Barrio Chino (Santo Domingo)
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Santo Domingo. | |
| Languages | |
| Dominican Spanish · Chinese | |
| Religion | |
| Buddhism · Christianity | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Chinese Caribbean |
The Barrio Chino of Santo Dominigo is the cultural center of the Chinese diaspora in The Dominican Republic. Located directly north of the Colonial City. Signature Chinese gates mark the start and end of the neighborhood, running principally along Avenida Duarte, and stretching across Mexico, Mella, and Benito González avenues. Sculptures of key Chinese figures dot the streets, from a monk to life-size lions. The city’s most authentic Chinese restaurants are found here, as well as multiple Chinese grocery stores, a street vegetable market every Sunday, and other local shops selling clothing to housewares.
The original idea for a Chinatown in Santo Domingo was conceived in the early 1990s, but it took some years before the idea was to materialize. Chinatown took one step closer to becoming a reality when the organization Flor Para Todos was recognized.
On 8 December 2004, Flor Para Todos and the city of Santo Domingo agreed to begin construction on the Chinatown project. Additionally, agreements were signed with the Tourism Ministry to promote Chinatown as a tourist attraction, s with the Culture Ministry to develop cultural activities and with the Police Department to increase police protection in the area. Santo Domingo's Chinatown was officially inaugurated as a Chinatown in 2006.[1]
Chinese Dominicans[edit]
The Chinese community in the Dominican Republic forms one of the largest Chinese communities in Latin America. Although no official census has been made, there are estimates of approximately 50,000 people of Chinese origin living in the country.[1] Chinese descendants living in the Dominican Republic may be referred as Chinese Dominicans.
The first recorded mention of a Chinese presence in the Dominican Republic was in 1864 during the Dominican Restoration War, with references to a man named “Pancho el Chino,” who fought in the War. There are also reports that a businessman named Gregorio Riva brought a handful of Chinese laborers over from Cuba to make bricks and quicklime in the Cibao region. This group of Chinese immigrants eventually built warehouses in Samaná, Yuna and Moca. By 1870 the Chinese migrants had built the cemetery in Moca. By 1878 the presence of Chinese-Dominicans in Puerto Plata had increased thanks to the work of General Segundo Imbert, who was Governor of Puerto Plata.
A large influx of Chinese came during the American occupation of the Dominican Republic in 1916 to 1924, when ethnic Chinese came over to take part in the rapid economic expansion that resulted from the occupation. In 1937, there was an increased number of Chinese migrants that came to the Dominican Republic due to the Sino-Japanese war. In 1944 an official Chinese office was opened in the Dominican Republic and in 1945 a branch of the Chinese National Party was also opened in the country. By the 1950s Chinese-Dominicans had established a small niche in the Duarte area of Santo Domingo and most of the businesses in that part of the city were Chinese-owned. Since Chinese migration had declined during the 1960s and 1970s, the community’s growth was limited.
For many years, Chinese immigrants to the Dominican Republic have integrated into the local Dominican community. Unlike their counterparts in other countries, Chinese culture began to take a back seat and become a less visible. But a new wave of migration during the early 1990s has sparked new interest about the Chinese community in the country and revived the notion of the need to remember the contributions of past generations.
External links[edit]
This article "Barrio Chino (Santo Domingo)" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Barrio Chino (Santo Domingo). Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
- ↑ "The Chinese Community and Santo Domingo's Barrio Chino". dr1.com. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
