Asian diasporas in France

Last updated
Asian diasporas in France
Regions with significant populations
Throughout most major urban areas in France (Île-de-France, Marseille, Lyon, Strasbourg, Lille, Nice, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Nantes, etc.)
Languages
French, Languages of Asia
Religion
Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Chinese folk religion, Confucianism, Vietnamese folk religion
Related ethnic groups
Ethnic groups in Asia

Asian diasporas in France or French Asians [1] consist of foreign residents and French citizens originating from Asian countries living in France. French citizens of Asian descent primarily have ancestry from the former French colonies of Indochina (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia), as well as China or Turkey. [2] Other Asian ethnic groups found in France include other West Asians (such as the Lebanese), South Asians, Japanese, and Koreans. [3]

Contents

Asian diasporas by country

Armenians

Azerbaijanis

Cambodians

The population of ethnic Khmers in France is estimated to be about 80,000 as of 2020, making the community one of the largest in the Cambodian diaspora. [4] The Cambodian population in France has had a presence in the country dating to well before the Vietnam War and subsequent Indochina refugee crisis, unlike counterpart communities in North America and Australia.

Early Cambodian immigration to France began in the latter half of the 19th century, when Cambodia became a French protectorate. The first migrants largely consisted of students and workers belonging to the country's elite class. [5] While most Cambodians arrived as refugees as a result of Indochina's heavy turmoil during the latter half of the 20th century, their large-scale arrival was later than other Indochinese immigrants. Although a few Cambodians were able to flee from the Khmer Rouge takeover in 1975 with French assistance, a much larger influx arrived in the 1980s following the regime collapse and end of the Cambodian genocide. [6]

Chinese

Chinese form the second largest Asian group in France after the Turks, with a population of roughly 600,000 as of 2017. [7]

The first Chinese migrants to France consisted of traders in the leather and Chinese ceramics trade originating from the Wenzhou region during the early 1900s. [8] During World War I, a few thousand Chinese laborers were recruited by the French Empire to help with war efforts in Metropolitan France, doing tasks such as working at munitions depots or ports and repairing railways and roads. A small number remained in France after the war ended, settling largely in the Chinese quarter of Paris established earlier by the Wenzhounese merchants, forming the basis of the Chinese community in France. [9] Chinese immigration to France continued as a trickle during the 1930s and 1940s, with some tradesmen and students arriving in the country, primarily to Paris. [10] A much larger inflow of ethnic Chinese arrived in France after the end of the Vietnam War and the heavy persecution of ethnic Chinese in Vietnam and Cambodia by the new communist government in 1975, along with a larger influx of immigrants from the Wenzhou region of China. [11]

The 13th arrondissement of Paris hosts Paris' Quartier Asiatique, the largest and most important community for the city's Asian population. While originally an ethnic Vietnamese quarter, Chinese have become the largest Asian and ethnic group in the neighborhood following the former community's assimilation into French society. The Belleville neighborhood of Paris also hosts an important Chinese community, as does the historical Chinese quarter founded by Wenzhounese merchants in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris. [12]

Filipinos

Indians

Iranians

Japanese

Koreans

Kurdish

Laotians

The number of ethnic Laotians in France was estimated to be 200,000 as of 2017. [13] The Laotian community in France is the most established overseas Laotian community outside Southeast Asia, having had a presence in the country since the late 19th century, when Laos became a French protectorate. [14]

Under French rule, a number of Laotian students and workers arrived in France, with some resettling permanently. [14] A much larger number of Laotians arrived in France following the end of the Laotian Civil War (a front of the greater Vietnam War) and the communist takeover of their homeland. [15] The Laotian community is highly integrated into French society, with high average rates of educational and economic achievement, especially among the generations of French-born Lao. [16] [ unreliable source? ]

Lebanese

About 300,000 people of Lebanese descent live in France. Most have left because of the Lebanese civil war, the wars of Hezbollah against Israel and internal crisis which has led to Lebanon nearing being considered a failed state. [17] [18] [19] [20]

Pakistanis

Syrians

Tamils

Turkish

The Turkish community in France forms the largest Asian community in the country, with an estimated population of 1 million as of 2010; [21] the estimated number exceeding that as of 2020. [22] [23] The population is as high as 1.9 million according to some Turkish sources. [24]

