Integration And Alienation: The Chinese In Cuba,1847-1970

Following the evolutionary relationship between Overseas Chineseand the local community in Cuba, this dissertation comprehensivelyreviewed the history of the Overseas Chinese in Cuba. In general, theOverseas Chinese in Cuba is mainly composed of three historical groups:the contract laborers and Chinese Californians in the19thcentury, as wellas free immigrants in the20thcentury. Between1847and1874, Cuba hadimported more than0.12million Chinese contract laborers. Since theUnited States increasingly excluded Chinese, thousands of ChineseCalifornians were transferred to Cuba from1860to1875. Tens ofthousands of free immigrants had moved into Cuba in the20thcentury.The new immigrants from China hadn’t suspended until the victory of theCuban revolution in1959. After a comprehensive overview of the history of Chineseimmigrants into Cuba, the dissertation in phases investigated the historyof the contract laborers in Cuba, the Chinese Community in Cuba in theformer half of the20thcentury and the situation of Overseas Chinese afterthe Cuban revolution of1959. The author then put forward that theOverseas Chinese in Cuba has experienced a process of twists and turnswhen integrating into the local community. Contract laborers and ChineseCalifornians of the19thcentury had almost integrated into the localcommunity after the Republic of Cuba was established. In the former halfof the20thcentury, the Overseas Chinese in Cuba, especially the newimmigrants, seemed have a subtle alienation to Cuban society. After thevictory of the Cuban revolution in1959, the Overseas Chinese remainingin Cuba were integrated into Cuban society in the reforms of Cubanrevolutionary government. The author tries to analyze the causes for thetwists and turns. She believes that there are three important factors. One is the huge difference between the three groups of immigrants in differentperiods. Another is that the three immigrant groups entered into Cubagradually, but not continually. The last one is the huge change ofdomestic situation in Cuba from the19thcentury to the20thcentury.However, specific factors affected the integration of Overseas Chinese inCuba in different periods. Why contract laborers, Chinese Californiansand their descendants were able to successfully integrate into Cubansociety in the post era of contract laborers? An important factor was theChinese in Cuba participation in the Cuban wars for independence. Thewars laid the groundwork for the Cuban people to join together. Contractlaborers participation in the Cuban Wars for independence was a key stepfor them to integrate into Cuban society. After the Wars for independence,Cuba faced with the reconstruction and integration of national identity.Contract laborers and Chinese Californians were integrated and gained anew social status and civil rights in Cuba. The reasons why the Overseas Chinese had been alienated to Cuban society in the former half of the20thcentury were more complex. As first-generation immigrants, the new freeimmigrants in20thcentury first needed survive and adapt to Cuba. Theyreorganized and revived a variety of overseas compatriot organizationestablished by the pioneers in the19thcentury. Then an ethnic economybased on small business was gradually formed which related to food andclothing. They continued to maintain the traditional Chinese culture inCuba. At the same time, there were a lot of overseas Chinesetransnational families so that they had maintained links with China. Therise of nationalism in the former half of20thcentury also affected theoverseas Chinese in Cuba. Pull from China made the Overseas Chinesehad a certain sense of distance with the local community. This sense ofdistance intensified by the restrictions of the Overseas Chineseimmigrants into Cuba and anti-Chinese agitation. To respond to theexclusionary policies and activities in Cuba, the Overseas Chinese united and strengthened the identity of its own nationals, and hoped the help ofChinese consul in Cuba. The Overseas Chinese in Cuba strengthened tieswith China to try to improve the situation in Cuba, which made theCubans think the Overseas Chinese as foreigners further and exacerbatedthe alienation of both sides. The Overseas Chinese failed to integratesuccessfully into the Cuban society under the pull of China and the pushof Cuba in the former half of the20thcentury, but they were eager to beaccepted by the Cuban society. Reforms implemented after the Cubanrevolution in1959influenced the Overseas Chinese in Cuba heavily. Astrong sense of existential crisis made some Chinese leave Cuba, whilemore people continued to remain in Cuba. For the remaining ones, thesense of crisis accelerated the process of active integration into Cubansociety. They obtained permanent residency initially and participated invarious activities in Cuba more actively than in the past. At the same time,the Cuban revolutionary government implemented Certificate for Alien Residents, which made the aliens included and integrated into Cuba.