Swatow, Fukien Province to Samoa and return 1903-1919

[helen]

Is there anyone who knows the history of the Chinese who were recruited as indentured labourers from Swatow, Fukien Province,
China to Samoa.


The vessel S.S. Decima landed in Apia on 28 March 1903 which had 289 Chinese labourers on board.

The planters found the Chinese labourers to be hard working and reliable and therefore wanted more labourers from China. Following the success of the first boatload of Chinese labourers, the German Administration took over the recruitment of Chinese labourers,

As a result, more Chinese labourers were brought to Samoa during the German Administration in 1905 (528), 1906 (575) and 1908 (351), 1909 (535), 1911 (551) and 1913 (1039). From 1903 to 1913, a total of 3,868 Chinese labourers were brought to Samoa.

It is believed many men had wives and children left behind in Samoa, when they were forcefully repatriated by New Zealand, in around 1919. There were 2,184 Chinese labourers in Samoa in 1914 but by 1919,about 1,254 of these labourers were sent back to China. This was during the first World War and when there was a shortage of vessels.

[sonny]

My great grandfather would have been on board the Decima in 1903. I can only know because my grandfather was born in April 1905 and the next ship with indentured labourers arrived in early 1905.

Unfortunately, other than his name Chan Tong, we have no written records or photos of Ah Tong. With no records to help me find my ancestral village, I have taken to genetic genealogy via DNA testing and have found distant relatives. The one match that has responded did say his family were from Taishan, Guangdong where many Chinese Samoans trace their roots.

I myself wonder if my great grandfather was from Taishan or rather from where it said they were recruited - Swatow/Shantou.