcón |
269 | 0.028 |
 Federal Dependencies |
1 | 0.047 |
 Guárico |
350 | 0.047 |
 Lara |
1,247 | 0.071 |
 Mérida |
306 | 0.037 |
 Miranda |
1,453 | 0.055 |
 Monagas |
796 | 0.088 |
 Nueva Esparta |
344 | 0.071 |
 Portuguesa |
660 | 0.077 |
 Sucre |
321 | 0.037 |
 Tachira |
264 | 0.023 |
 Trujillo |
336 | 0.049 |
 Vargas |
134 | 0.038 |
 Yaracuy |
394 | 0.066 |
 Zulia |
919 | 0.025 |
| Total Venezuela | 15,358 | 0.06 |
Communities with high percentages of Chinese-born people
[edit]| Parroquia (parish) | Populated place | State | % Chinese over total population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barinas | Barinas | Barinas | 1.06 |
| Andres Eloy Blanco | Maracay | Aragua | 0.66 |
| San José | Valencia | Carabobo | 0.52 |
| Altagracia | West Caracas | Capital District | 0.44 |
| El Morro | Lechería | Anzoátegui | 0.43 |
| San Simón | Maturín | Monagas | 0.43 |
| Catedral | West Caracas | Capital District | 0.42 |
| Puerto La Cruz | Puerto La Cruz | Anzoátegui | 0.39 |
| Santa Teresa | West Caracas | Capital District | 0.35 |
| Candelaria | West Caracas | Capital District | 0.34 |
| Fraternidad | Puerto Cabello | Carabobo | 0.33 |
| Sagrario | West Caracas | Capital District | 0.32 |
| Chacao | East Caracas | Miranda | 0.31 |
| Sabana de Mendoza | Sabana de Mendoza | Trujillo | 0.31 |
| Concepción | Barquisimeto | Lara | 0.30 |
| Juan Griego | Juan Griego | Nueva Esparta | 0.29 |
| Candelaria | Valencia | Carabobo | 0.27 |
| San Pedro | West Caracas | Capital District | 0.26 |
| Atapiripe | Atapiripe | Anzoátegui | 0.24 |
| El Llano | Mérida | Mérida | 0.52 |
Notable people
[edit]See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-06-26. Retrieved 2014-02-28.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) P.201 - ^ http://asiapacifico.bcn.cl/en/articles/chinese-community-latin-america/ Archived 2011-02-06 at the Wayback Machine The Chinese Community in Latin America
- ^ China (Taiwan), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of. ", Noticias de Taiwan". Noticias de Taiwan (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-06-05.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c d Veloz, Alberto (8 February 2020). "Restaurantes chinos: Unos parecen y otros sí son". El Estímulo. Retrieved 2021-10-03.
- ^ "La historia de la "comida china" en Venezuela: ¿Por qué nos gusta tanto?". Venezuela al dia (in Spanish). 2019-01-08. Retrieved 2021-10-03.
- ^ Censo 2011 - INE