Immigration to Costa Rica

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At the 2011 census, the number of immigrants in Costa Rica totaled about 390,000 individuals, or about 9% of the country's population.[1][2] Following a considerable drop from 1950 through 1980, immigration to Costa Rica has increased in recent decades.

The ethnic composition of Costa Rica consists mostly of people of

black and indigenous
people.

Total foreign population 2012[1]
Place Country Numbers
1  Nicaragua 287 766
2  Colombia 16 514
3  United States 15 898
4  Panama 11 250
5  El Salvador 9 424
6  Venezuela  3 886
7  Cuba 3 860
8  Honduras 3 778
9  Peru 3 404
10  China 3 281
11  Mexico 3 059
12  Guatemala 2 573
13  Spain  1 806
14  Argentina 1 786
15  Canada  1 679
16  Italy 1 494
17  Dominican Republic 1 475
18  Germany 1 412
19  Chile 1 364
20  Ecuador 1 040
21  France 936
22  Taiwan 797
23  Brazil 605
24   Switzerland 551
25  England 503
26  Netherlands 434
27  Russia 429
28  Uruguay 356
29  Bolivia 331
30  South Korea 263
31  Belgium 254
32  Puerto Rico 245

Social impact

Immigration to Costa Rica has caused some social problems. Although most people enter the country to seek better employment opportunities, some immigrants have been involved in criminal activities. The government of Costa Rica has tried to stop the illegal immigration of Nicaraguans and to deport those already living in Costa Rica. However, the government has also initiated programs to promote economic prosperity for the poorest immigrant populations, also hailing from Nicaragua. There are also a number of political refugees who have sought asylum from persecution in Costa Rica.[3]

Opposition to immigration

This section is an excerpt from Opposition to immigration § Costa Rica.[edit]

Anti-immigrant feelings date back to the late 19th century and early 20th century with the country's first waves of migrations from places like

anti-Chinese laws were enacted as far back as the 1910s.[4] In 1903 President Ascensión Esquivel Ibarra enacted one of the first decrees forbidding non-White immigration and explicitly stating that migration from Asians, Blacks, Gypsies, Arabs and Turks was not allowed.[4] Although these laws were common in Latin America at the time, and Costa Rica's government eventually became the lead force in its abolishment.[4]

Far-right ultra-conservative National Restoration Party, that held an important role in the 2018 presidential election, also holds anti-migration positions.[8][9]

After a series of
Swastikas[10][11] and yelled "¡Fuera nicas!" (Nicas out!).[12] A pro-immigrant manifestation was scheduled a week later with a high attendance.[13]
Further anti-migration protests (this time with the explicit exclusion of hooligans and neo-nazi) were organized in later days but with lesser participation.

Immigrant groups

The largest immigrant communities are from

Asian (Chinese, Taiwanese and Japanese
) immigrants. Immigrants may be attracted by political stability, an alternative way of life and a mild climate.

Americans (US)

Main article: Americans in Costa Rica

Of the 16,000

Santa Cruz. American immigrants work in the fields of education, commerce, tourism, and administrative activities. About half of these immigrants have dual citizenship.[14]

Argentines

Argentine professionals decided to migrate to Costa Rica. The largest numbers of Argentines in Costa Rica come from Buenos Aires, Córdoba and Rosario. Most of them reside in the provinces of San José, Cartago, Limón and Guanacaste
.

Belizeans

According to the census of 2012, there are about 1,275

Mormon missions. [citation needed
]

.

Brazilians

According to the census of 2012, there are about 1,300 Brazilians in Costa Rica. Many of those who come are actors, actresses, models and television hosts. The Brazilians in Costa Rica live mainly in the expensive hotels in San José[citation needed].

Britons

After the independence of Costa Rica (1821), the Costa Rican government encouraged foreign immigration to strengthen the workforce. The new arrivals came mainly from Central Europe and North America, although Germans, Britons and Americans also arrived, the latter two known collectively as Anglos. Britain was the first to notice the potential that Costa Rica had to offer from coffee production; over time, agricultural areas of the Caribbean and northern Costa Rica were under British control, especially the coffee farms. Afterwards the Britons brought in Italians for construction of the railroad of Altiplano. Most of the agriculturally productive areas were held by the British.[15]

According to the census of 2012, there are about 5,200 Britons in Costa Rica, forming the second-largest European community after the Spaniards.

