Asian Diasporas in Latin America and the Caribbean: An Historical Overview
The presence of different Asian communities in Latin America is a long one, yet a much forgotten or omitted one from history.
It was however when Acapulco and Manila connected in 1565 that globalization truly began. With it, global migration also began in to slowly take off (it wasn’t till the 1850s when migration truly became mass migration).
When speaking of migration from Asia to Latin America, Chinese and Japanese migration stands out. Although the Japanese did migrate to a number of countries within the region, it was the Chinese migration that reached every country in Latin America, and the Americas as a whole.
Mass migrations to Latin America began in 1847 with migration to Cuba (and Peru in 1849) when the “Trata Amarilla” or Yellow Trade began with migration from southern China’s Guangdong Province through Hong Kong (later Macao). The “Coolie Trade” as it also became known became infamous throughout Asia and the Americas for the violence that ensued during these two decades.
What this introduction argues is that migration to and from Latin America is a global, and not just a trans-Atlantic phenomenon; one that we must be aware of since the authors rightly argue that European, Indigenous, and Africa migrations have been the focus of human mobility within this continent.
Something that will become clearer throughout further readings is the exclusionary policies, and antichinismo throughout the entire corridor that is the Americas. There is not one country that did not at one tome or another that passed laws preventing Chinese migration.
This article presents a short overview of migration from Asia. However, two things that I think are important to take from it are:
- The links between Asia and Latin America are long and enduring; an aspect of migration that if often overshadowed by trans-Atlantic migrations. This overshadowing places migration as a regional, rather than global the global phenomenon that is it. At the same time, it takes away focus from the fact that when we look at Latin America, the continent has been shaped and reshaped by migrations, cultures, politics, and social aspects from within the continent, as well as by trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific ideas, values, and mores that have crisscrossed throughout the history linking these continents.
- This point is probably the most important in my mind. The ‘invisibility’ of Asian migration to and from Latin America, as well as the lack of discourse and/or research on these mobilities. Migration from Asia is treated t times as if it is a new phenomenon beginning with China’s expansion across the globe; however, as we’ve read, migration from Asia is centuries old.
As we go deeper into migration from Asia in the next few weeks, we will dive into tis link so that we can get a better understanding on Latin America’s role within global migration.
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Am 15. November 2016 um 17:53 Uhr
I agree with you that the fact of the “invisibility” of Asian migration to and from Latin America is probably the most important. At least for me it was really interesting because I did not hear of it a lot, except the huge Japanese community in Brazil which is relatively often talked about.
For me, the fact that Afro and Asian Americans “share a history of migration, cultural interaction, and trade of colonization, oppression and exploitation etc” (p.16) is interesting, because there is so much research and discourse about the Afro-Americans but really less about the Asians. I am really looking forward to the next readings about the Asian migration. Also remarkable in this text I find the different classifications of being “white” in South Africa under the apertheid-regime and within different political contexts (p. 18) when Japanese were defined as “whites” and Chinese not. It´s an absurd to discuss about different “types of whiteness” and the imagination of what people have been going through is horrifying.
Am 17. November 2016 um 20:34 Uhr
Hello to the rest of the group, I just got on board with the class. One thing that stands out in the text for me as particularly striking is the undercutting of local wage labour through the recruitment of immigrant workers as occurring throughout Latin America with the decline and eventual abolishment of slavery. As mentioned in the introduction on this page, there wasn’t a country in Latin America that didn’t enact some anti-Asian policies, being a related phenomenon. It is interesting that the nationalistic and xenophobic sentiment to which this undercutting contributes is extremely pervasive in many contemporary societies and is distorted/manipulated to political ends at the expense of ‘migrant’ communities, in Britain and the US for example.
Am 19. November 2016 um 12:56 Uhr
Asian migration to Latin America is far from being a “new” phenomenon. Indeed, there are Asian migrant minorities in almost every Latin American country, if not in all of them.
The case of the Mexican-Chinese migrants, the hardships they have suffered and their struggle for survival -both in their adoptive country, and in their “original” communities after massive deportation- epitomizes the complex and difficult situations faced by immigrants who venture into new societies all over the world. Yet, this singular experience evidences the particularities of such a struggle for those who attempt to undertake the migration endeavor to Latin American communities.
