More than a century ago, the Chinese population of Mexicali, a border city between Mexico and the United States, outnumbered the local Mexican residents. This remarkable demographic shift gave birth to La Chinesca, Mexico’s oldest Chinatown, built by early Chinese migrants.
The Chinese presence in Mexico dates back to at least 1635, when Spanish barbers complained about competition from Chinese workers. By the late 19th century, Mexico began encouraging Chinese immigration to develop its less populated northern regions, especially Baja California. When the United States passed the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882, banning Chinese immigration and citizenship, many turned to Mexico as an alternative. A formal treaty with the Qing dynasty in 1893 granted Chinese nationals the same legal rights as Mexican citizens, further boosting migration.
Thousands of Chinese immigrants arrived between the 1890s and 1910s, working primarily in agriculture and later moving into commerce. By 1910, around 13,000 Chinese nationals lived in Mexico, dominating several industries in the northern states. This success, however, sparked resentment. In 1911, over 300 Chinese were massacred in Torreón during a three-day rampage. Despite this violence, the Chinese population continued to grow, peaking at 19,000 in the 1930s.
Anti-Chinese sentiment intensified in the 1930s, especially in Sonora, where forced expulsions of entire families occurred. Many fled to Mexicali, which, though not immune to racism, remained a relatively safer place due to its established Chinese community and cross-border trade with the US. La Chinesca even developed underground tunnels to combat the desert heat and, during US Prohibition, supported illegal trade operations.
Despite these efforts, deportations reduced Mexico’s Chinese and Chinese-Mexican population by nearly 70% by the 1940s. By the 1970s, fewer than 2,000 remained. Mixed marriages were common, and by the 1960s, about 80% of Chinese community offspring were of mixed ancestry.
The community began to grow again in the late 20th century, with new arrivals from southern China and repatriated Chinese-Mexicans from Hong Kong. Still, today’s census figures are likely undercounts due to undocumented status and assimilation. La Chinesca now boasts the highest concentration of Chinese restaurants per capita in Mexico. While few residents are still of full Chinese descent, the community’s cultural imprint remains evident in Mexicali’s culinary and historical landscape.
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