Asian diasporas in France

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Ethnic group in France

Ethnic group

Asian diasporas in FranceTotal population

Estimated to be 4-5 million (approximately 5.9% to 7.4% of the French population); it is illegal for the state to collect data on ethnicity and race
Regions with significant populations
Throughout most major urban areas in France (Île-de-France, Marseille, Lyon, Strasbourg, Lille, Nice, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Nantes, etc.)
Languages
French, Languages of Asia
Religion
Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Chinese folk religion, Confucianism, Vietnamese folk religion
Related ethnic groups
Ethnic groups in Asia

Asian diasporas in France or French Asians[1] consist of foreign residents and French citizens originating from Asian countries living in France. French citizens of Asian descent primarily have ancestry from the former French colonies of Indochina (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia), as well as China or Turkey.[2] Other Asian ethnic groups found in France include other West Asians (such as the Lebanese), South Asians, Japanese, and Koreans.[3]

## Asian diasporas by country

[edit]

### Armenians

[edit]

Main article: Armenians in France

### Azerbaijanis

[edit]

Main article: Azerbaijanis in France

### Cambodians

[edit]

Main article: Cambodians in France

The population of ethnic Khmers in France is estimated to be about 80,000 as of 2020, making the community one of the largest in the Cambodian diaspora.[4] The Cambodian population in France has had a presence in the country dating to well before the Vietnam War and subsequent Indochina refugee crisis, 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.[5] 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.[6]

### Chinese

[edit]

Main article: Chinese diaspora in France

Chinese form the second largest Asian group in France after the Turks, with a population of roughly 600,000 as of 2017.[7]

The first Chinese migrants to France consisted of traders in the leather and Chinese ceramics trade originating from the Wenzhou region during the early 1900s.[8] During World War I, 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.[9] 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.[10] A much larger inflow of ethnic Chinese arrived in France after the end of the Vietnam War 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.[11]

The 13th arrondissement of Paris hosts Paris' Quartier Asiatique, 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.[12]

### Filipinos

[edit]

Main article: Filipinos in France

### Indians

[edit]

Main articles: Indians in France and Tamils in France

### Iranians

[edit]

Main article: Iranians in France

### Japanese

[edit]

Main article: Japanese people in France

### Koreans

[edit]

Main article: Koreans in France

### Kurdish

[edit]

Main article: Kurds in France

### Laotians

[edit]

Main article: Laotians in France

The number of ethnic Laotians in France was estimated to be 200,000 as of 2017.[13] 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.[14]

Under French rule, a number of Laotian students and workers arrived in France, with some resettling permanently.[14] 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.[15] 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.[16][unreliable source?]

### Lebanese

[edit]

Main article: Lebanese people in France

About 300,000 people of Lebanese descent live in France. Most have left because of the Lebanese civil war, the wars of Hezbollah against Israel and internal crisis which has led to Lebanon nearing being considered a failed state.[17][18][19][20]

### Pakistanis

[edit]

Main article: Pakistanis in France

### Syrians

[edit]

Main article: Syrians in France

### Tamils

[edit]

Main article: Tamils in France

### Turkish

[edit]

Main article: Turks in France

The Turkish community in France forms the largest Asian community in the country, with an estimated population of 1 million as of 2010;[21] the estimated number exceeding that as of 2020.[22][23] The population is as high as 1.9 million according to some Turkish sources.[24]

### Vietnamese

[edit]

Main article: Vietnamese people in France

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.[25]

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 and end of the Vietnam War in 1975.[26]

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.[27]

## Living Conditions

[edit]