Canadians

According to the census of 2011, there are about 1,700 Canadians in Costa Rica.[16] They mainly come from Calgary, Alberta and Ottawa. Many work in tourism and are residents on the coast, near popular beaches while others live in the cities such as San José and Santa Ana.[17]

Chileans

According to the census of 2012, there are nearly 2,600 Chileans living in Costa Rica. They have mostly settled in urban areas such as San José.

Chinese

Main article: Chinese people in Costa Rica

The Chinese community in Costa Rica (including

European settlement.[18] Later, "a Chinese colony" began to form in that area, founded by Joseph Chen Apuy, an immigrant from Zhongshan, Guangdong, who arrived in 1873. The colony, named Puntarenas, was so well known in China that some thought in error that it was the name of a country.[19]
In the 1970s, Taiwan became the source of the highest number of Chinese immigrants to Costa Rica. However, many used to Costa Rica as a temporary stop while waiting for permission to live in the United States or Canada.

Colombians

Beginning in the 1980s, Costa Rica became a refuge for thousands of

Colombian civil war. According to the census of 2012, there are about 20,000 Colombians in Costa Rica, making it the tenth-largest community of Colombians outside the country. Many Colombian immigrants are educated, which makes it easier for them to achieve dual citizenship.[20]
Colombians in Costa Rica are one of the fastest growing diasporas in this Central American country.

Cubans

According to the census of 2012, there are over 1,700 Cubans living in Costa Rica. Immigration began from the 1960s through boats of refugees fleeing the dictatorship of Fidel Castro. They were attracted by the political stability of Costa Rica.

Dominicans

According to the census of 2012, there are about 1,475 Dominicans in Costa Rica. They mainly live on the Caribbean coast.

Ecuadorians

According to the census of 2012, there are about 900 Ecuadorians in Costa Rica. Among these are television presenters, models or entrepreneurs, commonly living in the city of San José.

El Salvador

According to the census of 2012, there are about 7,189 Salvadorans in Costa Rica, mainly in San José. Many of them are from the upper class and looking to develop their businesses.

French

Costa Rican culture and influence. French composer Gabriel-Pierre Lafond was in part responsible for the national anthem of Costa Rica, the primary composer of which was Manuel María Gutiérrez. The Museum of Art was created by French sculptor Louis-Robert Carrier Belleuse, and the flag of Costa Rica was inspired by the flag of France.[21]
Costa Rica is home to about 1,000 French people, according to the census of 2012.

Germans

The immigration of

Second World War, a third group of immigrants arrived. After the war, relations were broken between two countries, and many naturalized Germans after the war no longer appear in the statistics.[22] Currently the census of 2012 states there are 2,100 Germans in Costa Rica
.

Guatemalans

According to the census of 2012, there are about 1,200 Guatemalans in Costa Rica. There are both economic and political migrants. Most live in San José.

Haitians

According to the census of 2012, the Haitian community consists of 150 residents.

Hondurans

According to the census of 2012, there are 5,669 Hondurans in Costa Rica, who live mainly in San José. Many of these immigrants arrived via Nicaragua.

Indians

As of December 2016, the Indian community in Costa Rica consists of 250 residents,

PIO cards
.

Italians

Main article: Italian Costa Ricans
The "National Theatre" in San Jose, Costa Rica, was built by the Italian engineer Cristoforo Molinari in 1897. It has a striking resemblance to the Temple of the Opera, La Scala in Milan.

Limón (Costa Rica). It was carrying 671 workers. These Italians joined other immigrants from China and elsewhere building the first railway line in Costa Rica. The conditions were dangerous, and the Italians were angered by the deaths of many workers. In October 1888, the Italian workers called a strike, and on 20 October 1888, large numbers deserted the work camps and fled to Cartago (Costa Rica), where many settled, but others returned on a ship to Italy. They were replaced by 848 immigrants who came on 16 March 1889.[24]

San Vito
area

A group of Italians immigrated to the

San Vito area in the mid-1950s. These agricultural colonists had to confront many problems, especially due to the isolation of this region. Nevertheless, from 1964 on, the production of coffee caused the outlook to change for the better, 500 Italian colonists
and many Costa Ricans (someone descendants from the Italian rail workers) from different parts of the country were attracted by the economic possibilities that the area offered.

