Asian Europeans

infobox ethnic group
group = Asian Europeans


poptime = ca. 24 million
popplace = United Kingdom, Germany, France, Russia, Netherlands
langs = Various
rels = Various

Asian Europeans are citizens or residents of Europe whose ethnic origins lie fully or partially in any nation in the continent of Asia. The definition of "Asian" varies dramatically throughout Europe, but for the sake of this article, every nation included in political Asia is being included. In which case there are estimated to be over 24 million Asian Europeans from one of the most diverse continents on earth.

History

ub Groups

Bangladesh

Bangladeshis number just over 500,000 and represent around 3% of the Asian European population, and are likely to be the most compact group. The London Borough of Tower Hamlets in the UK is home to 65,000 Bangladeshis, which represents over 30% of the Borough's populaton. Around 100,000 Bangladeshis live throughout the rest of London with other Bangladeshi communities being found in Birmingham and Oldham. Around 1 in every 100 British people are of Bangladeshi origin.

Cambodia

Cambodians constitute one of the smallest Asian European ethnic groups, the majority are found in France and number around 36,000. The majority of these are Khmer refugees who fled there during the Second Indochina War.

China

Chinese people have existed in Europe for centuries, with the first to arrive being merchants and sailors to the ports of Britain in the 19th century, although Chinese migration to Asian Russia was likely to be much earlier. Chinese Europeans are one of the most widely dispersed sub groups. Almost 2 million Chinese people reside in Europe, making them the third largest Asian European group after Kurds and Indians. The majority are found in Russia, the UK and France although Spain and Italy have ever increasing populations. The largest urban Chinese populations exist in London (110,000), Moscow (25,000) and Paris. See: Chinese people in Russia, Chinese British, Chinese French, Chinese in Italy, Chinese people in Spain, Chinese of Romania.

Hong Kong

People from Hong Kong, a sub group of Chinese exist mainly in the UK, which is home to some 145,000. Hong Kong was under British rule until 1997.

India

Indians are the second largest sub group of Asian Europeans, and number around 2.2 million (15% of the Asian European population). Like the Chinese European community, the Indian community is also fairly widely dispersed, although 1.6 million of these people live in the UK. Indian British people represent almost 3% of the UK's population, and is the nations single largest visible ethnic minority group. Besides the UK, the Netherlands has a sizeable Indian community numbering around 220,000. Every other Indian community in European nations number less than 100,000.

Iran

Iranians have a strong presence in the Western European nations, where an estimated 600,000 live, with only Russia in the East having a large number of Iranians. Iranian Europeans represent between 3% and 4% of the total Asian European population. The largest number of Iranians reside in the UK (275,000) and Germany (110,000).

Iraq

Iraqis number over 660,000 in Europe, and the vast majority of these are refugees who have left their homeland due to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The Iraqi diaspora is thought to be one of the largest in modern times, and they are dispersed throughout Europe and the world. The United Kingdom is home to an estimated 350,000 Iraqi Britons, which is the third largest in the Iraqi diaspora and the largest outside of the Arab world, Germany holds host to the second largest population of Iranian Europeans, with 150,000. In the Scandinavian countries Iranians constitute some of the largest ethnic groups. See also: Iraqis in Sweden, Iraqis in the Netherlands, Iraqis in Greece, Iraqis in Norway.

Japan

Japanese people in Europe number few over 135,000, and are a fairly compact group. Golders Green and East Finchley both London have considerable Japanese populations, Paris hosts hold to the second largest Japanese community and Düsseldorf with 11,000. [ [http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/Germany/Land_Nordrhein_Westfalen/Duesseldorf-67466/Local_Customs-Duesseldorf-Japanese_Duesseldorf-BR-1.html Japanese communities in Europe] ] See: Japanese British, Japanese Spaniards, Japanese people in Russia.

Korea

There are an estimated 130,000 Koreans in Europe with the majority being found in the UK, Germany and France. Notable Korean communities can be found in New Malden (AKA Koreatown, UK), Kingston upon Thames, Merton, Paris, Villeurbanne, Grenoble, Strasbourg and Toulouse. See: Koreans in the United Kingdom, Koreans in Germany, Koreans in France, Koreans in CIS.

By European nation

United Kingdom

In British terms, "Asian" is most commonly used to refer to people from South Asia, due to historical links manily. Hence the 2001 UK Census reserving the Asian section for Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and other South Asians only. However by the definition of this article there are an estimated 5 million Asian Britons/ British Asians, which represents around 9% of the total British population, and around 20% of the total Asian European population. The UK is arguably home to Europe's largest Asian communities, and is also notable for having amongst the largest South Asian and West Asian diasporas in the world.

Germany

With over one and a half million Asians, Germany holds host to the third largest Asian community in Europe after Turkey and the United Kingdom. The overwhelming majority (around 80%) of Asian Germans originate in Kurdistan. There is also a strong presence of Iranians and Iraqis in Germany.

France

It is forbidden in French law to ask for a persons ethnic origin in any census, hence it being hard to determine how many Asians actually live in France, however they are thought to number over one million, with the vast majority originating not in South Asia like the UK and Germany respectively, but East Asia and the Middle East. France is home to Europe's largest Cambodian, Laotian and Vietnamese communities.

Russia

The vast majority of Russia is actually located in Asia, meaning that intercontinental migration is most likely the result of Russia's large Asian population, however like most European urban centers, Moscow and Saint Petersburg are likely to have sizeable Asian communities. Russia is home to Europe's largest Chinese community (although Chinese people in Asian Russia are included) - with the most recent census stating 700,000 but estimates stating up to 3 million, and the second largest Vietnamese community, this does not include the very large population of Central Asians.

Undoubtedly the only truly Asian Europeans are the approx. 156,000 Western Mongol natives of the Republic of Kalmykia [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalmykia ] in Southern European Russia, who have lived there since migrating as nomads from their homeland in Greater Mongolia in the early 1600s. Their country is also Europe's only Buddhist nation.

There are also many migrants in European Russia from the Russian Federation's Asiatic self-governing ethnic republics (Altai, Khakassia, Tyva, Buryatia, Sakha) and ethnic areas (okrugs) [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subdivisions_of_Russia] .

Netherlands

The Netherlands is home to one of the largest Indonesian communities, numbering almost 400,000. Besides Indonesians, Holland is home to a sizeable Indian community.

References

External links