Following the abolition of the slave trade, colonial Cuba imported Chinese labourers to ensure a steady labour supply for their massive sugar production. After the Independence Wars that occurred...Show moreFollowing the abolition of the slave trade, colonial Cuba imported Chinese labourers to ensure a steady labour supply for their massive sugar production. After the Independence Wars that occurred between 1868-1898, the Chinese were heralded for their widespread involvement. Following U.S. annexation however, the Chinese were marked as a distinct 'other' which resulted in the Chinese Exclusion Act. This thesis traces the development from inclusion to exclusion and argues that Chinese labour exclusion in Cuba was facilitated by a two-fold dependency on sugar and the U.S., ultimately leading to extreme nationalist and anti-foreign sentiments that completely excluded Chinese labourers from the Cuban nation-state.Show less
