Perception of East Asians in Spanish society
Spain is home to a significant immigrant population, most of which has grown only very recently. Even right before turn of the 21st century, immigration to Spain was very small: immigrants were only 3% of the Spanish population in 1998, but 10 years later, immigrants formed 13% of the total population. Now, as of 2016, immigrants form over 9.8% of the total population.
Currently, the biggest immigrant groups are Romanian, Moroccan, Ecuadorian, British and Colombian. Out of the East Asian countries, the biggest immigrant population is Chinese, which is actually the next largest immigrant group in line after the five aforementioned countries. Many Chinese immigrants are small business owners, including restaurants and corner stores, and the success of these businesses have contributed to the growing presence of Asian immigrants in the Spanish economy. Besides the Chinese, the only other immigrant groups from East Asia that form a significant part of the East Asian immigrant population in Spain are those of South Korea and Japan. In general, Koreans in Spain tend to be small business owners, South Korean company executives—known in Korean as 주재원, temporarily staying in Spain to work at the Spanish branch of his/her company—along with their immediate family members, and international students at Spanish universities. Similarly, many Japanese in Spain tend to be managers for Japanese company branches located in Spain or international students.
Source: Wikipedia
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