From the earliest arrivals of migrant bonded laborers working on the railroad and canal, to the young professionals with top appointments of today, the Chinese have come a long way in Panama.

"A person fears renown like a pig fears fat." This, like other sayings in Chinese, expresses a traditional Chinese aversion to being in the limelight. For those who make their homes overseas, it has always been a lesson especially well learnt, carrying the message never to get mixed up in politics. No wonder the typical image of Chinese around the world is "quiet, conservative and busy making money." But in Panama, where Chinese immigration dates back over a century, and where ethnic Chinese are numerous, even that golden rule about politics has been broken, and the Chinese have begun making a name for themselves.

"Those of Chinese descent in Panama number about 100,000, approximately 5% of the population of 2.3 million, which is probably the largest such ratio anywhere outside Southeast Asia." So says Jorge Lee, who has held the posts of vice-minister of domestic affairs, manager of the Colon Free Zone, and minister of labor and welfare in Panama.

Sensitivity in Southeast Asian countries about the economic strength of Chinese inhabitants has served to restrict political elbow-room for the region's ethnic Chinese.

But things are very different for young Chinese in Panama, a country which is itself something of an ethnic melting pot, and whose population is the product of frequent intermarriage among black, white and native indian peoples. On top of this, the traditional Chinese virtues such as industriousness, thrift, honesty and attention to study are at a premium among the easy-going people of the region. Finally, the fact that Panama's Chinese go back seven generations to the workers who built the railroad means they are a solidly established section of the nation. Given such circumstances, it is little wonder that they have begun to allow themselves to shine in politics.

But a close look reveals that not all have followed the same path, in spite of the similar backgrounds they hail from.

Sixty-four-year-old Luis Chen is the granddaddy of political involvement among Chinese Panamanians. Originally a lawyer, Chen stood for election to congress in 1964 and was elected with a good majority. His lead proved to be an inspiration for others from the Chinese community with political ambition.

"There were very few Chinese involved in politics here at that time," he says, "and when there was a problem it was usually necessary to request someone else to intercede on our behalf, which always seemed one level removed. That is why I decided to step forward. With my background in the law, I knew of much injustice in society, and felt I should speak out."

During his four years as a representative Chen mediated in many disputes, and worked hard in the cause of Chinese applying for Panamanian citizenship. At the same time he made efforts to break the traditional mold for Chinese, and encourage political participation. In 1968 he was re-elected, but the government declared the whole election invalid, and a military coup soon followed (see table). General Torrijos took power and dissolved congress, and Luis Chen found himself back at his job as a lawyer.

But his political career did not end there. Having once served as deputy chairman of the Republican Party, he maintained close personal ties with Barletta and Delvalle, members of the party who were successive presidents of the country from 1984 on. With the party's support he was made chief justice of the Court of Elections in 1986, a post which brought special prestige for Chinese Panamanians.

Wu Kuang-ting, for many years secretary of overseas Chinese affairs at the ROC embassy, explains: "There are three such chief justices in Panama, each nominated by the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government respectively. Because they are responsible for overseeing the elections they must enjoy impeccable reputations. That Luis Chen was the nomination of the executive branch shows how highly he was regarded by the former government."

Unfortunately. the ongoing political struggles in Panama, most recently the fall of General Noriega and the election of current leader President Endara, have curtailed Chen's period of tenure, which was originally supposed to last ten years, and he is now back where he left off as a lawyer.

Chen's entry into Panama politics opened the way for other Chinese Panamanians to do the same, and there was no shortage of up and coming young talents. One such was former minister of housing, Zia Lee. The gentle-mannered Lee, who currently runs a firm of architects, owns up to having been through a period of political fanaticism, saying: "Politics became all the rage, especially among young people, after the Torrijos government lifted the ban on political parties in the late 1970s, and permitted free speech." Having been a member of the Democratic Revolution Party she shares some political background with former President Barletta.

