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It depends on the country. Some Asians have been in Latin America since the late 1800's/early 1900's to build the railroads (I'm Cuban and know this is the case for Cuba). Asian Cubans are pretty integrated; there is however a Chinatown in Havana. Many Asians in Cuba aren't pure, a lot intermarried with the blacks & whites. Also, Cuba's Asian population never passed 1%... My mom who is white thinks one of her grandparents was Chinese. I know a Cuban doctor who is half Chinese Cuban and half Spanish Cuban and he looks white. They're very respected by other Cubans! Along with white Cubans, many Asian and Jewish Cubans fled after Castro took over, dwindling their numbers further. Brazil and Peru also have very historic Asian communities too. Unlike Cuba though which mainly received Chinese Asians, the Japanese are more important in Brazil & Peru. However, you have the recent Asian immigrants in places like Mexico and Argentina that probably aren't well integrated at all.
What do you mean very respected? More so than blacks? I know there are tons of blacks in Cuba.
Aside from the large Chinese, Japanese and Korean communities in Latin America, there are also a number of South Asians (Indians) in Venezuela. I believe they are descended from immigrants from Trinidad and Guyana. Most speak only Spanish but tend to marry ethnic Indians. I know of one man who had an arranged mail order bride from India.
I know some Latin American countries have sizable populations of Asian ancestry (mostly Chinese and Japanese, and other groups too), and some have even had leaders of Asian-ancestry (Alberto Fujimori of Peru). I think the most well known community are the Brazilian Japanese or Japanese Brazilians, largely concentrated in Sao Paulo. I believe Brazil has the largest or second largest overseas community of Japanese in the world.
I'm curious as to how much they are integrated into mainstream Hispanic society in general, and how much it varies by country. While some speak their ancestral tongue, it seems most speak Spanish or Portuguese at home, and of course in public.etc. How often do they intermarry with non-Asian Hispanics? For anyone with any experience, how do they compare with say Japanese Americans or Japanese Canadians? I believe in California, for instance, about 50% of Japanese Americans marry outside their ethnicity.
Also, how are Asians or people of Asian appearance (whether they be westerners) generally viewed in Latin America? Both East/SE and South Asians? Is there any racism/prejudice towards them? Or perhaps resentment towards them because they are economically more privileged than the majority?
Panama has a sizable Chinese descendant community. The Chinatown in Panama is perhaps the oldest established Chinatown in the western hemisphere. Many Chinese Panamanians fled to Colombia during the years that Noriega was in power, especially during the 1980s.
Chinese first came to Panama during the late 1840s and throughout the 1850s for the Panama Railroad.
A lot intermarried since they faced xenophobia and discrimination and their citizenships were taken away from them in the 1940s including those born and having several generations inhabitance and history in Panama. Many intermarried with Panamanians to avoid being impacted by the law.
Chinese were very big in trade and commerce, business etc.
Fillipinos have a very big and long historical presence throughout Latin America believe it or not.
Phillipines was a Spanish colony for almost 4 centuries. It was ruled by and under Spain through Mexico and other Spanish colonies for a vast period of time. Many Fillipino groups were used as slaves in places like Mexico, and Cuba, and many mixed with migrants, colonists and officials and travelled throughout other Spanish colonies. The group of ppl in the Phillipines known as "Negritos" (Negritos of Phillipines genetically cluster with Asians so they are NOT Africans at all), were often used as slaves in places like Mexico, and even Cuba and Louisiana(Louisiana was a Spanish colony as well as French colony). In, Mexico there has always been Fillipino and Fillipino descended communities. Same in Cuba in places like areas such as present day Pinar del Rio, Cuba.
Fillipinos have a very big and long historical presence throughout Latin America believe it or not.
Phillipines was a Spanish colony for almost 4 centuries. It was ruled by and under Spain through Mexico and other Spanish colonies for a vast period of time. Many Fillipino groups were used as slaves in places like Mexico, and Cuba, and many mixed with migrants, colonists and officials and travelled throughout other Spanish colonies. The group of ppl in the Phillipines known as "Negritos" (Negritos of Phillipines genetically cluster with Asians so they are NOT Africans at all), were often used as slaves in places like Mexico, and even Cuba and Louisiana(Louisiana was a Spanish colony as well as French colony). In, Mexico there has always been Fillipino and Fillipino descended communities. Same in Cuba in places like areas such as present day Pinar del Rio, Cuba.
Actually, because of their very long presence in Latin America dating back from 16th - 18th centuries due to the Galleon Trade especially in Mexico, they are no longer noticeable and not to mention the similarities in looks between Mexicans and Filipinos.
I know a number of Asians (mostly Japanese, with some Chinese) and they seem to be very well integrated. I know a lot of Asians who aren't fully Asian. They don't follow Asian cultural norms - no harsh pressures on academics. They aren't overly successful. Most Asians I know have normal Brazilian names and speak Portuguese. A lot of them are Catholic now, though some are still Buddhist.
A lot of Latin America's Asian community came about when Asians were excluded from the US and Canada.
In addition to Chinese from China proper, we also got immigrants from Macau, many of whom were already mixed-race when the moved here.
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