Mexico and the Lunar New Year
J.L. Rocha Collections
Mexico & The Lunar New Year
Mexican History
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Thanks to National Geographic, we know that the Lunar New Year, often called the Spring Festival or Chinese New Year, is the most important holiday in China and Chinese communities around the world. It is not only celebrate in China. Vietnam, Korea, Malaysia, and Singapore also practice the Lunar New Year holiday. (source) The new year starts on the new moon near the midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, sometime between January 21 and February 20; this year that date is Februrary 10th 2024. But what does that have to do with Mexico? Few may recognize, there is actually a large population of Chinese-Mexican people, making the Lunar New Year a celebrated day in a few areas of Mexico. The Lunar New Year is a multi-day celebration, wherein one staple is the gifting of bright red envelopes full of money. These envelopes, known as hóngbāo (Mandarin)or lai see (Cantonese), are traditionally given to unmarried adults and children that symbolize good wishes and luck for the new year ahead. (source)
This blog post will cover a brief history on Chinese Mexican culture within Mexico, the cultural parallels within the symbolism of the Chinese New Year celebration, and the inspiration for this years J.L. Rocha Red Envelope.
The Year of the Dragon
J.L. Rocha Red Envelope, 2024
A Brief History on Chinese Mexican Culture:
Robert Chao Romero’s Book “The Chinese in Mexico” provides us with the estimation that roughly 60,000 Chinese people entered Mexico during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, “constituting the second-largest foreign ethnic community at the time.” The book provides a social history of Chinese immigration and settlement in Mexico within the context of the global Chinese diaspora of the era. Romero argues that Chinese immigrants turned to Mexico as a new land of economic opportunity after the passage of the U.S. Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. As a consequence of this legislation, Romero claims, Chinese immigrants journeyed to Mexico in search of employment opportunities within Mexico's developing economy, leading to the development of the "Chinese transnational commercial orbit," a tade network encompassing China, Latin America, Canada, and the Caribbean, shaped and traveled by entrepreneurial Chinese.
Yet the Chinese-Mexican experience was not exclusively positive, a thriving economic environment for Chinese-Mexican people also drove resentment within Mexican Nationals. For example, in a paper published by California State University San Bernardino, Rocío Gomez outlines how by the early 1900s, anti Chinese sentiment led to horrific acts of violence: including the Torreón Massacre on May 13th,1911 and the 1922 passing of Law 31 in Sonora, prohibiting the marriage between Mexican women and individuals of the Chinese race. By the summer of 1931, many Chinese Mexican families were left with no choice but to leave, with some emigrating to different parts of Mexico, and most returned to China with their families.
It is estimated that some 500 Chinese families from Mexico repatriated during this time, most of them to Macau: a city on the southern coast of China, that “was a Portuguese territory with Catholic foundations and Iberian influences that made it possible for Mexican women and their children to get a sense of belonging. Many languages, such as Portuguese, Cantonese and Spanish, were spoken there and as result, and Chinese Mexican children grew up learning several languages. The exposure to their cultural Iberian roots enabled many Chinese Mexicans to channel strong feelings about their pride as Mexicans, which in turn made them the driving force in the efforts to repatriate back to Mexico.” (Gomez, 18)
As such, an organization known as “The Lion’s Club” took on the task of initiating a national campaign for repatriation and by 1960, they would successfully help influence the repatriation of Chinese-Mexican families back to Mexico. While this effort was challenging and continues to grapple with a history of hardship - today there exists positive recognition of the Chinese-Mexican culture including Lunar New Year celebrations, and a celebration of “Chinese Cultural Week”. Areas in Mexico thriving with Chinese Mexican populations are Mexicali and Mexico City, two places you can visit during Chinese New Year for grand celebrations.