As a central committee member and head councillor of the Women's Union for the Democratic Revolution Party at the time of the 1984 presidential elections, Lee of course found herself campaigning on behalf of Barletta, whose candidacy her party was supporting. Her results in the campaign really distinguished her.

"With my mother coming from northern Spain and her parents being well-known writers, the family is rather eminent in our home province, so I had a lot of success campaigning there." Her efforts were duly rewarded when President Barletta took office, and she became minister of housing, a post which her 13 years of teaching at the University of Industry and specialist experience in construction quality management made her well suited for. In over a year at that post, she had 16,500 public housing units built, a proud record to her credit.

"Politics in South and Central America does not travel on straight tracks," she explains. "Different officials are always coming and going, and many are too busy making a fast buck as soon as they get into office to pay much attention to long term projects. My predecessors at the Ministry of Housing had nothing to show for their time. But a Chinese family upbringing is very different. My father always taught us to work hard, and to be thrifty and honest. Never mind corruption, simply neglecting to do one's appointed job was a kind of crime." With a foundation of values like these, it is not at all surprising how well Lee fulfilled her duties.

President Barletta was in office no more than a year, and Zia Lee had to share with him the frustration of leaving a job only just begun. The ups and downs of a political career in Panama are well illustrated by the record of Jorge Lee, who held three high posts in succession before returning to his profession as a lawyer. A specialist in international banking law, Lee was appointed viceminister of domestic affairs at the age of 29. In 1981, General Paredes succeded Torrijos as leader, after the latter's death in an air crash, and in an effort to win over Chinese support consulted with Fermin Chan, for many years director of the National Bank of Panama. Chen invited together a group of young Chinese Panamanian experts to meet with the general, and air their views on particular subjects relating to the Chinese in the country.

As Wu Kuang-ting recalls, "during the meeting Jorge Lee gave an excellent presentation on problems of Chinese entry and immigration to Panama, which made a great impression on Paredes. A month later came the appointment as vice-minister of domestic affairs."

In 1983 Paredes was succeded in power by General Manuel Noriega. The following year Barletta was appointed president, and in the subsequent cabinet reshuffle Lee was made manager of the Colon Free Zone. Later, when Vice-President Delvalle in turn became president, Lee was appointed minister for labor and welfare. During his four years in the job Lee became well known throughout Panama, revising labor laws to attract foreign investment, and frequently appearing on television in debate with opposition figures.

The American invasion of the country and the removal of General Noriega from power saw Lee bid at least a temporary farewell to politics, and return to the legal profession. Within the short space of a month, the military regime of twenty-one years standing was replaced by the civilian government of President Endara, under the banners of democracy and freedom. Officials of the old regime had to make way in droves for the new appointees of democracy.

Among the new figures in the limelight, one with particular interest for the Chinese community is first lady Mme. Endara. The 24-year-old Mme. Endara, who met her husband while campaigning on his behalf, is tall and slender and gives a rather un-Chinese impression, but in fact she is of Chinese descent on both sides of her family. Last May President Endara came to Taiwan for President Lee Teng-hui's inauguration ceremony and the following month, one year after the death of his former wife, remarried.

The President's son-in-law and special presidential assistant Javier E. Yap Siu, is also of Chinese descent. Yap Siu says he owes his success to his parents. His father, Panama's ambassador to the ROC Carlos Yap Ch., was originally involved in aquatic stockbreeding, and like the typical Chinese parent modestly devoted his income to the furtherance of his children's education. "When I was ten years old, father sent the three of us to private Catholic school in Panama City for the best education," recalls the son. "Every weekend he would drive for two hours to Panama City to come and visit us."

It was an education which put Yap Siu among the offspring of Panama's elite, and included him in political events, which is how he came to meet and fall in love with Endara's daughter. Naturally, the match has given him status, as "the emperor's son-in-law," yet little more than a year ago the involvement with Endara's political campaigns meant that he could not show his face under Noriega's rule, and spent a year in exile in Costa Rica and Miami, with his wife and their newborn child.

