Many of the Chinese were probably in debt to the Chinese mafia (triads, if they were Cantonese). It's a very common con - you take out a loan to get transported

Many of the Chinese were probably in debt to the Chinese mafia (triads, if they were Cantonese). It's a very common con - you take out a loan to get transported to a richer place (often with bait-and-switch jobs), then have to pay back the guy who took you there. In some cases, family can be held hostage. It still happens (though it's different nationalities).