In Yucatan, it is estimated that between 4,000 and 5,000 people are descendants of Asian immigrants who arrived in 1905 to work in henequen plantations, according to Germán Beltrán Lee, president of the Association of Young Leaders of Korean Descent.
With the aim of getting to know them and conducting a census, the organization that seeks to promote and disseminate Korean culture, especially among young people who are unaware of their roots, was presented on Sunday, July 9th.
The organization also aims to obtain specific data about this group within the Yucatecan population since they have encountered people in different municipalities who may have Korean roots but are unaware of it.
According to Beltán Lee, the first Koreans arrived in Yucatan in the early 20th century and, realizing they could not return to their home country, married Yucatecan locals and settled in Mexican territory.
Since then, several decades have passed, leading to the fifth generation of Korean-Yucatecan families.
The president of the association emphasized the importance of people participating in the census and providing information about their surnames and great-grandparents, gradually building a registry of those who are descendants of these families.
Physically, Korean descendants often have slanted eyes and, in some cases, slightly lighter skin than those descended from original peninsula inhabitants.
Regarding language, he indicated that from the first generation, Korean-Yucatecan families decided to exclusively speak Spanish and Maya to adapt to the local culture of Yucatan.
As a result, the Korean language was completely lost in the region.
The association plans to offer workshops and courses to bring the Korean language closer to the descendants of this community in Yucatan, to strengthen their connection to the culture of their ancestors.
Among the upcoming activities, on Saturday, August 5th, they will hold the event “Tell me about Korea” at the Central Library “Manuel Cepeda Peraza,” where they will have readings, talks, and activities related to the culture of the Asian country.
TYT Newsroom
