The Chinese in the Caribbean

The history of the Caribbean is a history of migrations. Peoples of the region came as conquerors and planters, slaves, and indentured laborers from all parts of the globe, including China. The Chinese diaspora spread their culture across the world, including to the Caribbean, where Chinese people formed distinct ethnic groups within Caribbean societies and shaped Caribbean cultures.

This book goes beyond a description of the arrival and early experiences of Chinese in the Caribbean to explore the ways in which Chinese immigrants adapted to and altered the region. Included are the histories of Chinese people in Cuba, Panama, and the British West Indies, their arrival as indentured laborers, the discrimination they suffered and overcame, their slow rise to economic independence and success, their contributions to Caribbean culture, their roles in the region's national revolutions, their place in post-colonial policies, and the subsequent re-emigration of individuals, families, and entire communities within the region as well as to North America.

A ndrew Wilson, United States Naval War College, is the author of Ambition and Identity: Chinese Merchant Elites in Colonial Manila, 1880-1916.