Asian Slaves in Colonial Mexico

by Tatiana Seijas

During the late sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, countless slaves from culturally diverse communities in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia journeyed to Mexico on the ships of the Manila Galleon. Upon arrival in Mexico, they were grouped together and categorized as chinos. In time, chinos came to be treated under the law as Indians (the term for all native people of Spain's colonies) and became indigenous vassals of the Spanish crown after 1672. The implications of this legal change were enormous: as Indians, rather than chinos, they could no longer be held as slaves. By tracking these individuals' complex journey from the bondage of the Manila slave market to the freedom of Mexico City streets, Tatiana Seijas challenges commonly held assumptions about the uniformity of the slave experience in the Americas and shows that the history of coerced labor is necessarily connected to colonial expansion and forced global migration.

Genres: History, Latin American History

ebook

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Madeleine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I commend Tatiana Seijas for tackling a topic not commonly addressed in American History Courses. The trans-pacific trade is, in opinion, "erased" from the master narrative. In my own personal experience and struggles in research, this is groundbreaking. It’s new, it gives insight to the Spanish Crown, the slave trade that happens in the pacific, and the perspective of enslaving Native populations. Seijas again is taking on a large topic and comments that there are missing points in her work. For example, foot note 12 of Chapter 4, she states that her research does not focus on urban economy (114). Now the next historian can use her work as a foundational piece and build from the gaps left. This book overall is a foundational piece and a great read.

[Andres Guzman · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 1565, the Spanish empire colonized the Philippines and established a slave market in Manila. This was the beginning of the transpacific slave trade to Spanish America.

Slaves were brought from Africa to India to the Philippines to the port of Acapulco in New Spain (Colonial Mexico). They were brought on the Manila Galleon, which transported hundreds of slaves through a months-long journey.

When slaves arrived at the port of Acapulco, they were either categorized as black or “chino”. From there they were transported to Mexico City to be sold.

Colonial Mexico enslaved people from Africa, India, the Philippines, and Mesoamerica. Although Colonial Mexico eventually abolished Indigenous/Asian slavery, it wouldn’t be another 200 years until African slavery was fully abolished.

The Asian slaves were at times confused with native indigenous people. To separate the confusion between chino slaves from indigenous people, some slaves were branded on the face.

Eventually, slaves were separated by skin color and this determined who worked as domestic servants and who worked in the fields. This developed into who was granted freedom after service, and who was condemned to hard labor for life. This was the beginning of racial slavery in Spanish America.

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

As Seijas’ book developed her writing style became less choppy (in some areas). However, most of her paragraphs read as individual stories and she offers very little in the way of transitions. Seijas, to her credit makes excellent use of her footnotes, which when used correctly during the reading, helps break down the choppiness of her style of writing. I have thought about how mechanical her writing process is, and while some people love this style and she does a fantastic job using her footnotes, I think it would have read better if she included tangential stories rather than using many short excerpts of stories that fit the arguments she lays out at the beginning of each chapter. Again, the topic and excerpts she included were fantastic, I just think the story could have been told better as a story of anyone of the chino slaves she highlighted and gone into deeper analysis of their life and using sources of from other Chino slaves lives to fill-in areas in which the source material lacks for the highlighted character. For pure history people, this book is fantastic, for others it may not be for you.

[RLC]

If you are somebody interested in the history of slavery in the Americas this is the book for you. You will learn about an enslaved group of people almost forgotten by history. Did you know there was a sizable population of Asian slaves in Colonial Mexico? After reading this book you will not only know about the existence of Asian slaves in Mexico but also how overtime they were able to achieve freedom from enslavement and in many cases become a part of the indigenous populations in Mexico. If you are interested In the history of slavery in the broad context, the history of African slavery in Colonial Mexico, the experience of the indigenous, or of Chino slaves, as the Asian slaves in Mexico were called, this book will be a good read. It is extremely interesting for those of you that have a major, minor, or concentration in Latin American Studies. Seijas' work is easy to read and provides a narrative you have probably never come in contact with before. As a History and Spanish double major with a minor in Latin American Studies I highly recommend this book.

