Latin American Chinese Labor Research

At the end of the 19th century,Chinese labor who were illegally trafficked to Peru,Cuba,and even Latin America made great contributions to the construct ion and development of local society.They are engaged in heavy physical labor on mines,plantations,and infrastructure sites,and they are an indispensable part of the local society.However,these Chinese workers who have left their hometowns have suffered inhuman treatment in the local area.The living conditions are extremely poor,and the supervisors are tempted to impose corporal punishment and lack the most basic survival guarantee.After understanding this situation,the Qing government actively launched diplomatic negotiations with the Peruvian and Cuban authorities,hoping to improve the living conditions of Chinese workers and prevent abuse of Chinese workers through negotiations.Separately signed with the Spanish colonial authorities of Peru and Cuba to prohibit the Chinese from illegally going abroad and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese workers.After dispatching Rong Rong and Chen Lanbin to conduct field investigations on Peruvian and Cuban Chinese workers respectively,the Qing government established consular agencies and dispatched consular officials in Peru and Cuba to supervise local affairs involving Chinese workers,and achieved certain results on the issue of Chinese workers protection.In Peru,with the end of the contract period,Chinese workers have left the mines and plantations and started to enter the business and service industries to make a living.Their move was considered to have harmed the interests of the local residents,caused hatred of the locals,and eventually caused a wave of Chi nese exclusion.In Cuba,Chinese workers actively participated in the Cuban War of Indepen dence,which was designed to break away from Spanish colonial rule.In this war,Chinese workers and local whites and Indians fought against Spanish colonial rule,made great contributions to Cuba’s independence,and formed deep friendship and praise with other ethnic groups.The experience of Chinese workers in Peru and Cuba has been different from the beginning.There are three reasons for this change.The different environm ents in Peru and Cuba,the differences in the methods and strategies of the Qing government to protect Chinese workers,and the differences in the participation of Chinese workers in local affairs have led to different treatments of Chinese workers in the two places.