Focus on the Chinese community of Guadeloupe which, over the generations, has succeeded in its local integration

Chinese New Year will be celebrated on Wednesday January 29, all over the world, including in Guadeloupe, where this tradition has been respected for 19 years.
2025 is placed under the sign of the wooden snake, a symbol of wisdom and transformation.

Chinese New Year is very important to us. It's a time to share as a family, like Christmas, we cook and eat together.

Chuan-Jie Yong, president of the Association of Chinese of Guadeloupe

In the archipelago, the festivities linked to this event were launched yesterday evening (Sunday January 26, 2025) : a “unforgettable evening” was organized by the Association of Chinese of Guadeloupe, in a restaurant in Moudong Sud, in Jarry (Baie-Mahault). A sumptuous buffet was offered to the guests.

Something new this year : the local Chinese community, usually so discreet, invited the press to communicate about this event ; a sign of openness, to demonstrate a desire for full integration.

The Chinese here are Guadeloupeans of Chinese origin, Franco-Guadeloupeans of Chinese origin. That is to say, we belong to three cultures : Guadeloupean, French and Chinese. Our children were born here and raised here ; they are rich in this mix of cultures.

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Chuan-Jie Yong, president of the Association of Chinese of Guadeloupe

Chinese immigration began in Guadeloupe in 1959.
This community has around 400 people locally, according to the Association of Chinese of Guadeloupe. They stand out in many professional fields, mainly in commerce and food, and represent millions of euros in the Guadeloupean economy.

These Guadeloupeans gradually integrate, over the generations, into the local population, in particular thanks to their mastery of the Creole and French languages.
But clichés concerning them are hard to bite, as Rudy Rilcy observed. Here is his report :

Chinese population of Guadeloupe: successful integration?

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©Rudy Rilcy – Guadeloupe La 1ère