Anti-alien Measures Near Final Adoption in Mexican Parliament

ANTI-ALIEN MEASURES, WHICH WILL SERIOUSLY AFFECT THE POSITION OF MEXICAN JEWRY AND MAY EVEN RESULT IN ESTABLISHMENT OF FIVE-YEAR “GHETTOES” FOR IMMIGRANTS, MADE PROGRESS IN BOTH THE LOWER AND UPPER HOUSES OF THE MEXICAN PARLIAMENT AS FOREIGN COMMERCE CHAMBERS MAPPED PLANS FOR A UNITED FIGHT ON THEM.

THE MEASURES, SPONSORED BY DEPUTY ISMAEL FALCON AND SPECIFYING EIGHT MAJOR COURSES OF ACTION TO CURB BUSINESS ACTIVITIES OF ALIENS, HAVE RECEIVED THE APPROVAL OF THE GOVERNMENT BLOCS IN THE CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES AND THE SENATE. APPROVAL IN BOTH CASES WAS GIVEN WITHOUT ALTERATION OF THE MEASURES AND IS TANTAMOUNT TO PASSAGE.

THE MEASURES APPROVED BY THE GOVERNMENT BLOCS, IT IS POINTED OUT HERE, ARE DIRECTED AGAINST ALL ALIENS AND NOT SPECIFICALLY JEWS BUT IT IS EXPECTED THAT JEWS WILL BE THE CHIEF SUFFERERS. THE JEWISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HAS JOINED OTHER BUSINESS GROUPS OF ALIEN INTERESTS IN COMBATING THEM, PARTICIPATING IN A SERIES OF CONVERSATION LOOKING TOWARD UNITED ACTION.

THE FALCON BILL INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING MAJOR PROVISIONS:

1– ALIENS MUST LIVE IN SPECIAL PLACES ASSIGNED BY THE GOVERNMENT DURING THEIR FIRST FIVE YEARS’ RESIDENCE IN THE COUNTRY;

2– IN THE INITIAL FIVE YEARS, ALIENS MAY ENGAGE ONLY IN OCCUPATIONS PERMITTED THEM BY THE GOVERNMENT UPON THEIR ENTRY TO MEXICO;

3– ALL ENTERPRISES MUST EMPLOY AT LEAST 90 PER CENT NATIVE MEXICANS, THE REMAINING TEN PER CENT TO INCLUDE ALIENS AND NATURALIZED CITIZENS (HITHERTO, NATURALIZED CITIZENS HAD THE SAME PRIVILEGES AS NATIVES);

4– NO EMPLOYER MAY ALSO BE A WORKER IN HIS OWN ENTERPRISE UNLESS HE SUBJECTS HIMSELF TO THE LABOR LAWS;

5– MEXICAN CITIZENSHIP MAY BE OBTAINED ONLY AFTER TEN YEARS’ RESIDENCE;

6– NO NEW BUSINESS LICENSES ARE TO BE ISSUED TO ALIENS, AND THOSE ALREADY ISSUED MUST BE ANNULLED;

7– THE PRESIDENT IS TO DECIDE ON THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF ALIEN INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISES — OTHERS TO BE EXPROPRIATED AND TURNED OVER TO NATIVE WORKERS;

8– ALIENS WHO HAVE NOT INVESTED 20,000 PESOS IN ENTERPRISES WITHIN A YEAR AFTER THEY ENTERED THE COUNTRY ARE TO BE DEPORTED AND THEIR POSSESSIONS CONFISCATED FOR WORKERS’ COOPERATIVES.

OTHER ANTI-ALIEN MEASURES ALSO APPROVED BY THE GOVERNMENT BLOCS IN BOTH HOUSES PROVIDE FOR STRICT REVISION OF ALL CITIZENSHIP PAPERS ISSUED TO ALIENS, SUSPENSION OF ISSUANCE OF NEW PAPERS UNTIL THE REVISION IS COMPLETED AND PROHIBITION OF DIRECT SELLING TO THE PUBLIC BY ALIENS.

ACCORDING TO THE NEWSPAPER EL NACIONAL, ALIENS HENCEFORTH WILL BE ALLOWED TO ENGAGE ONLY IN EXPORT, INDUSTRY AND AGRICULTURe.

PRESIDENT CARDENAS, MEANWHILE, HAS SENT A BILL TO PARLIAMENT ASKING PROLONGATION FOR ONE YEAR OF THE TIME GIVEN CHILDREN BORN TO ALIENS IN MEXICO TO DECIDE WHETHER TO BECOME MEXICAN CITIZENS OR ADOPT THE NATIONALITY OF THEIR PARENTS. AT THE SAME TIME, THE PRESIDENT GAVE WHAT IS DESCRIBED BY EL NACIONAL AS A “COURTEOUS” AUDIENCE TO ANTI-SEMITIC SENATORS RODOLFO LOISA AND GIERMO FLORES-MUNIOS WHO SOUGHT HIS SUPPORT OF SPECIFICALLY ANTI-JEWISH MEASURES SPONSORED BY A REACTIONARY GROUP.

A GOVERNMENT RADIO BROADCAST, EXPLAINING THE NEW IMMIGRATION REGULATIONS, ANNOUNCED THAT IMMIGRANTS WISHING TO ENGAGE IN COMMERCIAL, EXPORT, INDUSTRIAL OR AGRICULTURAL ENTERPRISES IN MEXICO CITY PROPER MUST POSSESS A MINIMUM OF 100,000 PESOS. THOSE DESIRING TO ENGAGE IN THOSE FIELDS IN PROVINCIAL CAPITALS MUST HAVE 20,000 PESOS, AND IN OTHER CITIES, 5,000 PESOS.

ACCORDING TO THE BROADCAST, THE NEW REGULATIONS WERE NECESSARY TO STEM THE FLOOD OF IMMIGRANTS TO THE CAPITAL. THE GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN ALSO EMPHASIZED THAT IF THE EFFECT OF THE REGULATIONS WAS TO CREATE “GHETTOES,” THAT WAS UNINTENDED BUT COULD NOT BE HELPED.