Torreón massacre
1911 killing of Chinese Mexicans and Japanese Mexicans by revolutionary forces in Mexico / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Torreón massacre (Spanish: Matanza de chinos de Torreón; Chinese: 萊苑慘案) was a massacre that took place on 13–15 May 1911 in the Mexican city of Torreón, Coahuila. A total of 303 people were killed, which amounts to half the Chinese community in Torreón. The victims were accused of collusion with Porfirio Díaz and killed by a local mob and the revolutionary forces of Francisco I. Madero. A large number of Chinese homes and shops were looted and destroyed.
Torreón massacre | |
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Part of the Mexican Revolution | |
Location | Torreón, Coahuila |
Coordinates | 25°32′22″N 103°26′55″W |
Date | 13–15 May 1911 |
Target | Asian Mexicans |
Attack type | Massacre |
Deaths | 303 (see Casualties, below) |
Perpetrators | Maderistas |
No. of participants | 4,500 |
Motive | Ethnic hatred against Chinese and Japanese immigrants |
Torreón was the last major city to be taken by the Maderistas during the Mexican Revolution. When the government forces withdrew, the rebels entered the city in the early morning and, along with the local population, began a ten-hour massacre of the Chinese community. The event touched off a diplomatic crisis between Qing China and Mexico, with the former demanding 30 million pesos in reparation. At one point it was rumored that Qing China had even dispatched a warship to Mexican waters (the cruiser Hai Chi, which was anchored in Cuba at the time). An investigation into the massacre concluded that it was an unprovoked act of racism.