oct 26, 1917 - Bath Riots

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Texas 1917
Mexican immigrants
Carmelita Torres
MEXICAN REVOLUTION, 1910-1917
Tired of American influence & President Diaz
Americans wanted the land and resources, the Mexican people wanted it back
Poncho Villa headed fight in the North
Emiliano Zapata lead fighting in the South
People Revolted:
Goal was to give the poor the “land, woods, and water that the landlords or bosses have stolen from us”.
Men, women, & children all participated in the fighting
Soledara = women fighters; wanted equal rights & freedom from Diaz
Living conditions
Impacts on Mexican citizens during war
Devastating impact on the poorest of citizens
Lice infestations and typhus fever not uncommon
Lack of food, clean water, or decent living conditions
Railroads allowed escape
Growth of El Paso
1910: Fastest growing city; 7,000 newcomers a year
1880-1929: 1 million Mexicans entered US; 50% came to Texas
1920: Second largest Mexican population in US
More Mexicans than Americans
Texas/Mexico Border
100 years ago many people passed the border, living in Mexico, working in the US
Americans would work & live in the US, and the cross the border at night for entertainment
Many elite Americans in Texas lobbied congressmen to “bend” immigration rules to make this arrangement easier
US Immigration Act, 1917
Harsh restrictions set up for anyone trying to enter the US from Europe
Literacy requirement
Immigration officers now allowed to exclude or deport people
Public Health Service increased screening for disease
In the beginning, it didn’t apply to Mexican immigration
Needed Mexican workforce (because it would be cheaper), so exceptions made for people crossing the border like domestic help & laborers



Border Inspections, Before 1910
Crossing not as busy as San Francisco or Ellis Island
Low key examinations
Visual once-over for trachoma
Scaly rash of favus
Dry cough of tuberculosis
Syphilis sore
Smallpox vaccination

Figure 7: El Paso Morning Times, El Paso, Texas, January 30, 1917 Headlinedː "Bill Before Congress To Prevent Mexicans Voting" depicts the bath riots begun by Carmelita Torres at the Santa Fe International Bridge disinfecting plant at the El Paso, Texas and Juarez, Mexico border.

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