Between the two there are many differences and some similarities. Starting with the similarities, the two came to replace the shortage of labor experienced in the Peruvian countryside in the mid-nineteenth century, although the Chinese also worked in the extraction of guano and some in the construction of railroads. The two initially experienced abuse (specially the Chinese), illness, and discrimination But the differences are greater and it has to do with: who came; how they came; how they organized when they came to Peru; how they adapted to Peruvian society

1. Chinese and Japanese immigration in
Peru: Differences and Similarities
October 2019
Carlos Aquino
Coordinator of the Center of Asian Studies-San Marcos National
University
caquinor@unmsm.edu.pe

2. Chinese and Japanese immigration in Peru
• This year 2019 marks 170 years since the beginning of Chinese
immigration and 120 years of Japanese immigration to Peru
• Chinese immigration to Peru was the oldest in South America, the
Japanese the first in Latin America
• The descendants of the Chinese in the country constitute the largest
community in Latin America, and that of the Japanese the second
largest (after Brazil)
• The descendants of the Chinese in Peru are estimated to be between
5% to 10% of the total population, that of Japanese is quite minor
(0.3%)

3. Differences and Similarities between chinese and japanese
immigration
• Between the two there are many differences and some similarities.
• Starting with the similarities, the two came to replace the shortage of
labor experienced in the Peruvian countryside in the mid-nineteenth
century, although the Chinese also worked in the extraction of guano
and some in the construction of railroads.
• The two initially experienced abuse (specially the Chinese), illness,
and discrimination
• But the differences are greater and it has to do with: who came; how
they came; how they organized when they came to Peru; how they
adapted to Peruvian society;

4. Who and how did they come?
• Most of the coolies who came to Peru were poor, illiterate peasants, many
deceived in contracts of 5 to 8 years. They came in dismal conditions on a
boat trip that could last 4 months and sometimes 30% or more of them
died during the travesy. The way they were sent caused the incident of the
ship "María Luz".
• By contrast, the Japanese came in an organized way on company trips and
somehow subsidized by their government, on a 4-year contract.
• The majority of the Chinese who arrived were men and then received no
help to settle in Peru
• The Japanese who arrived at the beginning were men but then brought
their women, and received the support of the contractor and their
government

5. How they organized when they arrived to Peru
• The Chinese could not organize well at the beginning. Only in 1886 was created
the Central Society of Chinese Charities with the support of its Embassy (Peru
established diplomatic relations with that country in 1874). Various associations
were created before those dates that grouped people who came from certain
places, and one of the oldest is the Kong Chau Society (Cu Con Chau) created in
1868. Those of Hakka origin created one in 1889.
• Having little education and unity among themselves because also they came from
different places influenced the fact that they organized in associations later.
• The Japanese organized soon upon coming. In 1910 the Okinawan Association of
Peru (AOP in spanish) had been formed and then in 1917 the Central Japanese
Society was created, which later became the Peruvian Japanese Association (APJ
in spanish).
• The fact of having a higher level of education, of having come in a more organized
way, and of having received support from their Embassy since the beginning
explains the latter.

6. • The Japanese created their schools where they taught the Japanese
language. The first was created at the Santa Bárbara farm in 1908. In 1920
the Japanese School of Lima (Lima Nikko) was created, which had 1,800
students and 50 teachers. In total there were 50 schools
• In 1924 the Chinese school "Chung Wa" was created, and in 1936 the "San
Min", and later these two become the Chinese Peruvian School "Diez de
Octubre“ created in 1962.
• The Chinese created in the early years of the twentieth century some
newspapers, such as The Voice of the Colony, and the Man Ching Po, the
latter in 1911.
• Japanese immigrants created a newspaper in Japanese, the Nipponjin, in
1909, and another in 1910 that had a short duration, although the Jiho
Andes created in 1913 lasted for almost 16 years

7. How they adapted to Peruvian society
• The Chinese joined Peruvian society faster because of the interracial
marriages that existed with the Peruvians. The Japanese tended to
marry each other.
• Japanese descendants retain their traditions more because there was
not so much mixed marriage with Peruvians.
• Many Chinese do not have their own last name because these were
changed, and there are some descendants of Japanese who also had
some changes in their last names.

8. Conclusions
• Chinese and Japanese immigration to Peru, of the oldest in Latin America,
have several differences and similarities
• Both came to replace the lack of labor in Peru in the mid-nineteenth
century, both suffered hardships, mistreatment and discrimination
• But there were important differences such as the fact that many Chinese
were deceived, in semi-slavery contracts, and when they arrived they had
virtually no one to take care of them. The Japanese came voluntarily, in
contracts for 4 years and had the support of the company and its Embassy
from the beginning
• Only Chinese men came and so there were many mixed marriages, the
Japanese brought their women later.
• The Japanese organized faster in associations, founded their schools, their
diaries, etc.

9. Bibliografía
• http://www.discovernikkei.org/es/journal/2016/1/26/periodismo-
peruano-japones/
• https://noticias.nat.gov.tw/news.php?unit=98,106,115&post=89553
• http://www.revistaoriental.com/ayer-fue-noticia-hoy-es-historia/