There are two main hypotheses, and both point to Asia as the birthplace of pastel. The first accredits the Japanese gyosa as a champion of fair pastries here in Brazil. The other hypothesis places the Chinese spring roll (harumaki) as the oldest ancestor. That is, the discussion ends up being about what came before: the gyosa or the harumaki.
In any case, it was the Japanese immigrants who landed in Brazil during the 2nd World War who popularized pastel. They set up pastry shops, typically Chinese establishments, to “disguise” their origin and escape the prejudice they suffered from the fact that Japan had fought for the Axis during the war.