User:Jaguarnik/Antisemitism in Mexico

Antisemitism in Mexico is the phenomenon of hatred, hostility, or prejudice against Jews in Mexico. Antisemitism in Mexico may occur for a variety of reasons: due to Christian antisemitic sentiment, due to the xenophobic sentiment that Jews are "foreign" and do not belong in Mexico, due to sympathies to Neo-Nazism, or due to anti-Zionist sentiments manifesting themselves in antisemitism.

Althought antisemitism has been historically present in Mexico, Jews in Mexico have historically faced less systemic discrimination than Jews in other parts of the world. Discrimination on grounds of religion or ethnic origin, including antisemitism, has been banned in Mexico since 2003, and the CONAPRED monitors levels of antisemitism, among other forms of discrimination, in Mexico.

Colonial period (1520-1821)
The first documentation of Jews in Mexico can be traced back to about 1520, with the arrival of crypto-Jewish conquistador Hernando Alonso. After the conquest of Mexico, Charles V passed a decree banning all individuals of Jewish or converso heritage from living in the newly conquered territories of Spain. Alonso's identity was subsequently discovered, and he was executed in 1528. Multiple decrees banning those of converso heritage from entering the New World would be passed by Spanish kings, up to 1803; the repeated passing of the decrees implies that crypto-Jews and conversos still infiltrated the New World regardless of the efforts of the Inquisition.

Multiple autos da fe were conducted throughout the 16th and 17th centuries in Mexico, and at least 1100 Jews were brought before the Mexican Tribunal. According to one historian's estimate, only 50 individuals were executed; others may have been reconciled into the Catholic faith or otherwise died in prison.

Even after Mexico claimed independence from Spain in 1821, Judaism was only legally allowed in Mexico after 1860.

20th century
Mexican anthropologist Claudio Lomnitz argues that Mexico throughout its history has experienced a unique form of "antisemitism without Jews", where "symbolic" Jews, such as the científico elite of the time of the Porfiriato, are targeted, regardless of actual Jewish status.

The largest waves of Jewish immigration began in 1920. Jews were seen as the "Other" in Mexico, and not as part of the Mexican population. During the 1930s, nationalism in Mexico grew stronger, and groups opposing the immigration of Jews and Asians to Mexico, such as the Gold Shirts, lobbied the government to prevent Jewish and Asian immigration, to restrict Jewish commerce, to remove citizenship from Mexican Jews, to prevent Jews from participating in national politics. One notable event was the expulsion of 250 Jewish merchants from the La Merced Market. In 1934, immigration to Mexico was restricted for a number of religious, racial, and ethnic groups; Jews were included in the list for their "undesirable" business practices.

21st century
There has been controversy over certain Mexican leftists using anti-Zionism to mask antisemitic sentiments. A contributor to Mexican newspaper La Jornada, Dr. Alfredo Jaime Jalife, published multiple antizionist editorials in 2006. These editorials were denounced as antisemitic by other Mexican intellectuals for statements made by Jalife in these editorials, such as the erroneous claim that American fraudster Bernie Madoff was an Israeli banker funneling money to Mossad and the question posed by Jalife about whether Israel was behind the 2006 Mumbai train bombings. Likewise, statements from a pro-Palestinian activist stepping out at the UACM denying the Holocaust generated controversy for their antisemitic nature.

Mexican Jews may face hostility from other Mexicans for not being "truly" Mexican because of their Jewish origins. Presidential candidate Claudia Sheinbaum during her presidential campaign faced attacks on her identity as a Mexican. Former President Vicente Fox on Twitter wrote "Claudia Sheinbaum is a Bulgarian Jew...the only true Mexican is Xóchitl Gálvez!" In another tweet, he referred to Sheinbaum as "Jew and foreigner simultaneously". Fox later apologized for his statements about Sheinbaum. Attempts to claim that Sheinbaum was in fact born outside of Mexico have been compared to the birther movement in the USA.

According to a survey conducted by the Anti-Defamation League in 2017, 35% of the adult Mexican population expressed antisemitic sentiments, compared to 24% in 2014.