HispanicVista Columnists
The Mexican Border: Fleeing the Throes of Revolution (1912)
- HISTORY
- By John P. Schmal
- There is every reason to believe that when the affairs of our sister Republic have become settled a large majority of these aliens will return to their native country.
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- Source: Report of the Inspector of the Immigration Service on the Mexican border, as quoted in “Annual Report of the Commissioner General of Immigration to the Secretary of Commerce and Labor for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1912” (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1913), pp. 40-41.
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Copyright © 2006, by John P. Schmal. All Rights Reserved. - John P. Schmal is the coauthor of "Mexican-American Genealogical Research: Following the Paper Trail to Mexico." (Heritage Books). He is presently writing a book about Latino political representation.
- Copyright © 2006 by John P. Schmal. All Rights Reserved.
- Source: John P. Schmal and Donna S. Morales, Mexican-American Genealogical Research: Following the Paper Trail to Mexico (Heritage Books, 2002).
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- Contact John P. Schmal at: JohnnyPJ@aol.com
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John Schmal was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. He
attended Loyola-Marymount University in Los Angeles and St. Cloud State
University in Minnesota, where he studied Geography, History and Earth
Sciences and received two BA degrees. Mr. Schmal has been a
life-long history buff and is also a skilled genealogist. His
genealogical specialties including tracing lineages in Mexico, Puerto
Rico, and the Southwestern U.S.A. He is the coauthor of
"Mexican-American Genealogical Research: Following the Paper Trail to
Mexico" (Heritage Books, 2002). He has also coauthored three other
books on Mexican-American themes, all of them published by Heritage
Books in Maryland. He is an Associate Editor of
www.somosprimos.com and a board member of the Society of Hispanic
Historical and Ancestral Research (SHHAR). Presently, in addition to
writing weekly columns for HispanicVista.com (www.hispanicvista.com),
he is writing a book on the indigenous peoples of Mexico and on the
ports of entry along the Mexican-US border. Mr. Schmal has a
passionate love of Mexican history and has been writing short histories
of each state, which are being compiled at the following link:
http://www.houstonculture.org/mexico/states.html
ALIEN ARRIVALS OTHER THAN CHINESE
…Owing to the fact that Mexico has during the past year been passing through the throes of one revolution while still suffering from the effects of a previous one, affecting in ways various and complex the immigration over this border, it is manifestly difficult, if not quite impossible, to make comparisons of a thoroughly satisfactory and conclusive character with the immigration of previous years either as to underlying causes or possible future effects. During the early part of the year a great many aliens, rendered destitute by crop failures more or less directly due to the former revolution, sought admission to this country from Mexico, while during the latter part of the fiscal year large numbers migrated to the United States to avoid hardships incident to the revolts which broke out in February last and which are now in progress. It may be said, therefore, that conditions affecting immigration by way of the Mexican border have been abnormal throughout the year, and any attempted detailed analysis thereof would occupy an undue proportion of both time and space in its presentation and at best prove, it is feared, more or less speculative. It may be safely stated that the character of immigration received from Mexico has not measured up to the standard of previous years, as evidenced by the increase of debarred over the fiscal year ended June 30, 1911.
ILLEGITIMATE IMMIGRATION
In previous reports under this heading illegitimate immigration over this border has been defined and especially discussed. As Syrians, among others, have been included within this classification and in fact constitute the chief element thereof….
REFUGEES
No inconsiderable number of aliens, resident of Mexico, have sought refuge in this country, some of whom practically destitute, have been, as a measure of humanity, given asylum. In the cases so acted upon it was felt that the unusual and oftentimes harrowing circumstances influencing their applications justified a more than ordinarily liberal interpretation of the law.