The first round-table session of the conference in Beijing on September 20, 2026 Photo: Dong Feng/GT

A report on the development of research on overseas Chinese in Latin America from 1980 to 2026 was released at the first Latin American overseas Chinese studies conference on Sunday. The report aims to help provide long-term intellectual support for the mutual learning between the civilizations of China and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), conference attendees said.

The report comprises four parts: the overall landscape and structure of domestic research on overseas Chinese in LAC countries; a review of research themes and findings; the profile of researchers and overall characteristics of the field; and key issues and future directions for research.

Based on the overall trajectory of research on overseas Chinese in Latin America over the past four decades, the report presents the demographic composition and academic profiles of researchers in this field. It also explores major issues in research work and identifies priorities for future development, according to the conference.

Wang Zigang, associate professor of the University of International Business and Economics, who released the report at the conference, said that China's domestic research on overseas Chinese in Latin America helps enrich the historical narrative of exchanges between China and Latin America, facilitated by overseas Chinese communities, and deepens the understanding of the current state of these communities in the region. It thereby provides long-term intellectual support for relevant academic research, the practice of overseas Chinese affairs, and mutual learning between Chinese and Latin American civilizations.

Fan Jianxin, Party Secretary and a research fellow at the Institute of Latin American Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that more research institutions need to step up efforts to promote the integration of historical and contemporary studies, as well as the integration of regional and country-specific research with studies on overseas Chinese.

After more than four decades of development, research on Chinese communities in Latin America in China has established a solid foundation of literature, a dedicated research workforce, and a structured thematic scope. The subjects of study have expanded from indentured laborers, early immigrants, and traditional overseas Chinese communities to encompass new immigrants, ethnic economies, social integration in LAC countries, cultural dissemination, the image of the overseas Chinese people, and the new generation of overseas Chinese, the report said.

Taking a broader historical perspective, the report stated that the study of Chinese communities in Latin America documents and interprets more than just the migration history of an overseas ethnic group.

From the indentured laborers of the 19th century, followed by merchants, members of overseas Chinese associations, educators, media professionals, and recent immigrants, to the successive generations of ethnic Chinese growing up in LAC society today, the transoceanic movement and lived experiences of countless ordinary people have forged enduring social ties within the long-standing relationship between China and LAC, the report said.