Koreans in Mexico

Korean Mexican
Regions with significant populations
	Mexico City, Baja California, Acapulco, Guadalajara.
Languages
	Mexican Spanish, Korean
Religion
	Christianity, Buddhism
Related ethnic groups
	Koreans, Korean American

Korean Mexicans (Spanish: Coreano-Mexicanos) are ethnic Koreans born in Mexico, total at about 15,000 of Korean descent in the 1999 census. The majority of them reside in Baja California, the state facing California, the US; along with smaller concentrations in northern Mexico.

History

In regards to the assimilation of Korean ethnicity into Mexico, the first Koreans were brought in as early as 17th century.

By Gene D. Matlock:

"The Spaniards finally decided to bring in hordes of Hindus, as well as lesser numbers of Koreans, Japanese and Chinese. History records that Hindu and Malay slaves were brought in by the tens of thousands to Mexico. This is a matter of record. It cannot be disproved."

Since the enslavement of Africans didn't work for filling up the void created by decimation of Aztecs. These servants of Korean descent became assimilated with the Mexican community. They are referred to as Henequen, the nickname for Korean-Mexicans.

About 1,000 Koreans arrived in 1905 as farm workers to the State of Yucatan and then moved to various parts of Mexico and Cuba when the contract expired. The majority of Korean-Mexicans there quickly became assimilated into the Mexican population by inter-marriage, as well the conversion of the newly arrived Koreans into the Roman Catholic Church. Often the demographic data for the Korean-Mexicans didn't gain as much attention like that of the Chinese Mexicans and the more numerous Filipino Mexicans.

Korean-Mexicans were the first victims of the Mexican-American War of 1848-1850 when they were accompanied by Mexican allies. Many ethnic Koreans also settled in Mexico from the United States when the Chinese and Japanese exclusion acts in the 1880s made it difficult for Koreans to become US citizens. These laws were made during WWII when Korea was a part of Japan, but there is only a little presence of Korean-Mexicans in the early 20th century.

Large number of mixed Korean descendants appeared when Mexico sought immigrants to populate the unsettled areas of northern Mexico. Roughly 30,000 Korean-Mexicans live in Baja California as truck farmers, construction workers, and shopkeepers, while the Korean cornerstore owner is a familiar feature in the northern states of old Mexico. The small but prosperous Korean community in Mexico City numbers at 30,000 and Korean immigration continues to this day.

The thousands of new generations^{[clarification needed]} of Korean-Mexicans show scant Korean appearances but the recent centennial ceremony at 2005 brought many Korean-Mexicans to have sought their ancestry. There is some popular prejudice against the new arrivals of Koreans, but no serious communal problems.^{[citation needed]} Some Korean-Mexicans left Mexico to find jobs abroad. Most went to the United States and Canada, where Korean populations and communities exist.

Like many East Asians whose descendants are Asian Americans, Koreans who arrived in the western U.S. came through the Mexican border and some Korean Americans (and other Asian Americans) who predate the 1950s might have Mexican or Latin American ancestry as a result. ^{[citation needed]}

Language

The language of the assimilated Korean-Mexicans is predominantly Spanish, but a new wave of Korean-Mexicans speak Spanish and/or English. There are many English-learning Korean-Mexican schools (escuelas coreanas) for the recent Korean immigrants. Only a selected number speak Korean.

Religion

Most Koreans, like most Mexicans, are Roman Catholics with almost same percentages of Protestants. Only a few are Mahayana Buddhists. North Koreans allowed to reside in Mexico came from a communist country known to restrict religious freedom, while South Koreans had the choice in freedom of worship.

External links