Asians in South Africa

Asians in South Africa constitute two per cent of South Africa's population, and most are of Indian origin, although there is also a small Chinese community. The "Cape Malays", who are descended -- at least in part -- from Asians were classified as "Coloured" (mixed race) under apartheid.

Chinese

The much smaller Chinese community is mostly descended from migrant workers who came to work in the gold mines around Johannesburg in the late 19th century, although many were repatriated. More recently, there have been immigrants from Taiwan, with which South Africa maintained diplomatic relations. This caused difficulties for the apartheid regime, as Chinese South Africans were classified as 'Asian' and hence 'non-white', whereas Taiwanese Chinese, along with Japanese, were considered 'honorary white', and thus granted the same privileges as whites. Many Chinese South Africans dislike the label 'Asian', which they associate with being Indian or South Asian, and many have also emigrated to Canada, especially to Vancouver.

Related Topics:
Johannesburg - Taiwan - Apartheid - South Asia - Canada - Vancouver

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