The Chinese and the Economic Development of Northern Baja California, 1889-1929
L ITIT L E more than a century ago, Chinese immigrants began arriving in the Mexican district of Baja California Norte. The district, though poorly developed and scarcely populated, offered many opportunities to the new settlers. Increasing demands for goods and services allowed the Chinese to take part in a wide array of activities. They entered the agricultural and business sectors, not only as laborers but as entrepreneurs. Despite the limitations of a sometimes hostile socioeconomic and political environment, a sizable Chinese population soon provided a considerable portion of the labor, capital, and enterprise required by the developing frontier society. The history of Baja's Chinese community, beyond its narrative appeal, contributes some important insights into the links between regional development, territorial sovereignty, and foreign economic control. How such a group played so decisive an economic role is a central question in exploring the area's transformation through the first decades of this century. Apart from its regional importance, the topic also presents an opportunity to probe the nature of ethnic relations in Porfirian and revolutionary Mexico. While the Chinese frequently faced discrimination and outright persecution in neighboring Sonora, they seldom did in northern Baja. In his study of Sonora, Leo Jacques contends that many Chinese "became prosperous-too prosperous, in fact, for their wealth and success brought them hatred and persecution."' Advancing this idea, Evelyn