Vietnamese people in the Czech Republic
| Total population |
|---|
| 61,012[1]–80,000[2] 0.6-0.8% of the Czech population |
| Regions with significant populations |
| Prague, Cheb, Varnsdorf |
| Languages |
| Religion |
| Related ethnic groups |
Vietnamese people in the Czech Republic, including residents and citizens, form the largest immigrant community in the country (and 3rd largest ethnic minority at all, after Slovaks and Romanies), numbering more than 60,000 people.
According to the 2001 census, there were 17,462 ethnic Vietnamese in the Czech Republic.[4] The Vietnamese population has grown very rapidly since then, with the Czech Statistics Office estimating that there were 61,012 Vietnamese residing in the Czech Republic in October 2009.[1] Nguyen, the most common Vietnamese surname, is now the 9th most common surname in the entire country.[5]
Contents |
[edit] History
Vietnamese immigrants began settling in the Czech Republic during the Communist period, when they were invited as guest workers by the Czechoslovak government. Migration was encouraged by the Vietnamese authorities, with the intention that the migrants would return with skills and training.[6]
Following the collapse of communism in Czechoslovakia, many Vietnamese decided to remain in the country rather than return home. This first generation of immigrants has traditionally made a living as vendors in street markets or stalls. In recent years, however, a significant number have moved towards establishing their own businesses and integrating more broadly into society, similar to the experience of other overseas Vietnamese in Western countries. However, the small business sector remains the key economic domain of first-generation Vietnamese people in the Czech Republic.[7]
Vietnamese immigration continued in the 1990s and 2000s (decade), with Vietnam being one of the countries targeted by the Czech Republic's skilled migration programme.
[edit] Geography
The majority of Vietnamese live in Prague as well as in Karlovy Vary Region, particularly the town of Cheb. Also northernmost part of Bohemia – around the town Varnsdorf – has significant Vietnamese population.
[edit] Status
In the Czech Republic, national minorities which number over 20,000 are afforded a number of rights, including government funding for the protection of their language and culture. In recent years, the Vietnamese community has sought recognition as a national minority, as its numbers exceed 20,000. In 2004, however, the Government Council for National Minorities ruled that Vietnamese do not constitute a "national minority", with this term applying only to indigenous minorities who have inhabited the Czech Republic for a long period of time.[8]
In Prague, however, which has the largest community of Vietnamese, there is a Vietnamese representative on the city's National Minority Council, and Vietnamese are included in Prague's policy for national minorities.[8]
[edit] Educational performance
Whereas first-generation Vietnamese immigrants are perceived mainly as street- and market vendors, second-generation Vietnamese in the Czech Republic have a reputation for high levels of educational attainment, outperforming their Czech classmates and winning competitions of Czech language.[6][7]
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b "Foreigners by type of residence, sex and citizenship". Czech Statistics Office. 31 October 2009. http://www.czso.cz/csu/cizinci.nsf/engt/8200578577/$File/c01t01.pdf. Retrieved 2010-02-01.
- ^ Nozina, Miroslav (2001). "The Dragon and the Lion: Vietnamese Organized Crime in the Czech Republic". Think Magazine (44). http://www.think.cz/issue/44/5d.html. Retrieved 2008-02-01.
- ^ "First Vietnamese pagoda opens in Czech Republic". Thanh Nien News (Vietnam National Youth Federation). 26 January 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-01-31. http://web.archive.org/web/20080131024208/http://www.thanhniennews.com/overseas/?catid=12&newsid=35384. Retrieved 2008-02-01.
- ^ "Other languages in the Czech Republic". The Euromosaic Study. European Commission. 27 October 2006. Archived from the original on 2008-04-05. http://web.archive.org/web/20080405180432/http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/lang/languages/langmin/euromosaic/cz5_en.html#8. Retrieved 2008-02-01.
- ^ . http://zpravy.idnes.cz/nguyen-je-devatym-nejcastejsim-prijmenim-v-cesku-porazi-i-prochazky-1ik-/domaci.aspx?c=A110608_131133_domaci_jj %7Csource: idnes.cz.
- ^ a b O'Connor, Coilin (29 May 2007). "Is the Czech Republic's Vietnamese community finally starting to feel at home?". Czech Radio. http://www.radio.cz/en/article/91826. Retrieved 2008-02-01.
- ^ a b Čermáková, Martina (4 April 2007). "Still a Thorn in the Eye: The Vietnamese-Czech dialog". Provokator Magazine. http://www.provokator.org/articles/still-thorn-eye-vietnamese-czech-dialog. Retrieved 2008-02-01.
- ^ a b "The City of Prague's National Minority Policy". Prague City Hall. 2007. http://www.praha-mesto.cz/(thqmni55wvwoc2e2w0h2rk45)/default.aspx?id=67308&ido=6383&sh=-888388072. Retrieved 2008-02-01.
[edit] External links
- (Czech) Klub Hanoi - association promoting Vietnamese-Czech relations
- A glimpse at Prague's secretive Vietnamese community
- 2004 article on Prague's Vietnamese community
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