The trip from Asia to America
Crimping- The Practice of kidnapping or entrapping people into serving as sailors through deceptive techniques.
Chinese Crimps were paid for each Asian migrant they transported. They would deceive workers into thinking they would receive a fair paying job in America and receive many benefits. They would lie and fake promises to recruit workers. When they were desperate, they would also torture, kidnap, or bind them to debt in order to get workers to agree.
The journey to America was done by ship over treacherous waters. The workers on board were mistreated resulting in high deathrate. The method of transportation is said to have been similar to African slavery transportation methods. Overcrowded boats, disease, and shackled to be kept under control. "Chinese emigrants were transported in overcrowded vessels and dehumanizing settings, where the average death rates on board were high- twenty-five or thirty percent , and sixteen percent for Cuba."(Ginese-Blasi 3)
Image of Chinese "coolies" on their way to Singapore. Although America and Cuba were top transporters, many other countries took part in the trade as well.
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