Mexicali and the Chinese Community

 

Mexicali is a border town in Mexico that is adjacent to Calexico in California.  From Los Angeles, it takes roughly four hours’ drive, and from the well known tourist town of Tijuana, it takes less than three hours’ drive to reach.  Mexicali has a desert climate which often gets over 100°F during the summer months. Remember to bring extra water when you visit.

 

Although many Mexico cities are often plagued by drug cartels and corruption, Mexicali is still a safe border town on the surface. Many US companies have set up factories and operations in Mexicali for the low-cost labor and security.  A major attraction in Mexicali is the Chinese food scene. It is the best in Mexico.  Besides attracting the locals, Chinese restaurant businesses also draw many immigrants from mainland China.

 

The Chinese arrived in Mexicali in the mid 1880 to 1940s, when US’ anti-Chinese sentiment and the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 pushed away the Chinese immigrants while Mexico welcomed them as low-cost laborers.  Soon they settled in Mexicali, following the railroad from San Francisco. Then they invited their families and relatives from mainland China to come to Mexicali to escape poverty in China.  However, local anti-Chinese sentiment soon followed, leading to violent hate crimes against the Chinese. They had to live literally underground in Mexicali.  Later, severe flooding and improvement in Mexicali’s sentiment allowed them to return to living above the ground.  With the new stability, they built the Chinatown now called La Chinesca in Mexicali.  Until recently, Chinese mostly from the Guangdong Province (Taishan and Cantonese speaking) still immigrate to Mexicali as restaurant workers or owners. When you visit Mexicali, you can visit the WOK Museo and learn more about the Chinese history in Mexicali.

 

China has gifted a Friendship Pavilion to Mexico, now situated in a circle park along the railroad, next to the MCB GPS-Mission Center. Our Mission Center is located about 15 minutes’ walk from the US-Mexico Border.