Vietnamese

The Vietnamese form the most established Asian ethnic group in France, with a presence in the country dating back to the start of French colonialism in Vietnam in the latter half of the 19th century. As of 2017, the population of the community was estimated to be about 400,000, the second largest overseas Vietnamese population outside Asia. [25]

During the colonial period, there was a significant representation of Vietnamese students in France, as well as professional and blue-collar workers, with a large number settling permanently. Following Vietnam's independence, a number of Vietnamese loyal to the colonial government also emigrated to France. However, the largest influx of Vietnamese people arrived in France as refugees after the Fall of Saigon and end of the Vietnam War in 1975. [26]

The Vietnamese community in France is the most successful among overseas Vietnamese communities, having a high level of both integration and success in academics and income. These achievements have led to French media and politicians regarding the French Vietnamese as a model minority. [27]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">13th arrondissement of Paris</span> Municipal arrondissement in France

The 13th arrondissement of Paris is one of the 20 arrondissements of Paris. In spoken French, the arrondissement is referred to as le treizième.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinatowns in Europe</span>

Urban Chinatowns exist in several major European cities. There is a Chinatown in London, England, as well as major Chinatowns in Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle and Liverpool. In Paris there are two Chinatowns: one where many Vietnamese – specifically ethnic Chinese refugees from Vietnam – have settled in the Quartier chinois in the 13th arrondissement of Paris which is Europe's largest Chinatown, and the other in Belleville in the northeast of Paris. Berlin, Germany has two Chinatowns, one in the East and one in the West. Antwerp, Belgium also has an upstart Chinese community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Overseas Vietnamese</span> Diaspora community of Vietnamese people

Overseas Vietnamese are Vietnamese people who live outside Vietnam. There are approximately 5 million overseas Vietnamese, the largest community of whom live in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khmer people</span> Ethnic group native to Cambodia

The Khmer people are an Austroasiatic ethnic group native to Cambodia. They comprise over 95% of Cambodia's population of 17 million. They speak the Khmer language, which is part of the larger Austroasiatic language family alongside Mon and Vietnamese.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demographics of Paris</span>

The city of Paris had a population of 2,165,423 people within its administrative city limits as of January 1, 2019. It is surrounded by the Paris unité urbaine, or urban area, the most populous urban area in the European Union. In 2018 the unité urbaine had a population of 10,816,803 in 2,854 km2 (1,102 sq mi). The Paris Region, or Île-de-France, covers 12,012 km2 (4,638 sq mi), and has its own regional council and president. It has a population of 12,213,447 as of January 2018, or 18.3 percent of the population of France. The metropolitan or functional area of Paris covers 18,941 km2 (7,313 sq mi) and has 13,064,617 inhabitants (2018).

During the Cold War, the Indochina Wars were a series of wars which were waged in Indochina from 1946 to 1991, by communist forces against the opponents. The term "Indochina" referred to former French Indochina, which included the current states of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. In current usage, it applies largely to a geographic region, rather than to a political area. The wars included:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Military history of Vietnam</span>

Army and warfare made their first appearance in Vietnamese history during the 3rd millennium BC. Throughout thousands of years, wars played a great role in shaping the identity and culture of people inhabited the land which is modern day Vietnam. Vietnam is considered one of the most peace-loving countries in Southeast Asia, and there is even greater belief that Vietnam can be the most peace-loving country in Southeast Asia and one of the most peaceful countries in Asia and the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asian Argentines</span> Ethnic group

Asian Argentines, are Argentine citizens or residents of Asian ancestry. The vast majority trace their ancestry to West Asia, primarily from Lebanon and Syria, and East Asia, from China and Japan. However, there are other communities of South Asian or Southeast Asian origin as well. Asian Argentines settled in Argentina in large numbers during several waves of immigration in the 20th century.

Laotians in France consist of people of Lao ancestry who were born in or immigrated to France. The population as of 2019 is estimated to be 200,000.

