O projeto do Império do Brasil para promover a importação de mão de obra chinesa : uma análise das representações das elites brasileiras acerca do chinês (1870-1883)

Abstract

The present work was focused on the project launched by the government of the Empire of Brazil in 1870, with the purpose of importing Chinese labor, and was in force until 1883, when it was abandoned. The main objective was to analyze the representations forged by the Brazilian elites about the Chinese, from the discussions and materials produced around the questions that were opened about the introduction of Chinese in the country, commonly called "coolies". For the analysis of the proposed object, the concept of "representations" was considered operational, according to the definition elaborated by Roger Chartier, in order to identify how social reality is constructed from a certain social group. In conclusion, it was verified that the Brazilian elites aimed to insert the Chinese in the country as instruments of work, under a regime of contractual servitude that stipulated modest remuneration and time of service, in order to make it impossible for them to become citizens, based on racial theories that postulated their inferiority and therefore, an undesirable element for the constitution of the national people. The main sources used were: Decree No. 4547 of 1870, which initiated the project to import Chinese labor; "Demonstration of Conveniences and Advantages to Farming in Brazil by the Introduction of Asians (from China)", published in 1877 by the Asian Workers' Import Society, a company created for this purpose; the "Agricultural Congress", held in Rio de Janeiro in 1878; the "Annals" of Parliament, more specifically from 1879; and documents produced by the British Anti-Slavery Society.