The document discusses the history of Chinese immigration to Brazil over the past two centuries. It notes that the first Chinese immigrants arrived in 1812 to cultivate tea for European markets. Since then, additional waves of Chinese immigrants came in the 19th and 20th centuries, with the largest influx occurring in the 1950s. Today, it is estimated there are between 200,000 to 250,000 people of Chinese descent living in Brazil, most residing in the states of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The Chinese immigrants introduced aspects of their culture that have contributed to everyday Brazilian culture, such as cuisine, medicine, and arts.

1. Escola de Ciências, Educação,
Letras, Artes e Humanidades
Curso: História
Professor Dr. Angela Roberti
Professor Esp. Tania Amaro 1

2. Escola de Ciências, Educação,
Letras, Artes e Humanidades
Curso: História
2012: Brazil celebrates two
centuries of Chinese
immigration to the country.
The greatest influx of
Chinese immigration occured
in 1950’s, when China was
experiencing many internal
upheavals.
Today, it is estimated there are between 200,000 to 250,000
Chinese nationals or those of Chinese descent in Brazil, of
which 150,000 reside in the State of São Paulo.
Rio de Janeiro and Curitiba cities that have also been
absorbing Chinese immigrants.
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3. Escola de Ciências, Educação,
Letras, Artes e Humanidades
Curso: História
Brazil’s Chinese immigrants mostly came from southern coastal
provinces, particularly Guangdong (Canton) and Fujian,
probably due to its proximity to Macau, the former Portuguese
colony.
Guangdong Fujian
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4. Escola de Ciências, Educação,
Letras, Artes e Humanidades
Curso: História
Past and Present
In 1812, the first group of Chinese immigrants arrived in Brazil, soon after
the Portuguese Royal family moved to the city of Rio de Janeiro in 1808.
These first Chinese immigrants came to Brazil to cultivate tea, a
beverage much appreciated by the Portuguese and the English, both of
whom moved to Brazil between 1808 and 1820.
Since the 19th century, Chinese immigrants have been coming to Rio de
Janeiro.
The purpose of the tea plantations was to supply the European market,
especially the English.
Men, along with tea cuttings, were brought over from China; the men
working in Rio’s Botanical Garden, later being moved to Rio’s Santa Cruz
neighborhood, where they cultivated the tea.
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5. Escola de Ciências, Educação,
Letras, Artes e Humanidades
Curso: História
In his first trip to Brazil, between 1821 and 1825, the
German painter, Johann Moritz Rugendas (1802-1858),
documented a Chinese tea plantation in the Rio de
Janeiro’s Botanical Garden, publishing a picture in his
book, A Picturesque Trip through Brazil, whose text
references a community of 300 Chinese in the city planting
sprouts in the Botanical Garden.
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6. Escola de Ciências, Educação,
Letras, Artes e Humanidades
Curso: História
Years later, in 1844, there was another influx of Chinese immigrant to Rio de Janeiro;
this time to plant rice. However, the plantation was a failure.
This Chinese labor force was then redirected to the construction of a road connecting
the Botanical Garden to another section of the city, Alto da Boa Vista; thus, the
Chinese began to occupy “Tijuca’s fraldas”
This experience might explain
the construction, in 1903,
during the administration of
Rio Mayor Pereira Passos, of
the “Vista Chinesa” (or
Chinese View), which borders
that historic road.
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7. Escola de Ciências, Educação,
Letras, Artes e Humanidades
Curso: História
The Chinese who were able to extricate themselves from
agricultural activities moved to other parts of Rio, where they
started woking as vendors or cooks.
Sometime later, the tea farmers (plantadores de chá) became
street vendors, selling fish and pastries.
The 20th century witnessed the beginning of trade in typical
Chinese products, such as porcelain, handicrafts, and silk
handkerchiefs.
In time, after a period of hard work and deprivations, the
street vendors became shop owners.
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8. Escola de Ciências, Educação,
Letras, Artes e Humanidades
Curso: História
Chinese contributions
to everyday Brazilian
culture include
Chinese cuisine,
herbs, methods of
traditional Chinese
medicine (e.g.
Acupuncture), martial
arts, fireworks, and
the Chinese
horoscope.
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