With roots dating back to the 1980s, the Vietnamese minority in Czechia is now one of the largest ethnic communities in the country. The initial inception of the workforce was driven by communist-aligned Czechoslovakia’s ruling system, which allowed Vietnamese mercenaries to settle in the country and engage in odd-jobs. This trend eventually paved the way for larger-scale labor recruitment programs from the 2000s onward, where Czech businesses were given an opportunity to hire qualified and hardworking Vietnamese employees.
Fast-forward to the current day and the Vietnamese minority now make up 3% of the Czech Republic’s population. The impact is most pronounced in the capital Prague, where up to 5% of the population identify as Vietnamese. The presence of this dynamic community is exemplified by the sheer number of small businesses that the Vietnamese have established within Prague and its surrounding areas. These include restaurants that serve Vietnamese dishes, as well as various retailers that specialize in traditional Vietnamese goods.
The popularity of these small businesses is likely a consequence of the opportunities that the Vietnamese were afforded by their Czech hosts. Records from the Czech Statistical Office (CSO) show that in 2019, residents of Czechia with foreign citizenship accounted for 11% of all entrepreneurs and 30% of all incorporated businesses. With low barriers of entry for foreigners, the Vietnamese have been able to make the most of this situation and take advantage of their own commercially viable habits and preferences. This is reflected in the strong presence that the Vietnamese minority have taken in small, family-run business, with businesses offering general household products being particularly popular.
Notably, the numerous success stories of the Vietnamese in the Czech Republic serve as a powerful reminder that the integration of foreign citizens to the country does not need to be associated with victimisation or negative intentions. While the scare of ‘banana children’ – Czech-born children of immigrants who have difficulty assimilating to the local culture – still lingers in local politics and media, the growth of the Vietnamese business sector has enabled a more nuanced look into status of Vietnamese immigrants and their role in society.
The Vietnamese community is gradually gaining recognition due to their work ethic, resilience and contributions to the Czech economy. The CSO, for instance, acknowledged their presence when producing a report in 2021 that confirmed the Vietnamese minority to be one of the most stable business communities in the Czech Republic.
The Czech community has been generous in offering the Vietnamese an opportunity to get ahead in life. Through diligence and hard work, the Vietnamese are proving that they are more than capable of carving out success for themselves in Czechia.
