La Matanza (1910–1920) facts for kids
La Matanza ("The Massacre" or "The Slaughter") and the Hora de Sangre ("Hour of Blood") was a period of anti-Mexican violence in Texas, including lynchings and massacres, between 1910 and 1920 in the midst of tensions between the United States and Mexico during the Mexican Revolution. This violence was committed by Anglo-Texan vigilantes, and law enforcement, such as the Texas Rangers, during operations against bandit raids known as the Bandit Wars. The violence and denial of civil liberties during this period was justified by racism. Ranger violence reached its peak from 1915 to 1919, in response to increasing conflict, initially because of the Plan de San Diego, by Mexican and Tejano insurgents to take Texas. This period was referred to as the Hora de Sangre by Mexicans in South Texas, many of whom fled to Mexico to escape the violence. At least 300 Mexican Americans were killed in Texas during the 1910s, with total estimates of ranging from hundreds to thousands killed. At least 100 Mexican Americans were lynched in the 1910s, many in Texas. Many murders were concealed and went unreported, with some in South Texas, suspected by Rangers of supporting rebels, being placed on blacklists and often "disappearing".
Aftermath
Shortly after this period, Mexican laborers had to be imported from Mexico in order to service white farmers because the violence had caused so many Mexican people to flee the country. Some 50,000 Mexican laborers were imported into the US by 1920. This was deemed even more urgent in Texas since "Black labor had moved to the cities," and therefore there was a constant demand for Mexican labor. Despite the fact that some Anglos still demonstrated their racism, with signs stating "Keep out the Mongrel Mexicans" and to "Lock the Back Door" because they perceived Mexicans as "the most undesirable of all peoples," Mexican labor was cheap for Anglos and they were in desperate need of it. However, as soon as Mexicans started to organize and attempt to form unions in the early 20th century, they were faced with massive deportations such as the Mexican Repatriation (1929-1936) as well as everyday harassment.
According to CNN, descendants of victims of La Matanza predicted as early as July 2019 that anti-immigrant sentiment could lead to violence, such as that in the 2019 El Paso shooting, where 22 people were killed and 24 injured in an El Paso shopping mall.
