Home to one of South America's largest Asian communities, Peru has welcomed several waves of Chinese immigrants over the centuries. Known as Tusán, this population has established its own culture and identity. TaiwanPlus explores the history of this unique diaspora and how recent geopolitical events are affecting their community.
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00:00Design professor Eduardo Tang has long reflected on his identity.
00:05He's part of what's known here as the Tucson community,
00:09native-born Peruvians descended from Chinese immigrants.
00:13Like many Tucson, Tang has faced discrimination
00:17and struggles to fit in at home and abroad.
00:31But Tang learned to embrace his duality
00:35and now sits as a director of the Chinese Peruvian Association,
00:39Peru's largest association uniting Tucson businesses and people.
00:47The Tucson, who get their name from a Chinese word meaning local-born,
00:51are one of the largest Asian communities in South America.
00:55And over generations have left a distinct mark on Peruvian society.
01:00This is Barrio Chino, the heart of Lima's Tucson community.
01:04With almost two centuries of history,
01:06it's long been a hub for Chinese Peruvian culture.
01:10It's a community that continues to evolve
01:13as a new wave of Chinese immigrants enters Peru,
01:16along with the massive investment that China is making.
01:20With projects like this megaport just north of Lima,
01:23which can handle some of the largest containers
01:26and cuts shipping times between Latin America and Asia.
01:29It's all part of China's so-called Belt and Road project
01:33to facilitate trade between China and the rest of the world.
01:40For traditional Chinese medicine doctor Chantak Loh,
01:43this is the first time in his life
01:46For traditional Chinese medicine doctor Chantak Loh,
01:50who moved here in the 1980s seeking economic opportunities,
01:53hopes are high that the deepening relationship
01:56between his birth country and his adopted one will be beneficial.
02:16And there's also an audible sign here
02:19of the evolving relationship between the Tucson
02:22and the new wave of Chinese immigrants.
02:24John Choi, who works as a spiritual healer in Lima's Chinatown,
02:28says he's noticed a recent shift within the community.
02:45The mandarin dialect, the basic, the official, the most diplomatic.
02:51And they make it red because, you know, red is good luck.
02:55Community leaders like Tang say it's important to embrace change
03:00while maintaining the values of their complex heritage,
03:04encouraging Peru's Tucson population to grow and adapt
03:08and roll with the ever-changing geopolitical and domestic landscapes.
03:13Scott Huang, Harrell Hughes and Rhys Ayers in Peru for Taiwan Plus.