The Chinese Coolie Trade

Lesson Overview

In this lesson, you will explore the Chinese-Latino diaspora, an often overlooked chapter in both global and New York City history. Using first and second-hand historical sources, local, and personal information on the Chinese-Latino community, this lesson aims to bring more visibility to the unique experiences and contributions of the Chinese-Latino community.

Historical Context

Understanding the historical context that shaped the Chinese-Latino diaspora is essential. The contemporary identities and experiences of Chinese-Latinos have been profoundly influenced by global interactions and historical events that are frequently overlooked. The Chinese Coolie Trade is a pivotal starting point in this narrative.

The abolition of slavery in the United States, marked by the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 and the passage of the 13th Amendment in 1865, was a significant turning point. Alongside the Abolitionist Movement and the end of the Civil War, these events triggered a shift in global attitudes, morals, and political views on enslavement. As slavery was dismantled not only in the U.S. but also in various parts of the world, former colonies and regions heavily reliant on enslaved labor faced an urgent need for new sources of labor. In response, colonial European powers—such as the British, French, Spanish, and Portuguese—sought out new forms of cheap and exploitative labor, particularly for agriculture and infrastructure projects.

While attempts were made to use existing populations, such as European and Indigenous labor from the Yucatán for sugar fields in Cuba, these efforts proved unsuccessful. Eventually, colonial powers turned to Asia, initiating what is now known as the Global Coolie Trade. This system, characterized by the mass migration of indentured Asian workers to fill labor shortages in European colonies, led to the emergence of a new diaspora. Among the affected communities were South Asians, whose descendants are now often referred to as Indo-Caribbeans, and the Chinese. Both groups have significantly influenced the culture and history of the Americas and the United States through various waves of migration. Specifically, the exploitation of Chinese laborers during this period is known as the Chinese Coolie Trade, reflecting their unique experiences within the broader context of the Global Coolie Trade.

Recruitment and Journeys of Chinese Coolies

While some Chinese laborers arrived to the Americans voluntarily, the majority were victims of kidnapping or deceptive labor recruitment practices. It is important to note that most laborers were young men; Chinese women made up a very small minority in the Chinese Coolie Trade. Before embarking on their journey to Latin America, laborers were held in barracoons, similar to those used in the Atlantic Slave Trade that confined enslaved African people. Traveling on former African slave ships, Chinese laborers being sent to places like Cuba and Peru were kept below decks with armed officers who enforced strict corporal punishment. Conditions on the ships were overcrowded and unsanitary, leading to high mortality rates among documented voyages.

While some Chinese laborers arrived in the Americas voluntarily, the majority were victims of kidnapping or deceptive labor recruitment practices. It is important to note that nearly all laborers were young men, with Chinese women being an extremely small minority in the Chinese Coolie Trade. Before their journey to Latin America, these laborers were often confined in barracoons, similar to those used in the Atlantic Slave Trade for enslaved Africans. The conditions aboard former African slave ships, used to transport Chinese laborers to places like Cuba and Peru, were dire—they were kept below decks under the watch of armed officers who enforced harsh corporal punishment. Overcrowded and unsanitary conditions on these ships resulted in high mortality rates among the laborers.

Although the Coolie Trade differed from slavery in its legal framework—such as chattel slavery, which allowed for the enslavement of children born to enslaved people and extended ownership until death—the experiences of Chinese Coolies can be seen as paralleling the exploitative conditions faced by enslaved Black people. Legally classified as indentured servants, Chinese coolies signed contracts, written in both Spanish and Chinese, committing to work for eight years upon their arrival in the Americas. Many were promised a monthly wage of four dollars, along with food, shelter, clothing, and medical care. Some historians argue that these contracts were primarily designed to distinguish indentured labor from the now-illegal slave trade, despite the fact that the conditions endured were strikingly similar to those of enslavement.

Above is a sample contract from the website “Chinese in Cuba.”

Chinese laborers were seen as a preferable alternative to the freed Black workers. Historians Evelyn Hu-DeHart and Kathleen López, who have extensively studied Chinese-Latino history, explain that “white planters and officials perceived Asian migrants as more industrious, more economical, and less threatening than Africans.” Consequently, regions like Cuba, heavily reliant on sugar production, became dependent on the exploitation of Chinese workers to sustain their economies.