The Center for Caribbean Studies of the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (Pucmm) launched the book “The Chinese Presence in the Greater Caribbean: Yesterday and Today” that analyzes Chinese immigration and its legacy in the Caribbean from the 19th Century to present.
Dominican historian Mu-kien Sang Ben was the coordinator of the research. The book is divided into three parts: the history of Chinese migration in the Caribbean, current events and a study on the perception of Chinese migration by opinion leaders. It also has case studies of countries where Chinese migration has had a considerable impact, including Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, Panama, Colombia and the United States.
Iván Gatón, researcher, professor and former director of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of the Dominican Republic, spoke at the book launching. He said the research “marks a milestone” in the knowledge on the arrival, evolution and integration of Chinese in the Caribbean. He explained that these were forced to emigrate due to the flooding of their country’s rivers, the unsustainable increase of the population or civil wars.
The first great wave of Chinese migration to the Greater Caribbean (from Florida, United States, to Venezuela) took place in the 19th Century and was destined to replace the black labor force on the sugar plantations after the abolition of slavery.
The research project was funded by US academic foundations and the European Union.
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17 March 2022