Asian Brazilian (Paperback)

An Asian Brazilian is a Brazilian-born person of Asian ancestry. Brazil received many immigrants from Asia, both from Middle East and East Asia. The first Asian immigrants to arrive in Brazil were a small number of Chinese people (3,000) during the colonial period. However, significant immigration from Asia to Brazil started in the late 19th century, when immigration from Lebanon and Syria became important. Most Asian Brazilians have roots in East Asia, most of them Japanese. The first Japanese immigrants arrived in Brazil in 1908. Until the 1950s, more than 250 thousand Japanese immigrated to Brazil. Nowadays, the Japanese-Brazilian population is estimated at 1.5 million people. It is, by far, the largest ethnic Japanese population outside Japan. Other East Asian groups are also significant in Brazil. The Korean Brazilian population is estimated to be 50,000, and the Chinese Brazilian population around 160,000. Over 70% of Asian Brazilians are concentrated in the state of So Paulo. There are significant populations in Paran, Par, Mato Grosso do Sul and other parts of Brazil.