Chinatowns in Africa
Encyclopedia
This article discusses Chinatowns in Africa. There are least three major Chinatown
s in Africa
.
As former colonies of Europe
, the coastal African nations of Madagascar
, Mauritius
, and South Africa
were the main receiving points of Chinese immigrants from the 1890s to the early part of the 20th century. The early Chinese arrived to labour in the Transvaal gold mines of South Africa and on the Tananrive Tamatave railway of Madagascar. Many of these Chinese immigrants were exploited.
Today, South Africa
remains the top African destination for first-generation Chinese-speaking immigrants.
has received some Chinese immigrants. In Madagascar, there are about 30,000 Chinese, the majority of them came from the Pearl River Delta
in Guangdong
. A Chinatown, called Quartier Chinois, is located in Antananarivo
.
on rue Royale. The Hakka
Chinese are the dominant group in Mauritius
. Its Chinatown was founded in 1944. The Chinatown of Port Louis hosts a very popular "Chinese Food and Cultural Festival" every year, which is appreciated by all Mauritians in general.
. Many immigrants in Casablanca's Chinatown engage in the wholesale apparel businesses, selling fair-quality products at low prices.
has a declining Chinatown on Commissioner Street, but a newer Chinatown can be found on Derrick Avenue in the hilly suburb of Cyrildene
. Most of the inhabitants of the Cyrildene Chinatown are recent immigrants from mainland China
.
In the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s immigrants from Taiwan settled extensively in South Africa. South Africa's first Taiwanese-born legislator was elected in the 1980s. After South Africa recognised the Peoples Republic of China in 1998 large numbers of mainland Chinese
immigrated to the country. South African Chinese
are dispersed throughout South African cities. During the Apartheid regime (1948–93) certain East Asian nationals (such as Japan and Taiwan – not Chinese) in South Africa were declared honorary whites and thus avoided most forms of official discriminatory laws (they could live in reserved white neighborhoods unlike black, Chinese, and Asian-Indian South Africans), since Apartheid created a strict racial segregation system for non-white/European persons (esp. the black majority) in South Africa.
Chinatown
A Chinatown is an ethnic enclave of overseas Chinese people, although it is often generalized to include various Southeast Asian people. Chinatowns exist throughout the world, including East Asia, Southeast Asia, the Americas, Australasia, and Europe. Binondo's Chinatown located in Manila,...
s in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
.
As former colonies of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, the coastal African nations of Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
, Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
, and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
were the main receiving points of Chinese immigrants from the 1890s to the early part of the 20th century. The early Chinese arrived to labour in the Transvaal gold mines of South Africa and on the Tananrive Tamatave railway of Madagascar. Many of these Chinese immigrants were exploited.
Today, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
remains the top African destination for first-generation Chinese-speaking immigrants.
Madagascar
MadagascarMadagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
has received some Chinese immigrants. In Madagascar, there are about 30,000 Chinese, the majority of them came from the Pearl River Delta
Pearl River Delta
The Pearl River Delta , Zhujiang Delta or Zhusanjiao in Guangdong province, People's Republic of China is the low-lying area surrounding the Pearl River estuary where the Pearl River flows into the South China Sea...
in Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
. A Chinatown, called Quartier Chinois, is located in Antananarivo
Antananarivo
Antananarivo , formerly Tananarive , is the capital and largest city in Madagascar. It is also known by its French colonial shorthand form Tana....
.
Mauritius
The Chinatown or Quartier chinois is in the city of Port LouisPort Louis
-Economy:The economy is dominated by its port, which handles Mauritius' international trade. The port was founded by the French who preferred Port Louis as the City is shielded by the Port Louis/Moka mountain range. It is the largest container handling facility in the Indian Ocean and can...
on rue Royale. The Hakka
Hakka people
The Hakka , sometimes Hakka Han, are Han Chinese who speak the Hakka language and have links to the provincial areas of Guangdong, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan and Fujian in China....
Chinese are the dominant group in Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
. Its Chinatown was founded in 1944. The Chinatown of Port Louis hosts a very popular "Chinese Food and Cultural Festival" every year, which is appreciated by all Mauritians in general.
Morocco
The sole and quickly growing Chinatown of North Africa is the Quartier chinois located on rue Mohamed Ben Ahmed Lekrik in the Derb Omar district of CasablancaCasablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
. Many immigrants in Casablanca's Chinatown engage in the wholesale apparel businesses, selling fair-quality products at low prices.
South Africa
Inner-city JohannesburgJohannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
has a declining Chinatown on Commissioner Street, but a newer Chinatown can be found on Derrick Avenue in the hilly suburb of Cyrildene
Cyrildene
Cyrildene is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is noted for a new Chinatown that exists on Derrick Avenue. This new Chinatown is now considered as the main Chinatown in Johannesburg, replacing the declining Chinatown on Commissioner Street in the inner-city of Johannesburg.-History:Up...
. Most of the inhabitants of the Cyrildene Chinatown are recent immigrants from mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
.
In the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s immigrants from Taiwan settled extensively in South Africa. South Africa's first Taiwanese-born legislator was elected in the 1980s. After South Africa recognised the Peoples Republic of China in 1998 large numbers of mainland Chinese
Mainland Chinese
Mainland Chinese or Mainlanders are Chinese people who live in a region considered a "mainland". It is frequently used in the context of areas ruled by the People's Republic of China, referring to people from Mainland China as opposed to other areas controlled by the state such as Hong Kong or...
immigrated to the country. South African Chinese
South African Chinese
Chinese South Africans are a group of overseas Chinese that were born and/or are currently living in South Africa. The community consists of both those whose ancestors came to South Africa throughout the early 20th century, until Chinese immigration was banned under the Chinese Exclusion Act of...
are dispersed throughout South African cities. During the Apartheid regime (1948–93) certain East Asian nationals (such as Japan and Taiwan – not Chinese) in South Africa were declared honorary whites and thus avoided most forms of official discriminatory laws (they could live in reserved white neighborhoods unlike black, Chinese, and Asian-Indian South Africans), since Apartheid created a strict racial segregation system for non-white/European persons (esp. the black majority) in South Africa.
External links
- Antananrivo Chinatown Gallery Some photos of Antananrivo's Chinatown
- Johannesburg Chinatowns
- My Johannesburg: The original Chinatown, interview with Ufrieda Ho, Aug 20 2011.