Cambodians in France consist of ethnic Khmer people who were born in or immigrated to France. The population as of 2020 was estimated to be about 80,000 making the community one of the largest in the Cambodian diaspora. The Cambodian population in France is the most established outside Southeast Asia, with a presence dating to well before the Vietnam War and subsequent Indochina refugee crisis including the horrors of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge who took over in Phnom Penh on 17 April 1975. A few numbers of Cambodian people were able to escape and migrate to France before the Khmer Rouge took power in Cambodia as the Cambodian Civil War came to an end and overthrow U.S.-backed military dictatorship of Lon Nol and the Khmer Republic. His brother Lon Non and the other Khmer officials were arrested and executed by the CPK, the Marxist-Leninist dictatorship that seized power in Phnom Penh. 13 days before the Fall of Saigon and the Second Indochina War ended on 30 April 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lognes</span> Commune in Île-de-France, France

Lognes is a community in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France 20.7 km (12.9 mi) from the center of Paris.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ethnic groups in Cambodia</span>

The largest of the ethnic groups in Cambodia are the Khmer, who comprise 95.8% of the total population and primarily inhabit the lowland Mekong subregion and the central plains. The Khmer historically have lived near the lower Mekong River in a contiguous arc that runs from the southern Khorat Plateau where modern-day Thailand, Laos and Cambodia meet in the northeast, stretching southwest through the lands surrounding Tonle Sap lake to the Cardamom Mountains, then continues back southeast to the mouth of the Mekong River in southeastern Vietnam.

The Chinese diaspora in France consists of people of Chinese origin who were born in or immigrated to France. Chinese form the second largest Asian group in France after the Turks, with a population of roughly 600,000 as of 2017.

Vietnamese people in France consist of people of full or partial Vietnamese ancestry who were born in or immigrated to France. Their population was about 400,000 as of 2017, making them one of the largest Asian communities in the country.

The Laotian diaspora consists of roughly 800,000 people, both descendants of early emigrants from Laos, as well as more recent refugees who escaped the country following its communist takeover as a result of the Laotian Civil War. The overwhelming majority of overseas Laotians live in just three countries: Thailand, the United States, and France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinese community in Paris</span> Community in France

As of 1990, the majority of Asians living in the Paris area were ethnic Chinese originating from several countries. As of 1998 the largest group included ethnic Chinese from Indochina, and a smaller group originated from Zhejiang.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quartier asiatique</span> Asian quarter of Paris, France

The Quartier asiatique, also called Triangle de Choisy or Petite Asie is the largest commercial and cultural center for the population of Asian origin of Paris. It is located in the southeast of the 13th arrondissement in an area that contains many high-rise apartment buildings. Despite its status as a "Chinatown", the neighborhood also contains significant Vietnamese, Laotian and Cambodian populations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vietnamese community in Paris</span> Overview article

Paris is home to the oldest Overseas Vietnamese community in the Western world and is also one of the largest outside Vietnam. There are an estimated 70,000 people of Vietnamese descent within the city limits of Paris as of 2018, with the greater Île-de-France area home to another estimated 100,000. Both figures make the Paris metropolitan area host to one of the greatest concentrations of Vietnamese outside Vietnam. They contains Vietnamese born- people that living in Paris (France) or French born-citizens of partially or full Vietnamese descent.

<i>Sra peang</i> Bunong alcoholic beverage

Sra peang is a rice wine stored in earthen pots and indigenous to several ethnic groups in Cambodia, in areas such as Mondulkiri or Ratanakiri. It is made of fermented glutinous rice mixed with several kinds of local herbs. The types and amount of herbs added differ according to ethnic group and region. This mixture is then put into a large earthenware jug, covered, and allowed to ferment for at least one month. The strength of this alcoholic beverage is typically 15 to 25 percent alcohol by volume.

