OVERVIEW

Tusán refers to Peruvians of or with Chinese descent. Between 1849 and 1874, up to 100,000 Chinese men emigrated to Peru as indentured servants/contract laborers known as Coolies to replace slave labor. 'Most worked on plantations or on railroads. The most unfortunate were sent to work in the guano pits, where they were forbidden to leave the islands. [...] It involved grueling physical labor, using picks and shovels to extract the guano from the mountainous deposits, loading wheelbarrows and sacks, and transporting the manure to chutes for loading boats. Each worker was expected to load five tons of guano each day. Behavioral infractions and failure to meet daily quotas were met with physical punishment. The work was exhausting; the stench was overwhelming; and guano dust coated everything, penetrating the eyes, noses, and mouths of the workers.'

By the end of the 19th century coolie trade, Chinese male workers had no option but to settle in Peru and began families with local women. Free Chinese migrant merchants and entrepreneurs moved to Peru in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as well. Despite their contributions to the Peruvian economy, Chinese immigrants continued to face discrimination and were alienated from society. Mixed Chinese-Peruvians were initially called injertos (transplants). Eventually, this term was replaced by tusán,derived from the Chinese word tusheng meaning “local-born”. Replacing the negatively-intended injerto with tusán marked an important shift within the Chinese-Peruvian community, establishing a sense of pride and community.

By carving out their own place in society, establishing economic influence and vocal participation in the media, a new generation of Chinese-Peruvians were able to overcome discriminatory disadvantages initiated by the coolie era. Today, Peru continues to hold a unique relationship with Chinese immigrants and Peruvian culture is deeply influenced by Chinese culture.