14% of Southeast Asian immigrants live in social housing, 3 to 4 times less than those from the Maghreb.[28]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Coronavirus: French Asians hit back at racism with 'I'm not a virus'". 2020-01-29. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
2. ^ "La population étrangère résidant en France: Infos migrations" [The foreign population residing in France: Migration information] (in French). immigration.gouv.fr. October 2009. Archived from the original on 27 November 2010. "... ressortissants d'origine asiatique augmente, malgré une baisse du nombre des Cambodgiens, Laotiens et Vietnamiens. Cela s'explique par une présence accrue des Turcs, mais surtout de celle des ressortissants chinois ... ou plus généralement d'un autre pays d'Asie."
3. ^ "La population étrangère résidant en France: Infos migrations" [The foreign population residing in France: Migration information] (in French). immigration.gouv.fr. October 2009. Archived from the original on 27 November 2010.
4. ^ Le retour au pays de deux descendants de la diaspora cambodgienne, 19 August 2020, Radio France Internationale. (in French)
5. ^ Pierre Montagnon, La France coloniale, tome 1, Pygmalion-Gérard Watelet, 1988
6. ^ Gellately, Robert; Kiernan, Ben (2003). The Specter of Genocide: Mass Murder in Historical Perspective. Cambridge University Press.
7. ^ Paris clashes after French police kill Chinese man, BBC News, 28 March 2017.
8. ^ "Le Quartier Chinois de Paris Arts-et-Métiers" [Paris Chinatown Arts and Crafts] (in French). chine-informations.com. Archived from the original on 11 November 2013.
9. ^ Picquart, Pierre (2004). The Chinese Empire (L'Empire chinois) (in French). Favre S.A. ISBN 978-2-8289-0793-8.
10. ^ Roy, Anustup (7 September 2007). "Eviction rate of Chinese illegal immigrants in France on Rise". Network Europe. Archived from the original on 6 January 2009. Retrieved 1 November 2007.
11. ^ Straits Times, 18 September 1978, p. 2
12. ^ Smith, Craig S. (10 May 2005). "Face behind Paris 'bistro' counter becomes Asian". International Herald Tribune. Archived from the original on 12 May 2005.
13. ^ "Présentation du Laos" [Presentation of Laos] (in French). France: French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 2017. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
14. ^ a b Hahn 1999, p. 77
15. ^ "Life in a foreign city can be difficult but Lao culture still prevails", Lao Voices, 7 January 2012, archived from the original on 2013-03-15, retrieved 2013-06-22
16. ^ La jeunesse lao de France, quelle identité? (in French)
17. ^ enteringmode (2015-02-20). "Lebanon – A Failed State?". ICDS. Retrieved 2023-12-27.
18. ^ "Lebanese Diaspora in France - MENA Research Center". 2021-06-15. Retrieved 2023-12-27.
19. ^ "Lebanon: The Story of a Failing State - Indian Council of World Affairs (Government of India)". www.icwa.in. Retrieved 2023-12-27.
20. ^ "Survey: Economic Collapse and Government Failure Drive Lebanese Youth to Emigrate". LCPS. Retrieved 2023-12-27.
21. ^ Hentz, Jean-Gustave; Hasselmann, Michel (2010). Transculturalité, religion, traditions autour de la mort en réanimation. Springer-Verlag France. doi:10.1007/978-2-287-99072-4_33. ISBN 978-2-287-99072-4. "La France d'aujourd'hui est une société multiculturelle et multiethnique riche de 4,9 millions de migrants représentant environ 8 % de la population du pays. L'immigration massive de populations du sud de l'Europe de culture catholique après la deuxième guerre mondiale a été suivie par l'arrivée de trois millions d'Africains du Nord, d'un million de Turcs et de contingents importants d'Afrique Noire et d'Asie qui ont implanté en France un islam majoritairement sunnite (Maghrébins et Africains de l'Ouest) mais aussi chiite (Pakistanais et Africains de l'Est)."
22. ^ Gallard, Joseph; Nguyen, Julien (2020), "Il est temps que la France appelle à de véritables sanctions contre le jeu d'Erdogan", Marianne, archived from the original on 14 February 2021, retrieved 25 November 2020, "... et ce grâce à la nombreuse diaspora turque, en particulier en France et en Allemagne. Ils seraient environ un million dans l'Hexagone, si ce n'est plus...es raisons derrière ne sont pas difficiles à deviner : l'immense population turque en Allemagne, estimée par Merkel elle-même aux alentours de sept millions et qui ne manquerait pas de se faire entendre si l'Allemagne prenait des mesures allant à l'encontre de la Turquie."
23. ^ Contrat d'objectifs et de moyens (COM) 2020-2022 de France Médias Monde: Mme Joëlle Garriaud-Maylam, co-rapporteur, Sénat, 2021, retrieved 7 May 2021, "Enfin, comme vous l'avez dit au sujet de la Turquie, il est essentiel que la France investisse davantage dans les langues qui sont parlées sur le territoire national. On recense plus d'un million de Turcs en France. Ils ne partagent pas toujours nos objectifs et nos valeurs, parce qu'ils subissent l'influence d'une presse qui ne nous est pas toujours très favorable. Il est donc très utile de les prendre en compte dans le développement de nos médias."
24. ^ Bedir, Akif (2020). "Kirli hesaplar". Haber7. Retrieved 15 December 2020. "Fransa'da yaşayan 1 milyon dokuz yüz bin Türk..."
25. ^ Nguyen, Hai Nam (30 January 2017). "Les célébrations du Têt en France par la communauté vietnamienne" [Lunar New Year Celebrations in France by the Vietnamese Community]. Le Petit Journal (in French). Retrieved 2 August 2020.
26. ^ La Diaspora Vietnamienne en France un cas particulier Archived 2013-12-03 at the Wayback Machine (in French)
27. ^ La diaspora vietnamienne Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine (in French)
28. ^ "«14% des immigrés d'Asie du Sud-Est vivent en logement social, c'est 3 à 4 fois moins que ceux en provenance du Maghreb», selon le directeur de l'Observatoire de l'immigration" ["14% of immigrants from Southeast Asia live in social housing, 3 to 4 times less than those from the Maghreb," according to the director of the Immigration Observatory.]. cnews (in French). 11 February 2025. Retrieved 14 June 2025.

