Mexican Revolution and Torre.C3.B3n Massacre Chinese immigration to Mexico

in both sonora , mexicali area, chinese came dominate merchant class, mexicali undisputed center of chinese settlement, economics , culture in northwestern mexico 1925. @ same time, resentment , hostility growing toward chinese native mexican population. anti-chinese sentiment had been voiced before mexican revolution began in 1910. anti-chinese article part of 1905 platform of liberal party of mexico (plm). during mexican revolution, violence against chinese , property occurred in important rail junction of torreón.

in may 1911, federal troops loyal porfirio díaz had controlled city left , revolutionary troops supportive of francisco i. madero marched in. maderistas claimed chinese had sniped @ them, , mexican townspeople attacked individual chinese , looted chinese businesses. brother of francisco madero, emilio madero, military commander , brought order torreón after arrived, on 300 chinese had been killed in torreón massacre. francisco madero became president in november 1911.

the revolution culminated in multifaceted effort “mexicanize” country , economy, british , u.s. nationals , businesses not targeted in same way chinese were. effort mexicanize strongest in north. while chinese persecution limited north, had national implications, due political clout of revolution leaders coming out of northern border states.

during mexican revolution , years after, notion of “mexicanness” (mexicanidad) important 1 politically , legally. prior 1917 constitution, people in mexico classed race: white european, mestizo (mixed european , indigenous), indigenous and, extent african acknowledged. carryover colonial era caste system, did not include asians. after revolution, mestizo adopted kind of ideal or “cosmic” mexican race. foreigners reminded of outsider status revolution leaders , became targets of movements end foreign influence in country. open expression of resentment built in mexico during porfirio díaz years. during revolution, many europeans , americans in country left. however, since chinese still barred united states, numbers increased.

as part of nation-building effort, notion of race abolished time of 1930 census. prior census did take race account , of chinese origin noted. however, lack of race category, plus complicated laws concerning nationality blurred line mexican , not. not affected had immigrated china, mexican wives , mixed-race children. depending on when wives married husbands , when children born, among other factors, wives , children considered chinese rather mexican nationals. while cannot proven information taken census used in mass deportation of chinese men , families in 1930s, uncertain legal status reflected give them little no protection against deportations.