In this regard, Latin American clusters are not exempt of racism. In fact, racism in this region can be characterized as a common phenomenon that present very autochthonous singularities, e.g., the “xenophilic” sentiment towards light-skinned immigrants vis-à-vis the (partially or absolutely) overt xenophobia towards migrants with “colored” skin-tones; the later seems to be quite paradoxical given the intensive and extensive racial mixture witnessed in the Latin American subcontinent during the last 500 years, a reality of such dimensions that has even served as the cornerstone for the construction of National identities all over the region.
Concerning the Mexican case in particular, it also seems ironical how the conservative, middle class and business sectors, which had driven the Chinese immigrants and their families out of the Mexican Nation during the 1930s -due to their racial origins and business practices, since they were, supposedly, undermining the integrity of the Mexican ‘race’ (sic.)- served as the driving-forces for the second wave of Mexican-Chinese repatriations in the 1960s.
All in all, Asian migration to Latin America is an interesting, yet neglected, social issue that not only deserves but also demands further research from social scientists and Historians, as well as broader recognition from societies all over the region.
Am 20. November 2016 um 10:30 Uhr
I have to admit a certain ignorance on this topic. I knew that Asian – especially Chinese migration – to the American continent goes back a few centuries, but I presumed Chinese (and Japanese) migrants chose the USA as their destination.
Even when talking about migration to America at school – a topic which is not actually dealt with or at least not when I was at school – you only ever hear about European migration to the USA. When talking about oppression, we focus on the treatment of the indigenous population and later the African slaves. However, the oppression of Asians is something new to me.
I wonder why Asian migration has been “invisible” or rather, why scholars are starting to focus on it just now. Now, I am surprised that even scholars do not pay particular attention to Asian migration to Latin America. Seeing that migration to Latin America occurred on a global level, historians and other researcher should change their perspective, taking into account migration from Asia. Moreover, I am curious to learn more about the “antichinismo” and the resulting policies.
Am 20. November 2016 um 15:11 Uhr
The introductive article about the Asian migration in Latin America gave a good overview about the historical evolution. I agree with the fact that the phenomenon of Asian migration to Latin America is almost invisible in the academic research.
For me the article was really interesting because I didn’t know about the huge number of Asian immigrants to the Latin American countries. As Lea already mentioned I heard a lot about the Japanese community in Brazil, especially about the district Liberdade in São Paulo where the Japanese descendants have founded the largest Japanese community outside of Japan. But the fact that “Cuba, Peru and Mexico historically hosting the largest Chinese populations” (p. 15), was new for me. Especially, I was surprised about the Asian migration to Mexico. When we are talking about migratory processes in Mexico, the researches focus on the Mexican migration to United States and disregard the migration to Mexico.
Another interesting point, which Michael already pointed out, has been the fact that the Asian immigrants are used to undercut wages of native workers and the anti-Asian policies introduced by the American countries.
Am 22. November 2016 um 16:20 Uhr
I’m also interested to know why such an invisibility because I can’t figure things out… is it because they didn’t “complain”, protest or fight for a new condition until the 3rd generation? At least that’s what I understood in the text with the mention of the “involvement of third generation Asian Americans in fighting racial oppression”. Or maybe they did but were not heard as they would always be considered as “docile” and so on?
Another point that I found interesting and that has been mentionned in the comments already is the fact Asian immigrants have been used as cheap labor, as African slaves have been as well. It seems to be an ongoing process that, in my understanding, I linked with the notion of citizenship which is briefly tackled in the text. What makes a good and trustworthy citizen? Working hard isn’t good enough as Chinese have been denied it for a long time. I mean except harsh work and motivation what would be expected from an immigrant to fully integrate US society? I feel that no matter where you come from, if you are an immigrant (with no pejorative tone here), they would do anything not to integrate you.
Finally, I was quite taken aback at the end of the reading about “Chinese entrepreneurs act[ing] increasingly like colonizers” in Africa more particularly. Could it be a form of neocolonialism?? I mean come on guys you’re supposed to understand and feel the “historical struggle” so why, just why would act like this abroad? Revenge or what?
Another point that is enigmatic to me, if someone can clear things up!