## Bibliography

[edit]

* Hahn, Carine (1999), Le Laos, Karthala, ISBN 9782865378586

## See also

[edit]

* Anti-Asian racism in France

* v
* t
* e

Asian diasporas in France

East Asia|

* Chinese
* in Paris
* in Réunion
* Korean
* Japanese
* in Paris

South Asia|

* Indians
* in Réunion
* Tamil
* Pakistani
* Sri Lankan

Southeast Asia|

* Cambodian
* Filipino
* Laotian
* Vietnamese
* in Paris

West Asia|

* Arab
* Lebanese
* Armenian
* Assyrian
* Azerbaijani
* Iranian
* Georgian
* Kurd
* Turkish

* Demographics of France
* Immigration to France

* v
* t
* e

Diasporas in France

Africa|

| By ethnicity|

* Arabs
* in Paris
* Berbers
* Black people in France
* in Paris

|

By country|

* Algerians
* Beninese
* Cameroonians
* Comorians
* Congolese
* Gabonese
* Ivorians
* Malagasy
* Malians
* Mauritanians
* Mauritians
* Moroccans
* Senegalese
* South Africans
* Togolese
* Tunisians

Asia|

| By ethnicity|

* Arabs
* Assyrians
* Jews
* Kurds
* Roma
* Tamils

|

By country|

* Armenians
* Azerbaijanis
* Cambodians
* Chinese
* in Paris
* Filipinos
* Georgians
* Indians
* Iranians
* Japanese
* in Paris
* Koreans
* Laotians
* Lebanese
* Pakistanis
* Sri Lankans
* Turks
* Vietnamese
* in Paris

Europe|

* Albanian
* Britons
* Bulgarians
* Czech
* Germans
* Greeks
* Italians
* Macedonians
* Poles
* Portuguese
* Romanians
* Russians
* Chechens
* Serbs
* Spaniards
* Swiss
* Ukrainians

North America|

* Americans
* African Americans
* Canadians
* Haitians
* Mexicans

South America|

* Argentines
* Brazilians
* Chileans
* Peruvians
* Uruguayans

* Demographics of France
* French people living outside France
* Immigration to France

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