Chinese Immigration To Puerto Rico
Large scale Chinese immigration to Puerto Rico and the Caribbean began during the 19th century. Unlike their European counterparts, Chinese immigrants had to face various obstacles which prohibited or restricted their entry in Puerto Rico.
When Puerto Rico was a Spanish colony, the Spanish government did not encourage settlers of non-Hispanic origin. Even though the Spanish government changed its stance with the passage of the Royal Decree of Graces (Real Cédula de Gracias) of 1815, the decree was not aimed at Asians, it was aimed at non-Hispanic Europeans who were willing to swear their allegiance to the Roman Catholic Church.
After Spain ceded Puerto Rico to the United States in accordance to the Treaty of Paris of 1898, Chinese immigrants faced another obstacle with the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act (1882) which forbade the entry and immigration of Chinese nationals to the United States and its territories.
An influx of Chinese immigrants began to arrive in Puerto Rico after the Chinese Exclusion Act was repealed in 1943 and in the 1950s, when hundreds of Cuban Chinese fled Cuba after Fidel Castro came to power.
Read more about Chinese Immigration To Puerto Rico: Spanish Immigration Restrictions, 20th Century, Chinese Influence in Puerto Rico, Common Chinese Surnames
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“One alone in a Chinese square
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He stood for freedom for us all,
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—Jimmy Carter (James Earl Carter, Jr.)
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