Chinese Influence on Mexican Culture
Beyond cultural festivals, the influence of Chinese culture in Mexico can be seen in a number of places. A book titled “Chinese Porcelain in Colonial Mexico: The Material Worlds of an Early Modern Trade” the author investigates the integration of Chinese porcelain into the religious, artistic, and domestic life of Mexican society, particularly in places like Acapulco, Mexico City, and Puebla. The presence of porcelain is analyzed in multiple locations, from churches to markets and from sitting rooms to kitchens. One unique example is the repurposing of Asian goods, such as Chinese tea cups employed as drinking vessels for hot chocolate and referred to as jicaras.
The author goes on to illustrate how potters in Puebla created a style of their own inspired by Chinese - creating what is now known as Talavera Poblana by blended different aesthetic influences as shown, for example, in the replacement of the Chinese phoenix by the native Mesoamerican quetzal.
Aesthetics aside, Chinese influence can also be found in one of the most important aspects of Mexican culture, the culinary palate. In a video by CGNT America, we can see the influence of Chinese Culture within a signature Mexican drink “Cafe Lechero” wherein steaming milk is poured into a tall glass with strong coffee, which originated in Chinese Cafes in early Mexico. This drink also comes with pastries that differ from traditional Mexican pastries due to its’ use of pig fat as opposed to a standard butter or lard, giving the bread a denser consistency. In fact, a personal favorite of mine “Chamoy” made from dried fruit, chili, and limes - originate in China, stemming from the name “Chan Pui Mui” that means dried plum and today is ubiquitous in Mexican candy. It was brought to Mexico as a candy utilized by Chinese sailors to avoid sea-sickness, wherein a plum was infused with sweet and salty spices, and overtime in Mexico became infused with chili to make what is now known as Chamoy.
Apparel has also been influenced by Chinese Mexican culture, through a riveting tale of the “Legend Behind the China Poblana” we hear of a princess in Northen India named Mirra, kidnapped by Portuguese pirates in the 1600s. Mirra was sold into slavery at Spain's trading outpost in Manila to the Viceroy of Mexico to work as a “personal servant” in his palace in Mexico City, but in a twist of fate - the trader met a wealthy man who was willing to top the viceroy's offer for Mirra. So they cut a deal, so Mirra and her sari dresses went to Puebla some 200 miles away. Her new owners, Miguel de Sosa and his wife, Margarita, were childless, and they treated her like a daughter until de Sosa died in 1624. In his will, he freed Mirra.
Most accounts of her life agree that she was revered by the local folks in Puebla, and that she was buried in the town's still-standing church of La Compania de Jesus. The house where she lived has even become an upscale boutique hotel called “Casona de la China Poblana.” Mirra’s saris eventually morphed into what would become a dress style consisting of a short-sleeved white blouse with vibrant silk embroidery, a billowing skirt decorated with sequins and beads, a white, lace-trimmed slip that dropped below the skirt's hemline and a shawl woven from blue and white thread. By the end of the 17th century it had become the traditional dress of Mexico. And it still is.
Closing Notes:
This investigation unearths the influence of Chinese culture in Mexico across generations, it showcases suffering, resilience, creativity, passion, and family in ways that we can scarcely cover within the confines of this writing. While our brand strives to highlight our own family history in Leon, Guanajuato - we also believe in highlighting the unique intricacies of the vast tapestry that encapsulates our culture. This study opens our eyes to the diverse background that the history of many individuals, and brings to light the reality that all people deserve the right to be proud of their heritage. In the words of Alfonso Chou, “When you sit at the table with your family, you are savoring history, enjoying the same smells that Chinese and Aztec emperors once smelled.”
This blending of cultures, honor, and family traditions has touched our hearts, and influenced our design for the J.L. Rocha 2024 hóngbāo - celebrating the Year of the Dragon. We infused our heritage of Mexican and Spanish, craftsmanship from Leon found in our Heraldic Lion crest with the Aztec Weaving symbol for the Star and the Aztec Dragon Quetzalcoatl. This design represents our unique heritage, while serving as an homage to the Chinese Mexican culture, and aims to wish you a year of prosperity and good luck for 2024.
Thank you/Gracias