Am 22. November 2016 um 16:29 Uhr
I’m also interested to know why such an invisibility because I can’t figure things out… is it because they didn’t “complain”, protest or fight for a new condition until the 3rd generation? At least that’s what I understood in the text with the mention of the “involvement of third generation Asian Americans in fighting racial oppression”. Or maybe they did but were not heard as they would always be considered as “docile” and so on?
Another point that I found interesting and that has been mentionned in the comments already is the fact Asian immigrants have been used as cheap labor, as African slaves have been as well. It seems to be an ongoing process that, in my understanding, I linked with the notion of citizenship which is briefly tackled in the text. What makes a good and trustworthy citizen? Working hard isn’t good enough as Chinese have been denied it for a long time. I mean except harsh work and motivation what would be expected from an immigrant to fully integrate US society? I feel that no matter where you come from, if you are an immigrant (with no pejorative tone here), they would do anything not to integrate you.
Finally, I was quite taken aback at the end of the reading about “Chinese entrepreneurs act[ing] increasingly like colonizers” in Africa more particularly. Could it be a form of neocolonialism?? I mean come on guys you’re supposed to understand and feel the “historical struggle” so why, just why would act like this abroad? Revenge or what?
Another point that is enigmatic to me, if someone can clear things up!
Am 25. November 2016 um 20:58 Uhr
For me the fact that there has long been a lot of Asian migration to Latin America wasn’t new, but the extent of it and the reactions especially in Mexico were.
I found very interesting the way of their expulsion through the US, where they were curiously enough deported to China, even if not oficially married with Chinese, rather than to Mexico again. Also, it is very interesting that the anti-Mexican movements in the USA were reflected in Mexico by very similar actions against the Chinese immigrants. Racism after all is a global phenomenon often used to cope with and to distract from problems really stemming from other causes.
I also had the same questions as some of my colleagues, if struggle for repatriation really started only with the second or third generation or if it was only then successful, because things had changed in Mexico. Interestingly, gendered citizenship policies helped their cause.
The most outstanding fact of the text to me was the huge role their being sent to China played in forming their identity. How come that although Mexico treated them very poorly the Mexican Chinese families developed such a strong romantisized nationalism? Reading the article left me wondering if there were also cases in which the opposite happened.
Am 10. December 2016 um 17:28 Uhr
This historical review enables us to consider the long-lasting connection between Asia and Latin America. The Asian migration to Latin American is not a new phenomenon and it has been reshaped through different times. Asia do not only exports men, which means, low wages workers. China, Japan and Korea are now exporting capital and investments to Latin American countries. Formerly considered as “cheap” and “docile” workers and shopkeepers targeted by anti-immigration laws, Asian migrants are now incorporated to the economy and culture of Latin American countries. Indeed the text mentions both the porosity and diversity between ethnic and religious groups from South and East Asian but also with other communities : Asian and African groups share a story of migration, colonisation, oppression and exploitation.
Asian migration was used a a tool to :
– continue the colonial enterprise by forming a class in-between Whites at the top and African and Indigenous people at the bottom
– undercut native workers’ wages
– segregate societies by creating levels of “whiteness” (which lead to anti-asian racisms)
This text is interesting because it shows both the porosity and the rivalries between different ethnic groups of immigrants. Instead of fighting against racism and trying to reach visibility migrants seem to “compete” between each other. In France North African emigrants fight against South African emigrants who both fight against Asian emigrants. After having discussed the tight networks and sense of community among the same group of migrants we know have to admit the limits of this theory of the “reciprocity relationships”.
Am 2. January 2017 um 15:28 Uhr
I think this text gave a really well explained overview of Asian migrations in the continent and personally I did not imagine that the oldest presence of Asians (between the Japanese and the East-Indian) were the Chinese one. When we think about huge migration processes to Latin America we are used to consider the European one, not the Asian one.
Regarding the invisibility of this migration, in my opinion, Asian migration and its research is invisible not only in Latin America, but also in Europe. When we think about Spain or Italy where a lot of shops or bars has been bought by Asian people especially in the last 10 years, but you cannot really see their presence within the society. I have the feeling that their presence remains always hidden, also because there is no real intention of integration from both sides.
I found very interesting that the huge presence of Asians in Latin America has been so huge that it had a big influence also in the everyday life in the continent, like in food habits (pan chino, chifa, la charada china etc).