CANADIFNMES of Canada du Canada - - 9N MICROFICHE SUR MICROFICHE 4 --- 13 NAME M AUTHOR/NOM DE L'AUTE~R. dfELSEN, BIRGIT TITLE OF THESlS/TITRE DE LA TH,!?!X-SS BUSINESS- DEGREE FOR WHICH THESIS WAS WESENTEDf . GRADE POUR LEQUEL CETTE THESE FUT PR~SENT~E - M-A - -- --- YEAR THIS DEGREE CONFER~ED/ANN~ED'OBTENTlffl LX CE DEGR~ - 1978 -- - - - - - Permission is hereby gianted to the NATIONAL LIBRARY OF L'autwisation est, par- la prdsente, accordbe 8 la B~ELIOTH&- 3 :* - *, r . CANADA to microfilm this thesis and to lend or sell. copies QUE'~~ATIONALEDU CANADA de microfilmer cette these et .. of the fitm. , & prefer o; de vendre des exemplaires du film. 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APPROVAL Name : , Degree: Master of Arts (Histosy) Title of Thesis: The American Business Comniunity in Mexico City During the ~dzara~a'rdenas Adminis t rat iop : An American Island in Mexico City , Examining Committee: - -- Chairperson: C.R. Day R. BO* Senior Supe~isor m. Fellman R. Newton C~Olberg External Examiner Univ. of Washington Date Approved: i PARTIAL COPYRIGHT LICENSE I hereby grant to Simon Fraser University the. right to lend my thesis or dissertation (the title of which is shown below) to users of the Simon Fraser University Library, and to make partial or single copies only for 'such users or in response to a request from the library of any other university, or other educational institution, on its 'own -- - -- behalf or for one of its users. I iukher agree that permission for multiple copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted % by me or the Dean of Graduate Studies. It is understood that copying or publication of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permissi'on Title of Thesis/~issertation: (signature) 4 (name ) (date) By the middle of the 19th century, the United States and Mexico had established an economic relationship which was to weather revolutions, d&pressions, and a world war. From the beginning of the 20trh century, \ Mexico .was second only to Canada in attracting American capital investment and by 2930 the united States was Mexico ' s most important -trading parLner, A direct result of this economic partnership was the existence In - Mexico City of an enclave of 4,000 American citizens. Knowledge of this American enclave, which referred to itself as the American colony, was not readily available. Therefore, a careful study of the colony's newspapers, periodicals, bulletins, as well as data on its various institutions, such as the American School, was imperative. In order to obtain a more complete understanding of this community, 21 Americans, 6 who were part of interviewed during business foundation, contained some unusual features. Its residents were essentially middle- class in wealth and aspirations. They were atypical in that they formed a sub-culture within, yet isolated from, the host country's upper class rather than following the traditional immigrant path to the lowest strata of society. Only because of their wealth and their business connections were they able to enjoy such high status. It was something of a paradox that this group held some of the most influential positions within the hierarchy of Mexican business, and, yet at the same time, were completely uninvolved with the social and political affairs of their adopted country. 8 - -The colony was isolated and cohesive. This co- the effort , time, and money of the immigrants-- - - - -- themselves. In most cases, immigrants are separated from 'their adopted country's people 9 by social, legal, and economic pressures. The American colony reversed ---@= that pattern. It was the colony which remained aloof and apart and refused to be assimilated into Mexican culture. / The Americans funded and maintained clubs and institutions in order to preserve their own values and culture. Of these, fie most --- important was the American School. Because few Americans were Catholics' and most Mexicans were, the Union Evangelical Churth was also a powerful cultural hedge. Refusing to surrender their citizenship, making many return visits to the United States, sending their children to United States for higher education; all these helped to reinforce Americans and isolate ~exicans. When intermarriages occurred, and they were not uncommon, the Mexican normally became part of the American community. But marriages with Mexicans were discouraged by ~mericanparents who felt themselves superior to Mexicans, their beliefs, and institutions. This attiFude was easily passed on to children and consequently the isolation was self-perpetuating. The politics of President &denas was the greatest single source \. of frustration for colony members of the 1930's. Because his policies opposed unrestrained "free enterprise", most budnessmen of the colony found the &denas government difficult to deal with. Prominent American business leaders refused to become friends with him which meant that. the traditionally e relationship between the colony's businessmen - A and the respective an presidents disappeared with the onset, in 1934, , / ^F-'- s% --Unlike precibnts swh as Plutarco Eliac Calks9 who merely paid lip semb -Mexican revolutionary gnals, Cardenas1 tried to implement them. While American businessmen complained of favouritism to lqbour, the colony suffered little from the ~Lrdenas government's legislation until 1938 when the Mexican government expropriated foreign-oil holdings. - '. ~ollowin~~~ro~riation,an uneasiness descended over the / - - - - - colony which feared further iianifestations of Cardenas' economic nationalism. D By 1940, the end of ckrdenas' term, the prestige of the colony had diminished and the cynicism of American businessmen had surfaced. The " Mexicans, however, too long reminded by the American presence of their A own dependence on foreign skills and investments, were pleased. If it were possible to char terize "typical" colony members, J 5 they might be described as self-made individuals who believed in free enterprise and their own innate superfirity. Or, as Ambassador Josephus Daniels described them, colony members were well-to-do, conservative people who wished to preserve the status quo. Or, as the wr r might r; describe them after mterviewing survivors of the 1930's colon/-=? a i 0 group determined to improve their own economic position and preserve their own separateness. - TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ......................................................... iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................. vi ILLUSTRATIONS .................................................. vii 4. INTRODUCTION .................................................... - CHAPTER I ...................................................... -, 8 4. AMERICANS IN MEXICO: THE 19TH AND 20TH CEXTURIES .................................