Immigration Chinese Nicaraguans

a california gold rush handbill listing nicaragua shortcut

although information when chinese first arrived in nicaragua scarce, fernando centeno chiong, nicaraguan historian, journalist , university professor of chinese descent, published article in la prensa presence of chinese. chiong wrote there references exist stating chinese first arrived in nicaragua in mid-19th century, notably during california gold rush, in people on world traveled california mine gold, tens of thousands of whom travelled steamboats operated accessory transit company, director commodore cornelius vanderbilt. steamboats course went san juan river, site had been proposed nicaragua canal, chiong wrote:

...it possible between thousands of passengers made passage there chinese citizens remained in nicaragua, attracted natural beauty , hospitality of country continues maintaining same characteristics immigrants of different nationalities have made nicaragua second mother country.

during time, there restrictions prohibited entrance of asian citizens in country, in spite of which, many of them defied prohibition , settled in thought have been first chinese presence in american continent, perhaps before arrival of these citizens peru or panama.

shortly after world war ii, began in 1939 , ended in 1945, large quantities of chinese began arriving in nicaragua, during 1979 sandinista revolution, many fled nearby honduras, costa rica, , united states.

migration pacific coast

the chinese had begun heading pacific side of nicaragua , therefore started settle in cities of managua, granada, leon, , masaya @ end of 19th century. majority of them men, many of whom converted christianity, , married nicaraguan women, introducing country last names such as: lau, sujo, chang, cheng, siu, law, quant, chow, chiong, kuan, wong, samqui, saint , loyman, of represent descendants of first immigrants. approximated taiwanese descendants of 15 families. also, there estimated 7,000 people speak chinese.