Chinese Uruguayans
| |
|---|---|
| Total population | |
| 226 declare China as homeland; 400+ Uruguayans of Chinese ancestry | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Montevideo | |
| Languages | |
| Chinese, Uruguayan Spanish | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Overseas Chinese |
Chinese Uruguayans are Uruguayan citizens of Chinese ancestry or are Chinese people residing in Uruguay.
Overview
The first flow of immigration arrived in 1949, coming from mainland China and Taiwan.[1] Nowadays there are some 400 Chinese immigrants in Uruguay, mostly living in Montevideo. Their activities include gastronomy, fishing, groceries.[2]
The 2011 Uruguayan census revealed 226 people who declared China as their country of birth.[3] As of 2013, there are 44 Chinese citizens registered in the Uruguayan social security.[4] Compared to neighboring Argentina and Brazil, with both nations containing a large population, Chinese immigration is significantly smaller in Uruguay.[1]
There are a Chinese Uruguayan Association,[2] a Uruguay-China Chamber of Commerce in Montevideo,[5] and a Confucius Institute in Uruguay.[6]
Some Chinese immigrants teach their language to Uruguayans.[2]
Notable people
- Cheung-Koon Yim (Beijing, 11 December 1936 - Montevideo, 7 November 2025), architect and university professor who fled from the Chinese Civil War.[7]
- Adi Yacong Wu, a professor of the Mandarin Chinese language.[8]
- Jin Tan Meng (Guangzhou, 1982), businessman and first chinese-born uruguayan parliament member.[9][10]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Dreaming in another language". EL PAIS. 23 July 2011. (in Spanish)
- ^ a b c "The life of Asian immigrants in Uruguay". El Espectador. 10 May 2007. (in Spanish)
- ^ "Immigration to Uruguay" (PDF). INE. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 August 2013. Retrieved 6 March 2013. (in Spanish)
- ^ "Foreign workers in Uruguay". EL PAIS. Archived from the original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved 4 November 2013. (in Spanish)
- ^ Uruguayan-Chinese Chamber of Commerce (in Spanish)
- ^ "Confucius Institute in Uruguay". Confucius Institute. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ^ "A Chinese in Uruguay". (in Spanish)
- ^ "Las historias de dos chinos que se enamoraron de Uruguay y se quedaron".
- ^ Magni, Agustín Magallanes Santiago (2025-11-27). "Jin Tan Meng: el chino más uruguayo que fue juvenil de Peñarol, asumió en Diputados y presentó proyecto de ley". EL PAIS (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-11-28.
- ^ "Del sueño de futbolista en China a diputado en Uruguay: la historia de "Jackie" Tan Meng". Montevideo Portal (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-11-28.