Mexico And The Chinese Immigration:A Historical Background Prior 1898

This research studies how the Mexican internal politics and its Foreign relations influenced the Chinese immigration.The timeframe considered stretches from the Mexican independence and until Mexico and the Qing Dynasty established diplomatic relations.The Spanish colonization of Mexico was different than others due to the characteristics of the Spanish demography and the Mexican natural and human resources.From the 16th century and until the beginning of the 19th,Mexico became a destination for many Europeans attracted by economic opportunities.The European and native populations learned to see each other pragmatically and they eventually mixed.The first Chinese arrived in Mexico during the 16th century,thanks to the Spanish trade networks which linked Mexico and Philippines.Its Independence disrupted the Mexican trade networks with Asia and created an internal disarray which will discourage the immigration.Mexico also became vulnerable to the foreign imperialism.The depredations of the imperialistic powers prompted the Mexican political elite to adopt an isolationist policy,and there would be no interest in any sort of immigration.The defeat in the Mexican-American War cost a massive territorial loss to Mexico.Ironically,since its political elite considered that the key of the U.S.superiority was the immigration,that will actually shift them to favor it.The consequences of the Mexican-American War also unleashed the economic potential in the former Mexican territories,and their economic boom will attract the Chinese immigrants.Since 1855,the thinkers in the Mexican government begun to consider the immigration and delineated what they will regard an ideal immigrant,but because of the Civil War in the country their projects could not be implemented.However,with the French invasion on 1861 and the ensuing establishment of a French puppet empire,Mexico will begin to pursue the immigration.The failure of its immigration projects will prompt the Mexican Empire to consider the Chinese,but only as a workforce.To this end,the Empire created a labor guideline which resembled the coolie system.Constrained by similar problems,the future Mexican government will end up accepting the Chinese.The impossibility to funnel those immigrants without proper diplomatic relations,was what ultimately compelled the Mexican government to sing its first treaty with the Qing Dynasty.