From “Stagnation” to “Action”: Chinese Degeneration and Regeneration According to Peruvian Intellectuals (1873-1920)

Abstract

This contribution examines how the Peruvian intellectual class, particularly at San Marcos University in Lima, represented Chinese civilization between 1873 and 1920, a period coinciding with the arrival of Chinese immigrants to Peru. First, it explores how authors defined China as a great civilization that had degenerated in relation to Western progress, a notion that explains the preference for European immigrants. Second, it analyzes whether China could regenerate itself in light of events such as Japan’s rise and the Chinese Revolution of 1911, which demonstrated the awakening of Asia at that time. In summary, history showed that China was a past glory that could be reactivated.