stylistic:style_transfer, structural:expansion
Asian indenture

In Cuba, the centuries-old colonial government was powerful because the planters were willing to cede some of their power in exchange for maintaining their cheap sources of labor, with all the privilege and wealth such labor provided. This meant the Cuban colonial government allowed the exploitation of Chinese laborers to occur in order to retain its power. Legally, coolies were free, but they were often tricked or coerced into signing their contracts of indentureship. The stipulations of their contract meant they served a period of eight years' labor, often working alongside black slaves. As such, they often performed intense manual labor on plantations, on railroads, in mines and in guano pits, working six days a week. Some also gained jobs as urban and domestic servants. In return, their employers (patronos) were supposed to pay them four pesos per month, and give them food and healthcare. The pay rarely materialized, their conditions were inadequate, and they faced often brutal treatment, sometimes culminating in death. Many coolies were also prevented from leaving their contracts at the end of the eight-year term.