"An important document in the history of China. This and the following lots are documents which do not exist in China but have emanated from former Spanish colonies. The documents are immigration contracts for Chinese workers (not African slaves). Brought to Cuba on eight year contract to work alongside African slaves they represented the first formal Chinese immigration to Latin America. After eight years completion they were granted freedom and Cuban Citizenship and led to the creation of the largest Latin American Chinatown. The area of history is often referred to as “Middle passage of Chinese to Cuba” as Cuban Consular Agents would go to China to recruit with promise and deception of a better life. Most often Chinese Pirates would capture people and sell them to Cuba on eight year contracts to work in Sugar plantations and build railways. The highly skilled Chinese were very sought after, eventually creating a thriving Cuban Chinatown. The Governor of Hong Kong officially prevented slave boats from entering Hong Kong harbour in 1855. This coincided with the ""British Passenger Act of 1855"" prohibiting British controlled ports from loading Chinese coolies for non-British destinations. Ships immediately sailed to Macau where corrupt Portuguese guards forced coolies on board. Vargas & Company Macau was the coolie agent chartering American slave ships partnered with Torices, Ferran & Dupierris & Company of Cuba. Ships fitted as prisons and in 1854 a Royal decree issued by Spain and China to halt slave trade. This group supplements a similar group which was offered in our February 2013 sale. China – slavery Nationality certificate for a Chinese Slave Worker dated 1880 issued by the Chinese Consular agent in Cuba. Printed document with ms insertions, signed by the worker in Chinese characters to reverse. The worker in question was 43 years old and had obviously completed his 8 years of service to attain Cuban citizenship."