Another prominent young Chinese of the upper echelons is Jose Chen Barria, previous head of the Bureau of Immigration, and current deputy chief auditor, who is considered something of a rising star. Barria joined the Christian Democratic Party as a founder member while still at senior high school, and was for a time the victim of government persecution, but since the new regime came to power he has earned great respect for his business management skills and political influence.

His first important appointment, as head at the Bureau of Immigration, was considered a juicy post by many. The numbers of those struggling to get the foothold of citizenship in Panama in recent years has included refugees from war-torn areas of Latin America, like Nicaragua, as well as an increasing number of "visitors" from mainland China, hoping to escape Communism. During five months in the job, Barria earned recognition for his honest and dedicated performance, and was consequently appointed deputy chief auditor.

In Panama, the deputy chief auditor has authority over national finance, with special responsibility for bringing corruption under control. At the mention of corruption, Barria shakes his head with a weary smile. The long years of military rule have left pandemic corruption in Panama, and the country has the reputation as an open center for international finance where money can be freely laundered. It is a situation which requires any who tackle it to have surpassing qualities of deter mination and political savvy. Barria can do no better than draw on the teachings of his ancestors, to acquit himself with integrity and fortitude.

Jose Chong-Hon, a member of the National Economic Advisory Committee, is another young Chinese worth watching. His sister incidentally, Dorothy de Sing, was vice minister for commerce for two and a half years under the Delvalle presidency.

Chong-Hon also ascribes his success to his father's teaching. "My father came here as a worker on the canal, and when that was finished he got a job in a bank, where he worked for 40 years. It wasn't a high position, but he was known and admired by all the staff for his integrity and hard work." Chong-Hon always remembers the words his father said to him before he died: "Son, I have nothing to leave you other than my good name. Look after it. . ."

"In fact," says Chong-Hon, "one of the key reasons for the success in politics of this generation of Chinese is the traditional Chinese virtues inculcated in them by their parents." Until twenty years ago, "the great majority of Chinese Panamanians were the families of quiet and conservative small traders." Very different in other words from Latin American families of European descent, often wealthy and unrefined, who monopolized politics and commerce in the country. The Chinese who have begun to shine in public in the last twenty years have done so purely on the backs of their parents' devoted efforts for their children's education.

"Don't be put off because we can't read Chinese. Our thoughts and behavior are very Chinese." So say Chong-Hon, and Jorge Lee, both of whose name cards carry their names in Chinese characters--which they can carefully copy out.

They both agree that the recent detainees from the mainland are "not like Chinese." Though the homeland was always a source of pride, the new arrivals have changed their attitude. "They are not like us, or like Hong Kong or Taiwan Chinese either. They have lost the traditional Chinese values, and are not interested in hard work, only in getting something for nothing."

Although the old homeland may be far away and out of touch, Panama's Chinese still feel close ties to Taiwan. One reason is the anti-communism that lingers from the persecution and confiscations that followed 1949. Another is that Panama and the ROC have always maintained good diplomatic relations, and have frequently exchanged official and private visits. In January 1988, Jorge Lee, as minister for labor and welfare, arrived in Taiwan to attend the funeral of late President Chiang Ching-kuo. Also, back in the days before Carlos Yap Ch. was Panama ambassador to the ROC, his eldest son Javier, along with Zia Lee and Jorge Lee came here to take part in the World Youth Conference of Overseas Chinese, getting to know Taiwan in the process. ROC friendly economic assistance to countries in the region in recent years has also meant more attention there for young talents of Chinese descent.

The overseas Chinese in Panama do not have a lot of opportunity to meet with other Chinese communities because of the vast distance involved, but the Panama community, most of whose members are of Cantonese or Hakka origin, has made up for its relative isolation by being very close-knit. An added force that keeps younger members within the orbit of the larger community, is the Panama Young Professional Chinese Association, formed in 1967.

