Chinese migration and Mexico: a (very) quick history

Today’s NYTimes has an column by Eduardo Porter discussing the complex globalization of the world’s drug trade, through the lens of the recent case involving Zhenli Ye Gon.  Zhenli Ye Gon is an immigrant — born a Chinese national, he immigrated to Mexico, where he became a citizen a few years ago.  But one of the most interesting part of the column was Porter’s quick discussion of this history of Chinese immigration to Mexico.  Porter writes:

For at least a century, successive Mexican governments have been waryof China. Chinese immigration to northern Mexico in the earlier part oflast century was often met with violence. In 1911, troops loyal togeneral Francisco Villa massacred 250 Chinese in Torreón. In 1921,president Alvaro Obregón passed a law barring future immigration ofChinese workers. In 1931, thousands of Chinese were expelled from thecountry. Until recently, Mexico’s economic ties to China were tenuous,at best. A decade ago, Mexico imported merely $1 billion worth ofChinese products….The saga of Mr. Ye Gon suggests that this rivalry is now extending into the most insatiable consumer market in the world.

The full column is here.

-jmc