Currently, according to the census of 2012, there are 2,300 Italians in Costa Rica, and their descendants are found in Cartago.

Jamaican

For the construction of the Atlantic Railroad, Henry Meiggs Keith, an American hired by the Costa Rican government, insisted on utilizing "black" (later known as

Jamaicans entered the country. These Jamaicans and their descendants would become the main inhabitants of the Caribbean region of the country, thereby establishing a culture that was unique within Costa Rica. Two large Jamaican migrations occurred; firstly, during the railroad construction era, and then in the next century, for the banana plantations
owned by the United Standard Fruit Company.

Japanese

According to the census of 2012, the Japanese community in Costa Rica amounts to 190 people. The Japanese have developed many technological companies in the country.

Mexicans

Main article:
Mexicans in Costa Rica

Costa Rica is most popular

Central American country for Mexican immigration[citation needed]. The waves of migration from Mexico to Costa Rica started in 1970s, as people were attracted to its stable democracy, mild climate and political stability. According to the census of 2012, 4,285 Mexicans were living in Costa Rica from Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, Chihuahua, Baja California and Mexico City. They are typically professionals, doctors, secretaries, among other roles. Costa Rica is the ninth most popular destination for Mexican immigrants in the world.[25]

Nicaraguans

Nicaraguans constitute nearly three-quarters of the foreign-born population of Costa Rica.[26] In 1984, there were 45,918 Nicaraguan-born people in Costa Rica. In 2012, the number had grown to around 287,000.[27]

Panamanians

According to the census of 2012, there are 11,427 Panamanians in Costa Rica. They mainly live in San José. They form 4.1% of the immigrant population, making them the fifth-largest immigrant community in Costa Rica.

Peruvians

The census of 2012 found that nearly 2,700 Peruvians were living in Costa Rica. Some arrived directly from their country of origin, while others had emigrated first to Chile and then fled the anti-Peruvian sentiment in Chile[citation needed]. Although there are also cases of racism against Peruvians in Costa Rica, they occur to a lesser extent.

Polish

Nazi repression arrived. Others followed after the war. By the 1950s, the majority left the country to emigrate to Mexico or Argentina.[28] Currently the census of 2012 says there are 1,900 Poles in Costa Rica
.

Russian and ex-Soviet peoples

First World War and the Cold War
. A number of Costa Ricans studied in the Soviet Union through scholarships, and came back married to Russians, establishing families in Costa Rica. According to the census of 2012, there are over 2,300 Russians in Costa Rica.

South Koreans

Korean immigration is a recent phenomenon in

Protestants among the population, some are missionaries of the Korean church.[29]
The Korean community is not large in Costa Rica, comprising 522 residents according to the census of 2012.

Spaniards

Main article: Spanish Costa Rican
Celebration of Santiago Apóstol in Costa Rica.

governors were interested in populating the territories with white workers, preferably imported from Europe.[30] Banana cultivation and labor for the construction of the railway to the Atlantic attracted foreign capital. In the census of 1864, there were only 41 Spaniards in Costa Rica, however, the number increased to 2,527 by 1927.[31]

In the early twentieth century, many Spaniards used Costa Rica as a bridge to move to

Catalans to migrate to Costa Rica, becoming in a few years a thriving and influential community in San José that persists today. Currently, Catalans make up the largest portion of Spaniards in Costa Rica. According to the 2009 census,[32]
there are currently 16,482 Spanish citizens in Costa Rica.

Swiss

Costa Rican chocolate. According to the census of 2012, there are about 1,642 Swiss in Costa Rica[citation needed
].

Uruguayans

According to the census of 2012, there are about 1,200 Uruguayans in Costa Rica. This country has recently proved attractive for Uruguayans entrepreneurs.