Says Zia Lee of the association, which she has twice been chair of: "We currently have over one hundred members, with at least sixty present at each meeting." A glance at the roll call of members reveals an impressive list of all young Chinese who have made their name in public service in Panama.

Surely there are mutual benefits for the members of the association, all being of Chinese descent, that would help them in their political aspirations? Not so, according to Zia Lee. "There is no so-called racial discrimination in Panama, so there is absolutely no need for an organization that exclusively promotes the interest of one ethnic group." The young Chinese span a range of political standpoints and parties, and include those from the military regime, and those prospering under democracy. With political allegiance overshadowing shared ethnic consciousness, the association avoids discussion of politics, and concentrates on fund raising and building up the Chinese community.

As a matter of fact, the dissipation of ethnic consciousness highlights a secret worry for the community. The older generations were so preoccupied with securing a livelihood that there was no time to teach the children Chinese. As a result, very few Chinese in Panama--whose families have often been there for several generations--can speak more than a few words of Hakka or Cantonese, or read Chinese characters. The loss of the old languages has added to the distance that separates them from Chinese communities elsewhere in the world, and has speeded up their integration within Panama society.

Jorge Lee, whose father was for twenty years ROC consul-general to the Colon Free Zone, and who is particularly knowledgeable about the history of Chinese immigration to Panama, comments: "We often have enquiries for figures concerning the numbers of Chinese in Panama, their employment and their educational level. These are difficult questions to answer." On the one hand, it is forbidden in Panama to classify on grounds of race in any survey, to avoid arming racists with some kind of pretext. On the other hand, as Lee concedes, "after seven generations of assimilation, there are many of Chinese descent who are actually only one quarter, or one eighth Chinese. They may still carry a Chinese surname, but in appearance and attitudes they are fully 'Panama-ized.'"

Young Chinese are beginning to shine in Panama, and naturally are finding roots of their own in the land to which their talents and energies are devoted.

Says Javier E. Yap Siu: "We are Panamanians of Chinese origin. It is our honor to have Chinese blood, and our honor to be Panamanian!"

Six years ago, in the interest of maintaining blood ties and an awareness of Chinese culture, the Chinese community in Panama, with support from the ROC government, raised US$4.5 million to establish the Panama China Culture Center and the Sun Yat-sen School, with classes to be taught in English, Spanish and Chinese, and extracurricular lectures in Chinese history. The Young Professional Chinese Association was instrumental in the project, contributing time and money, with members volunteering their services in different fields, in the hope that future generations will have every opportunity to understand their traditional culture.

No matter what the future may bring them, Panama's Chinese, with their successful foray into politics, have already set an example for Chinese communities worldwide. It seems that the Chinese, who were always "busy making money," have boundless potential when they actually put their minds to politics.

(Laura Li/photos by Vincent Chang/tr, by Christopher MacDonald)

[Picture Caption]

Jose chen Barria, deputy chief auditor, is currently the highest-ranking ethnic Chinese in Panama. In the picture, he is with a former ROC ambassador to that country, Soong Chang-chih.

Thousands of Chinese migrant laborers sweated blood in the con struction of the Panama canal, which lasted 33 years, from 1880 to 1914.

High-rise buildings crowd the heart of Panama City. The capital is renowned as an international center for finance and insurance.

Information courtesy of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Central & South America Department/by Laura Li

(Above) Jose Barria, with thirty years of party political experience, is a rising star ot Panama politics.

(Below) Jorge Lee, former vice-minister of domestic affairs and minister of labor and welfare, has made many visits to Taiwan. Currently he serves as legal consultant in Panama to the International Commercial Bank of China, and the Bes Engineering Corporation. In the photo he is seen with Ambassador Soong from the ROC.

Panama's ambassador to the ROC, Carlos Yap Ch., enjoyed a visit home to attend the farewell banquet for Ambassador Soong in Panama.

(Above) First lady Mme. Endara is one quarter Chinese. Her marriage to t he president took place last June, and was popular around the country.