[Taylor Fritz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Seijas’ book for a history course on transatlantic enslavement, and this book was by far my favorite, although it comes pretty close to my second favorite book we read. This book is certainly a must read for someone interested in knowing more about the transatlantic slave trade, primarily the areas that are not commonly covered. In the American school system, we very seldom learn anything about other types of enslavement that went on beyond just African American slave trade. It was a very eye opening book. Seijas’ use of all different kinds of sources both primary and secondary compliment each other nicely and makes Seijas come off as very well read. Seijas writes in a very organized, relaxed yet still professional manner which makes it easy in readability which isn’t always easy to find in a book with solid content. The readability of her book makes this knowledge more accessible for others to read such as high school students who may not be able to comprehend a dense read. Props to Seijas on an incredible and informative book!

[Alexander Skezas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably one of the most interesting books I have read in awhile, especially how this topic isn’t discussed enough in the academic realm. Seijas demonstrates her prowess as a historian by going in depth on the history of the Trans-Pacific Slave Trade, ranging from topics such as hagiography, the Manila Galleon and racial identity. Her main argument throughout the book is explaining how the institution of slavery became racialized in the course of Colonial Mexico and later in the Americas. One of my favorite topics Seijas has discussed in the book is how racial identity (in the case for Asian slaves) was transcended by the laws of the Hacienda High Courts in the 17th century based on multiple factors. Overall, very great and accessible book if you want to study the history of the Trans-Pacific Slave Trade.

[Eliya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is commendable in how it manages to both cover an unfamiliar historical topic and resolve complexities of the Spanish colonial system and ethnic terminologies of the time. Seijas focuses on reshaping the readers’ perceptions of slavery as well as how ethnic interactions in colonial Mexico transpired. Seijas’s recounting of Asian slaves’ experiences challenges how the reader thinks about the institution of slavery, and how ambiguity over identities and religious affiliation were conducive for allowing Asian slaves opportunities for freedom in ways we may not expect. Although there is much room to further explore different aspects of the trans-Pacific slave trade, I can appreciate Tatiana Seijas’s efforts in providing such a broad scope of a topic that will likely be unfamiliar to most people.

[Louie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tatiana Seijas's book "Asian Slaves in Colonial Mexico: From Chinos to Indians" delivers a powerful history on the Trans-Pacific slavery that is left out of most history textbooks.  This is a topic not well known, though the history and information is there, as Seijas proves through her archival research on the broad range of topics.  It starts with Catarina de San Juan, who lives through Mexican culture, as the Catarina Poblano did inspire Seijas to research and write this very book.  The author dives into modern myths, culture, and the nitty-gritty details of the coerced labor, enforced sexual predation, and eventual abolition of the enslaved Asian people brought to Latin America.  Seijas is a well-spoken informational powerhouse, and a historian unafraid to dive deep into the archive to tell the stories of those whose voices reletively remain unheard until now.  

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides an in depth view of a little known aspect of slavery in America. Seijas demonstrates a profound amount of knowledge and research on the subject, though the information is sometimes broken up, and feels unconnected to other parts of the book. Seijas does a good job narrowing down decades of information from hundreds of sources across a large country to the most important parts, while maintaining a mostly cohesive story line. Some chapter/sections are more interesting than others, though I was always presented with information I had not known before. I would recommend this book for anyone who is interested in either Mexican history, or slavery in America, because you will definitely learn something new.

[John McElligott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I believe that Seijas did an effective job in demonstrating her thesis through a non-traditional form of slavery. I believe that by using this form of slavery, there is better perspective of the slave trade as a whole rather than just the Atlantic slave trade, which is the one that is most normally studied. This is also a topic that is extremely interesting and something that is not normally studied. I feel as if Seijas gave this proper representation and provided and excellent narrative for this subject matter. Seijas is also effective in the use of her sources and demonstrates a successful narrative of a non-traditional slave story that provides a broader picture of the entire slave trade and lives of slaves.

