Chronic fabulous, almost costumbrist, John Reed and his fantastic "Mexico Insurgente", in which she describes in detail the times of Pancho Villa's revolution, It has a paragraph that reads:
"These damned barbarians! The filthy beggars! I do not believe any of the words uttered by a Chinese indecent, able to live with five cents on rice!”. Not long after that time counting book and not far from the place spent the next story:
"Some Chinese were castrated and branded with hot irons", says a statement of the Mexican Museum of Memory and Tolerance racist chronicling a serious conflict occurred in Mexico in the early decades of the twentieth century. The sample rescues an event unknown in the history of the country when the 15 May 1911 the revolutionary troops took the city of Torreon and began a hunt that ended the life of 303 Chinese.
Pure breeds hatred and the desire to plunder and kill
That speaks not only made the interesting and self-exhibition is intended to alert the dangers of xenophobia, She speaks of a complete framework that lasted several decades and was sophisticated to an abrupt end in "apartheid to the eastern community" in which racial hatred was the mainstay. In fact, a commission of both countries investigated the tragic event of Torreon and concluded that the motives of the killing were "pure breeds hatred and the desire to plunder and kill", says the sample.
But it all starts before and ends after these events. And 1882, United States implemented laws to prevent the entry of more Chinese citizens. A vast community Eastern lands Americans had arrived encouraged by the construction of the railway and gold fever. And 1989, under the mandate of the aperturista Mexican President Porfirio Diaz, China and Mexico signed a Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation which attracts thousands of Asians to the country both from the US and from China itself. "They worked on the railroad, They opened shops, cultivated fields and formed families ", says the exhibition.
But, the boom of the "foreign" China was creating mistrust and in the prosperous town of Torreón, where he had counted 600 Chinese, there began to be racist demonstrations against his presence, as well as economic boycotts and violence. Eastern community had achieved good economic position.
If you enter your tents put no resistance, to take over what they want
It was then that the revolutionary troops of Francisco Madero took the city that fateful 15 May. Regular soldiers left the city and the company itself and China Merchants Tower Workers sent a message to its citizens, written in their language, saying: "Siblings: !Attention! This is serious. They have committed many acts of injustice during the revolution. Revolutionaries attack the city soon. It is likely that during the battle the plebs lift. Close their doors and ocúltense. If you enter your tents put no resistance, to take over what they want or you are liable to lose life. That is important. After the attack will try to have under ".
The truth is for 303 There was no after. The revolutionary troops entered the city the cry of "!live Madero. Chinese die!”, tells the sample. Within hours 303 Chinese were massacred and their bodies dead were accumulated as sacks on carts pulled by horses while they put out of the city. also ransacked stores.
When the massacre was known the scandal led to a formal complaint from the Chinese government that ended in a mixed commission of the two countries agreed to pay compensation 3,1 millions of pesos. The lawsuit lasted more than 20 years and, despite the initial agreement, the reality is that Mexico committed never paid compensation.
Anti-Chinese League were established in several cities
But the problems did not end there for the Asian community. Especially in the north, in the state of Sonora, the rejection of the Chinese community was increasing. Anti-Chinese League were established in several cities, constantly they ransacked their shops and orchards and, even, in 1923 a law that prevented intermarriage between Mexican and Oriental enacted.
The xenophobic nature of those acts was shaped up with posters where he taught a young man 12 years mix between Indian and Latin which was drawn to high, strong and handsome and, next to, I also sel drawing of a "product of Chinese and Mexican mix" that appeared frail and small.
The exhibition also tells how they forced the Chinese to live in some instances swept separated, Mexican children were stoned in the streets and were constantly accused of creating opium dens. The most humiliating acts were those already mentioned to reach castrate, mark them with hot irons or cut off their "cultural" Pigtails.
Finally, to social pressure, most of the Chinese community decided to return to 1934 to your country or move to Baja California totally impoverished. In their flight they were prevented also take your furniture or sell at a fair price shops products.
"What we want is to report it and not repeat", They say the organizers of a show that has had the courage to tell and denounce its own apartheid.