(photo courtesy of the Panamanian Presidential Office.) (Below) Javier E. Yap Siu, son-in-law of the president and also a presid ential assistant, credits his current success to his parents' teaching.

Zia Lee, who is of Spanish-Chinese descent, rose to a high position through her participation in party Political events.

Luis Chen, former legislator and chief justice, is the granddaddy of political involvement among Panamanian Chinese.

Gisela Chung is currently the only ethnic Chinese legislator. She has a lively political presence.

New overseas Chinese of Taiwan origin are rare in Panama, and are mainly to be found in the Colon Free Zone. Here they are seen at a golf tourney arranged to mark the return home of Ambassador Soong Chang-chih.

HIGH PROFILE CHINESE PANAMANIANS

The Huahsien Kwangtung Countrymen's Association has many members in Pana ma. The picture shows the association's new headquarters.

The Huahsien Countrymen's Association headquarters includes a swimming pool, meeting hall and leisure center. Members and relatives can gather and socialize there.

Small stores cluster in the narrow streets. This was once the Chinatownarea, but with economic improvement most of the ethnic Chinese have moved away.

Many new arrivals in Panama from mainland China have benefitted from the assistance of Chang Tzu-hsiu, chair of the Kiangsu-chekiang Countrymen's Association. There is always a place for them to put up for a while, and meet together. The picture shows the view from Association headquarters.

The Sun Yat-sen School, which is a part of the Panama China Culture Cent er, ranges from kindergarten to senior high. There are around 600 Pupils at the school, of whom two thirds are of Chinese origin.

Jose chen Barria, deputy chief auditor, is currently the highest-ranking ethnic Chinese in Panama. In the picture, he is with a former ROC ambassador to that country, Soong Chang-chih.

High-rise buildings crowd the heart of Panama City. The capital is renowned as an international center for finance and insurance.

Information courtesy of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Central & South America Department／by Laura Li.

（Above） Jose Barria, with thirty years of party political experience, is a rising star ot Panama politics.

（Below） Jorge Lee, former vice-minister of domestic affairs and minister of labor and welfare, has made many visits to Taiwan. Currently he serves as legal consultant in Panama to the International Commercial Bank of China, and the Bes Engineering Corporation. In the photo he is seen with Ambassador Soong from the ROC.

Panama's ambassador to the ROC, Carlos Yap Ch., enjoyed a visit home to attend the farewell banquet for Ambassador Soong in Panama.

（Above） First lady Mme. Endara is one quarter Chinese. Her marriage to t he president took place last June, and was popular around the country. （photo courtesy of the Panamanian Presidential Office.）

（Below） Javier E. Yap Siu, son-in-law of the president and also a presid ential assistant, credits his current success to his parents' teaching.

Zia Lee, who is of Spanish-Chinese descent, rose to a high position through her participation in party Political events.

Luis Chen, former legislator and chief justice, is the granddaddy of political involvement among Panamanian Chinese.

Gisela Chung is currently the only ethnic Chinese legislator. She has a lively political presence.

New overseas Chinese of Taiwan origin are rare in Panama, and are mainly to be found in the Colon Free Zone. Here they are seen at a golf tourney arranged to mark the return home of Ambassador Soong Chang-chih.

HIGH PROFILE CHINESE PANAMANIANS.

The Huahsien Kwangtung Countrymen's Association has many members in Pana ma. The picture shows the association's new headquarters.

The Huahsien Countrymen's Association headquarters includes a swimming pool, meeting hall and leisure center. Members and relatives can gather and socialize there.

Small stores cluster in the narrow streets. This was once the Chinatownarea, but with economic improvement most of the ethnic Chinese have moved away.

Many new arrivals in Panama from mainland China have benefitted from the assistance of Chang Tzu-hsiu, chair of the Kiangsu-chekiang Countrymen's Association. There is always a place for them to put up for a while, and meet together. The picture shows the view from Association headquarters.