Fuzhou Americans
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 150,000 – 300,000 (2016) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| New York City (纽约市) | |
| Languages | |
| Fuzhounese, Eastern Min, Standard Mandarin | |
| Religion | |
| Buddhism, Taoism, Syncretism, Christianity, Confucianism, Atheism |
Fuzhounese Americans, also known as Hokchiu or Fuzhou Americans or imprecisely Fujianese, are Chinese American people of Fuzhou descent, in particular from Changle. A large number of Chinese restaurant workers in the United States are from Fuzhou. There are also a number of Fuzhounese illegal immigrants in the United States who are smuggled in by organizations like the Snakeheads. Hokchiu people helped develop the Chinatown Buses system, which originated as a means to transport restaurant workers from New York City to various parts of the East Coast of the United States. They are almost singularly concentrated on the East Coast unlike other Chinese Americans and Asian American groups.
People have immigrated to America from Fuzhou as early as the Qing dynasty period. Some of these people were students who, after completing their studies returned to their home country.
After the lifting of emigration restriction from the People's Republic of China in the 1980s, people began leaving the Fuzhou area. Illegal immigration from Fujian province peaked at around 8,000 per month in June 1992. For the second half of 1992 illegal immigration it was about 2500 per month. Migrants were mostly men, but in 1992 around 20-30% of them were women and children. These arrivals were mostly unskilled, agricultural workers. About 80% of these people came from Changle County, with smaller numbers coming from Lianjiang and Minou counties, as well as other places.
Many Chinese restaurant owners and workers are from Fuzhou. The Chinatown buses system originated as a means to transport workers from New York City to various parts of the South and East Coast. Restaurant owners usually adopted the established American Chinese cuisine, which is somewhat based on Cantonese cuisine, rather than serve Fujian cuisine. These restaurants are usually all-you-can eat buffets and take-out restaurants.
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Wikipedia