Baptismal certificate for an Asian man in Ascenso Parrish, 1865

This certificate signifying the baptism of an Asian man in a parish in Güines, Cuba is written plainly, naming the new parishioner, his birthdate, and age. It also names a Godfather and the date of his baptism. There is some additional text that is not legible. This certificate represents the presence of Asian immigrants in Cuban territory from the 1850s to the 1870s.

asian contract workers in cuba

During this time period, mostly men were transported from China to Cuba as contract workers, but their situations were much more reflective of indentured servitude. The contracts the men would sign before their journey to Cuba included stipulations similar to slavery such as needing permission from their employer to leave their workplace or get married. The period of servitude was typically six to eight years and some contracts included a clause that the men must make up any days of missed work, so the length of servitude could be extended to account for absent days if the employer deemed necessary (Hu-Dehart 42-44).

from the slave trade to indentured servants

This new form of labor in Cuba was sought out due to the looming end of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade (Hu-Dehart 38). Cuba was one of the biggest producers of sugar in the world and needed cheap labor to maintain the success of the industry (Corbitt 130). Neighboring colonies had already implemented Chinese contract workers, and Spain eventually negotiated to be included in the new trade, which was most successful after the second implementation of it. The first shipment of Chinese workers was volatile and led to multiple deaths, which was not seen as lucrative to Spain, but Cuba would eventually fully embrace the trade a short while later (Hu-Dehart 39-40).

modern day significance

This birth certificate represents what was a potential course for workers after their contracts expired, with some periods of the trade not stipulating that Chinese workers had to either continue work or return to their homeland (Corbitt 131). This meant some Chinese immigrants chose to reside in Cuba, some marrying Cuban citizens and beginning families either under contract or after their servitude was finished. There was even a rule included in some contracts that the workers could not be separated from their children which implies that workers having children during their contracts was somewhat commonplace (Hu-Dehart 44). The current population of Asian people within Cuba is much smaller than it once was, but this birth certificate represents the diversity Cuba obtained through colonial practices such as slavery and indentured servitude, which is reflected across Latin America today.

works cited

Corbitt, D. (1944). “Chinese Immigrants in Cuba”. Far Eastern Survey, 13(14), 130-132.

Hu‐Dehart, E. (1993). “Chinese coolie labour in Cuba in the nineteenth century: Free labour OR neo‐slavery?” Slavery & Abolition,14(1), 67-86

primary source

Baptismal certificate for an Asian man in Ascenso Parrish. (1865). Güines, Cuba.

By Lilia Federico