Venezuelans

According to the census of 2012, there are about 3,886 Venezuelans in Costa Rica that live mainly in San José, in the areas of Escazú and Santa Ana. Most of them have arrived as refugees from political problems in their country. This population increased significantly from 2015 to 2019, mostly due to the Venezuelan political and economical crisis. Nowadays there are about 15,000 Venezuelans in Costa Rica.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Costa Rica: Población total nacida en el extranjero por zona y sexo, según país de nacimiento y año de llegada al país". Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 December 2017.
  2. ^ "Costa Rica: Población total por lugar de nacimiento, según provincia de residencia actual y sexo". Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 December 2017.
  3. ^ Cepal Inmigración en Costa Rica: características sociales y laborales, integración y políticas públicas Retrieved, 11/12/2014.
  4. ^ a b c d e f González, Daniel (18 August 2017). "Migración e identidad cultural en Costa Rica (1840–1940)". Revista de Ciencia Sociales UCR (155). Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  5. ^ a b c Acuña, Guillermo (2005). "La migración en Costa Rica" (PDF). Ministerio de Salud. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 July 2015. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  6. ^ Arias, L (23 November 2016). "Costa Rican legislator praises Trump's tactics as he eyes new presidential bid". The Tico Times. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  7. ^ a b Dobles, Ignacio; Vargas, Gabriela; Amadro, Krissia; Arroyo, Massiel (2013). "La inmigración y el Poder Legislativo en Costa Rica". Retrieved 12 October 2017. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  8. ^ Chinchilla, Aaron (25 July 2018). "Restauración Nacional exige al Gobierno reforzar controles migratorios en Peñas Blancas". El Periódico.
  9. ^ Pérez, Karla (January 2018). "Fabricio Alvarado: Hay que implementar una política migratoria fuerte". El Mundo.
  10. ^ a b c d Rico (18 August 2018). "44 arrested for xenophobic attacks against Nicaraguans in San José". QCosta Rica. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  11. ^ a b "Costa Rica: symboles nazis lors d'une manifestation anti-migrants nicaraguayens". Journal de Montreal. 19 August 2018. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  12. ^ "Costa Rica: violenta protesta contra inmigración nicaragüense". DW. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  13. ^ Redaccion (26 August 2018). "Costa Rica marcha contra la xenofobia hacia los migrantes de Nicaragua que llegan al país huyendo de la crisis". BBC Mundo. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  14. ^ La Nación La mitad de los estadounidenses que viven en Costa Rica tienen 29 años o menos Retrieved, 2014/11/12.
  15. ^ Los inmigrantes y el poder en Costa Rica Archived 2015-07-03 at the Wayback Machine Pages: 133,134 and 135. Retrieved, 2014/11/12.
  16. ^ "Costa Rica: Población total nacida en el extranjero por zona y sexo, según país de nacimiento y año de llegada al país". INEC Costa Rica. National Institute of Statistics And Censuses, Costa Rica. Archived from the original on 2016-10-10. Retrieved 10 Jul 2018.
  17. ^ Canadians Living in Costa Rica Retrieved, 11/12/2014.
  18. ^ Loría Chaves & Rodríguez Chaves 2001
  19. ^ Chen Apuy 1992, p. 5
  20. ^ Julio Varela Jara Inmigración Colombiana en Costa Rica Retrieved, 11/12/2014.
  21. ^ Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, República de Costa Rica Relación de Costa Rica con Francia Retrieved, 2014/11/12.
  22. ^ Business Magazine La inmigración alemana en Costa Rica. Migración, crisis y cambios entre 1920 y 1950 en entrevistas con descendientes Alemanes. Retrieved, 2014/11/12.
  23. ^ "MEA - GOI" (PDF). MEA - Government of India.
  24. ^ Revista Acta Académica La inmigración italiana en Costa Rica Retrieved, 2014/11/12.
  25. ^ Mexicanos en Costa Rica Archived 2012-06-25 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved, 2014/11/12.
  26. ^ The World Factbook
  27. ^ Carlos Castro Valverde Migración Nicaragüense en Costa Rica (Cuadro 2) 5 December 2002. Retrieved, 11/12/2014.
  28. ^ Polacos judios y xenofobia en Costa Rica: 1929 - 1941 Archived 2014-04-19 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved, 2014/11/12.
  29. ^ Historia de la migración coreana Archived 2014-12-12 at archive.today Retrieved, 2014/11/12.
  30. ^ La conquista española y colonización Retrieved 2014-12-11.
  31. ^ Marín Araya, Guiselle. "Españoles en la ciudad de San José a fines del siglo XIX y principios del XX" [Spaniards in the city of San José at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th]. revistas.ucr.ac.cr/. Universidad de Costa Rica. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  32. ^ Censo electoral de españoles residentes en el extranjero 2009 INE-Censo cerrado. Archived 2010-01-27 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 11/12/2014.

Works cited

Notes
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