Asian diasporas in France consist of foreign residents and French citizens originating from
Asian countries
This is a list of sovereign states and dependent territories in Asia. It includes fully recognized states, states with limited but substantial international recognition, ''de facto'' states with little or no international recognition, and depe ...
living in France. French citizens of Asian descent primarily have ancestry from the former
French colonies of Indochina (
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
,
Laos,
Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailan ...
), as well as
China or
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...
. Other Asian ethnic groups found in France include other
West Asia
Western Asia, West Asia, or Southwest Asia, is the westernmost subregion of the larger geographical region of Asia, as defined by some academics, UN bodies and other institutions. It is almost entirely a part of the Middle East, and includes Ana ...
ns (such as the
Lebanese),
South Asia
South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical
Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth descr ...
ns,
Japanese, and
Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
ns.
Asian diasporas by country
Armenians
Cambodians
The population of ethnic Khmers in France as of 2020 is estimated to be about 80,000, making the community one of the largest in the Cambodian diaspora. The Cambodian population in France has had a presence in the country dating to well before the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...
and subsequent
Indochina refugee crisis
The Indochina refugee crisis was the large outflow of people from the former French colonies of Indochina, comprising the countries of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, after communist governments were established in 1975. Over the next 25 years and ...
, unlike counterpart communities in North America and Australia.
Early Cambodian immigration to France began in the latter half of the 19th century, when Cambodia became a
French protectorate. The first migrants largely consisted of students and workers belonging to the country's elite class. While most Cambodians arrived as refugees as a result of Indochina's heavy turmoil during the latter half of the 20th century, their large-scale arrival was later than other Indochinese immigrants. Although a few Cambodians were able to flee from the
Khmer Rouge takeover in 1975 with French assistance, a much larger influx arrived in the 1980s following the regime collapse and end of the
Cambodian genocide.
Chinese
Chinese form the second largest Asian group in France after the Turks, with a population of roughly 600,000 as of 2017.
The first Chinese migrants to France consisted of traders in the leather and Chinese ceramics trade originating from the
Wenzhou
Wenzhou (pronounced ; Wenzhounese: Yuziou y33–11 tɕiɤu33–32 ), historically known as Wenchow is a prefecture-level city in southeastern Zhejiang province in the People's Republic of China. Wenzhou is located at the extreme south east ...
region during the early 1900s. During
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, a few thousand Chinese laborers were recruited by the French Empire to help with war efforts in Metropolitan France, doing tasks such as working at munitions depots or ports and repairing railways and roads. A small number remained in France after the war ended, settling largely in the Chinese quarter of Paris established earlier by the Wenzhounese merchants, forming the basis of the Chinese community in France.
Chinese immigration to France continued as a trickle during the 1930s and 1940s, with some tradesmen and students arriving in the country, primarily to Paris. A much larger inflow of ethnic Chinese arrived in France after the end of the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...
and the heavy persecution of
ethnic Chinese in Vietnam and Cambodia by the new communist government in 1975, along with a larger influx of immigrants from the Wenzhou region of China.
The
13th arrondissement of Paris hosts Paris'
Quartier Asiatique
The Quartier asiatique (Asian Quarter), also called Triangle de Choisy or Petite Asie (Chinese: 巴黎唐人街, Vietnamese: ''Phố Tàu Paris'') is the largest commercial and cultural center for the Asian community of Paris. It is located in t ...
, the largest and most important community for the city's Asian population. While originally an ethnic Vietnamese quarter, Chinese have become the largest Asian and ethnic group in the neighborhood following the former community's assimilation into French society. The
Belleville neighborhood of Paris also hosts an important Chinese community, as does the historical Chinese quarter founded by Wenzhounese merchants in the
3rd arrondissement of Paris
The 3rd arrondissement of Paris (''IIIe arrondissement'') is one of the 20 arrondissements (districts) of the capital city of France. In spoken French, this arrondissement is colloquially referred to as the ''"troisième"'' meaning "third" in F ...
.
Filipinos
Indians
Iranians
Japanese
Koreans
Laotians
The number of ethnic Laotians in France was estimated to be 200,000 as of 2017. The Laotian community in France is the most established
overseas Laotian community outside Southeast Asia, having had a presence in the country since the late 19th century, when
Laos became a French protectorate.
Under French rule, a number of Laotian students and workers arrived in France, with some resettling permanently.
A much larger number of Laotians arrived in France following the end of the
Laotian Civil War (a front of the greater Vietnam War) and the communist takeover of their homeland.
The Laotian community is highly integrated into French society, with high average rates of educational and economic achievement, especially among the generations of French-born Lao.
Lebanese
Pakistanis
Syrians
Sri Lankans
Turkish
The Turkish community in France forms the largest Asian community in the country, with an estimated population of 1 million as of 2010, and the estimated number exceeding that as of 2020.
Being as high as 1.9 million according to some Turkish sources.
Vietnamese
The Vietnamese form the most established Asian ethnic group in France, with a presence in the country dating back to the start of
French colonialism in Vietnam in the latter half of the 19th century. As of 2017, the population of the community was estimated to be about 400,000, the second largest
overseas Vietnamese population outside Asia.
During the colonial period, there was a significant representation of Vietnamese students in France, as well as professional and blue-collar workers, with a large number settling permanently. Following Vietnam's independence, a number of Vietnamese loyal to the colonial government also emigrated to France. However, the largest influx of Vietnamese people arrived in France as refugees after the
Fall of Saigon
The Fall of Saigon, also known as the Liberation of Saigon by North Vietnamese or Liberation of the South by the Vietnamese government, and known as Black April by anti-communist overseas Vietnamese was the capture of Ho Chi Minh City, Saigon, t ...
and end of the Vietnam War in 1975.
The Vietnamese community in France is the most successful among overseas Vietnamese communities, having a high level of both integration and success in academics and income. These achievements have led to French media and politicians regarding the French Vietnamese as a
model minority
A model minority is a minority demographic (whether based on ethnicity, race or religion) whose members are perceived as achieving a higher degree of socioeconomic success than the population average, thus serving as a reference group to outgro ...
.
La diaspora vietnamienne
(in French)
References
Bibliography
*
See also
* Anti-Asian racism in France Anti-Asian racism in France refers to discrimination that is faced by individuals of Asian descent in France.
General
Anti-Asian racism often consists of beliefs about people of Asian origin, which are often presented in a positive manner but con ...
{{Diasporas in France
*
Ethnic groups in France