References

  1. "Coronavirus: French Asians hit back at racism with 'I'm not a virus'". 2020-01-29. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
  2. "La population étrangère résidant en France: Infos migrations" [The foreign population residing in France: Migration information] (in French). immigration.gouv.fr. October 2009. Archived from the original on 27 November 2010. ... ressortissants d'origine asiatique augmente, malgré une baisse du nombre des Cambodgiens, Laotiens et Vietnamiens. Cela s'explique par une présence accrue des Turcs, mais surtout de celle des ressortissants chinois ... ou plus généralement d'un autre pays d'Asie.
  3. "La population étrangère résidant en France: Infos migrations" [The foreign population residing in France: Migration information] (in French). immigration.gouv.fr. October 2009. Archived from the original on 27 November 2010.
  4. Le retour au pays de deux descendants de la diaspora cambodgienne, 19 August 2020, Radio France Internationale. (in French)
  5. Pierre Montagnon, La France coloniale, tome 1, Pygmalion-Gérard Watelet, 1988
  6. Gellately, Robert; Kiernan, Ben (2003). The Specter of Genocide: Mass Murder in Historical Perspective. Cambridge University Press.
  7. Paris clashes after French police kill Chinese man, BBC News, 28 March 2017.
  8. "Le Quartier Chinois de Paris Arts-et-Métiers" [Paris Chinatown Arts and Crafts] (in French). chine-informations.com. Archived from the original on 11 November 2013.
  9. Picquart, Pierre (2004). The Chinese Empire (L'Empire chinois) (in French). Favre S.A. ISBN   978-2-8289-0793-8.
  10. Roy, Anustup (7 September 2007). "Eviction rate of Chinese illegal immigrants in France on Rise". Network Europe. Archived from the original on 6 January 2009. Retrieved 1 November 2007.
  11. Straits Times, 18 September 1978, p. 2
  12. Smith, Craig S. (10 May 2005). "Face behind Paris 'bistro' counter becomes Asian". International Herald Tribune . Archived from the original on 12 May 2005.
  13. "Présentation du Laos" [Presentation of Laos] (in French). France: French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 2017. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
  14. 1 2 Hahn 1999 , p. 77
  15. "Life in a foreign city can be difficult but Lao culture still prevails", Lao Voices, 7 January 2012, archived from the original on 2013-03-15, retrieved 2013-06-22
  16. La jeunesse lao de France, quelle identité? (in French)
  17. enteringmode (2015-02-20). "Lebanon – A Failed State?". ICDS. Retrieved 2023-12-27.
  18. "Lebanese Diaspora in France - MENA Research Center". 2021-06-15. Retrieved 2023-12-27.
  19. "Lebanon: The Story of a Failing State - Indian Council of World Affairs (Government of India)". www.icwa.in. Retrieved 2023-12-27.
  20. "Survey: Economic Collapse and Government Failure Drive Lebanese Youth to Emigrate". LCPS. Retrieved 2023-12-27.
  21. Hentz, Jean-Gustave; Hasselmann, Michel (2010). Transculturalité, religion, traditions autour de la mort en réanimation. Springer-Verlag France. doi:10.1007/978-2-287-99072-4_33. ISBN   978-2-287-99072-4. La France d'aujourd'hui est une société multiculturelle et multiethnique riche de 4,9 millions de migrants représentant environ 8 % de la population du pays. L'immigration massive de populations du sud de l'Europe de culture catholique après la deuxième guerre mondiale a été suivie par l'arrivée de trois millions d'Africains du Nord, d'un million de Turcs et de contingents importants d'Afrique Noire et d'Asie qui ont implanté en France un islam majoritairement sunnite (Maghrébins et Africains de l'Ouest) mais aussi chiite (Pakistanais et Africains de l'Est).
  22. Gallard, Joseph; Nguyen, Julien (2020), "Il est temps que la France appelle à de véritables sanctions contre le jeu d'Erdogan", Marianne, archived from the original on 14 February 2021, retrieved 25 November 2020, ... et ce grâce à la nombreuse diaspora turque, en particulier en France et en Allemagne. Ils seraient environ un million dans l'Hexagone, si ce n'est plus...es raisons derrière ne sont pas difficiles à deviner : l'immense population turque en Allemagne, estimée par Merkel elle-même aux alentours de sept millions et qui ne manquerait pas de se faire entendre si l'Allemagne prenait des mesures allant à l'encontre de la Turquie.
  23. Contrat d'objectifs et de moyens (COM) 2020-2022 de France Médias Monde: Mme Joëlle Garriaud-Maylam, co-rapporteur, Sénat, 2021, retrieved 7 May 2021, Enfin, comme vous l'avez dit au sujet de la Turquie, il est essentiel que la France investisse davantage dans les langues qui sont parlées sur le territoire national. On recense plus d'un million de Turcs en France. Ils ne partagent pas toujours nos objectifs et nos valeurs, parce qu'ils subissent l'influence d'une presse qui ne nous est pas toujours très favorable. Il est donc très utile de les prendre en compte dans le développement de nos médias.
  24. Bedir, Akif (2020). "Kirli hesaplar". Haber7 . Retrieved 15 December 2020. Fransa'da yaşayan 1 milyon dokuz yüz bin Türk...
  25. Nguyen, Hai Nam (30 January 2017). "Les célébrations du Têt en France par la communauté vietnamienne" [Lunar New Year Celebrations in France by the Vietnamese Community]. Le Petit Journal (in French). Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  26. La Diaspora Vietnamienne en France un cas particulier Archived 2013-12-03 at the Wayback Machine (in French)
  27. La diaspora vietnamienne Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine (in French)

Bibliography

See also