[Rayan Ramirez · Rating 4 out of 5]

The link between slaves in South/Central America and Asia is not commonly understood within the mainstream of history. Moreover, I enjoyed the way Tatian Seijas was able to compartmentalize many of these histories from the point of view from more than one person. Additionally, I thought the way in which she explained culture in the context of racial boundaries in South and Central America and how it was integral to social structures. I think that her inclusion of culture within those contexts provided the book and subject with a lot of Anthropological contexts. I think that those who would like to read into slavery in the context of Central/South America and Asia will enjoy this book as it provides enough background for a leisurely reader to understand.

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seijas sets an incredibly high bar in both introducing the reader to the systems of enslavement present in colonial mexico (as I assume most of us are or were unfamiliar) and then in the same monograph changing the chronology of the more general subject (especially as it relates to continuity vs change over time). There are definitely times when she doesn't quite make reach that goal but by and large this book accomplishes what it set out to do. My biggest regret is that NYS curriculum does not allow enough time to teach this subject adequately and so what I can do with what I have learned is limited on that front.

[David York · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tatiana Seijas sets out to tell a story that very few have heard before, and this is why I generally enjoyed reading this book. She uses a wealth of sources to produce a compelling history of race and slavery in Colonial Mexico that is for sure worth a read if this is an area of interest. However, my main issue with the book was the overall structure. More often than not, I found myself having to restart my reading at the top of the page in order to understand what argument Seijas is making. I really did enjoy reading the novel, but I prefer a more narrative and fluid read, while Seijas establishes a great number of separate histories all with their own accompanying sources.

[Jordan D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Asian Slaves in Colonial Mexico is written on a subject very few people, even historians know about. I personally had no inkling that a system of slavery existed between Central America and Asia. Seijas does a wonderful job in tracing the system from China to Mexico that is easy to follow for those who are just being introduced to this topic. Her discussion of slavery in this part of the world and the effect of race is incredibly interesting. Seijas does a wonderful job in keeping the narrative simple for those who are learning yet still looks deeply into the relationship of race and enslavement in this area.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seijas conducted deep archival research into the legal practices around the origins and eventual ending of the enslavement of Asians in colonial Mexico.

I recently heard Seijas speak, and she centered her talk on how she regrets the language choices that she made in this book. Specifically, she realizes that using the legal term *slave* to refer to human beings reinscribed colonial domination. Knowing this as I read made the repeated use of the word less jarring, and I was able to appreciate how she marshalled archival evidence to support her conclusions about coerced labor in the Philippines and Mexico.

[Gina Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The content of the book itself is valuable to the understanding of slavery and race dynamics in the Spanish colonies. However, the writing was very choppy and redundant which, in my opinion, made the book hard to get through.

[vicente elizondo · Rating 5 out of 5]

a life altering read

[Dan Gorman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very strong writing and a unique topic — Filipino and other Asian slaves in Spanish Mexico — make this volume memorable. Seijas argues that the experience of Asian slaves in Mexico causes us to look at slavery in the Spanish Empire in a new way. Asian slaves (chinos) were eventually reclassified as indigenous peoples or Native Americans (indios), which led to chinos being freed from slavery and receiving better treatment, even as the Spanish crown doubled down on the use of African slaves. Seijas explains the fluidity of racial categories in the Spanish dominion, and she explains how Catholic opposition to the enslavement of Native Americans helped in time to liberate chinos. Seijas has something of an elliptical writing style, returning again and again to events and layering them with new information, so her book's internal timeline is sometimes murky. Still, this book presents a useful, new, and transnational perspective on the Spanish Empire, foregrounding the constraints and chances to use agency that the chinos experienced.

[Baileigh Moquin · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you are a history lover this is the book for you. Dive into the rich knowledge as you learn about a group of enslaved people who have almost been forgotten from history. Seijas discusses the racial categories under the Spanish crown. She explains the impacts Catholicism had on the enslavement of certain groups such as the Native Americans and how the enslavement of this group led to the freedoms and liberation of the chino slaves. The only negative thing that I have to say about this book is its repetitive narrative. Seijas returns to previously written history and continues to layer more history on these events with new information. However, Seijas and the research that is written in her book are groundbreaking and essential to our understanding of history in colonial Mexico.