Irish immigration to Mexico

Irish Mexicans (Spanish: Irlandés-mexicano or Hibernomexicano; Irish: Gael-Meicsiceach) are inhabitants of Mexico that are immigrants from or descendants of immigrants from Ireland. The majority of Irish immigrants to Mexico were Catholic and arrived during the time when all of Ireland was under British rule.^[2]

History

Tribute to the Irish soldiers who switched sides during the Mexican–American War at the Museo Nacional de las Intervenciones

During the colonial era a few ethnic Irish entered Mexico. Notable among them were Governor of Yucatán and Texas Hugo Oconór and the last Viceroy of New Spain, Juan O'Donojú.

A few Mexican Irish communities existed in Mexican Texas until the Texas Revolution. Many Irish then sided with Catholic Mexico against Protestant pro-U.S. elements.^[3] The Batallón de San Patricio was a largely (ethnically) Irish battalion of U.S. troops who deserted and fought alongside the Mexican Army against the United States in the Mexican–American War of 1846 to 1848.^[4] In some cases, Irish immigrants or Americans left from California (the Irish Confederate army of Fort Yuma, Arizona during the American Civil War in 1861) and blended into Mexican society instead.^[5]

Álvaro Obregón (O'Brien) was president of Mexico during 1920-24 and Ciudad Obregón and its airport are named in his honor. Actor Anthony Quinn is another famous Mexican of Irish descent. There are also monuments in Mexico City paying tribute to those Irish who fought for Mexico in the 1800s.^[6]

Notable Irish Mexicans

• Anthony Quinn, actor^[7]
• William Lamport, the real-life Zorro
• Álvaro Obregón, president of Mexico during 1920–24.
• Ignacio Comonfort, President of Mexico in 1855.^[8]
• Juan O'Donojú, viceroy of New Spain
• Rómulo O'Farril, founder of newspaper Novedades
• Juan O'Gorman, architect^[9]
• Edmundo O'Gorman, writer^[10]
• Hugo Oconór, Spanish governor of Texas from 1767 to 1770
• Alejo Bay, governor of Sonora from 1923 to 1927
• Michael Wadding, Jesuit priest and missionary
• Judith Grace, television hostess
• Cristina Fink, retired high jumper of Irish, German, Dutch descent
• Margo, Mexican actress and dancer of Irish descent
• Pablo O'Higgins, American-Mexican artist, muralist and illustrator of Irish descent
• Carlos Gallardo, Mexican actor, producer and occasional screenwriter and director to a Mexican father and an Irish mother
• Tomas O'Horan, Mexican lawyer, magistrate and senator of Irish descent
• Jon Riley, born-Ireland, Mexican Army and founder Saint Patrick's Battalion for Mexico.
• Justo Sierra O'Reilly, Mexican novelist and historian of Irish descent
• John Holloway, Irish-born Mexican lawyer, Marxist-oriented sociologist and philosopher currently living in Mexico
• Sara Ramirez, Mexican singer and actress (mother of Irish-American descent)
• Álvaro Obregón Tapia, Mexican politician of Irish descent
• Dolores Creel Miranda, Mexican artist of Irish descent
• Daniel Chavez Moran, Mexican businessman of Irish descent
• Aarón Díaz Spencer, Mexican actor, singer, and model to Irish-American mother.
• Philip Crosthwaite, born in Ireland, was an early settler of San Diego, California and Rosarito, Baja California
• Luis Humberto Crosthwaite, Mexican writer of Irish-American descent
• Louis CK, American-born comedian and actor, mother was Irish American, father was Mexican/Hungarian. CK (Szekely) was partially raised in Mexico City.^[11]
• Santiago Creel, Mexican politician of Irish descent

See also

• Alvarez Kelly, a Western film about an Irish Mexican in the American Civil War.

References

Coogan, Tim Pat (2002). Wherever Green is Worn. Arrow Books. ISBN 0-09-995850-3. 

External links

• The Irish in Mexico: An annotated bibliography at the Irish diaspora site.
• Murray, Edmundo "The Irish in Latin America and Iberia: A Bibliography - Mexico and Hispanic North America"
• Murray, Edmundo "The San Patricio Battalion: A Bibliography"
• History of Mexico: The Irish Presence at the Houston Institute for Culture.
• The legend of Zorro was an Irishman (William Lamport).
• The O'Brien clan in Mexico.
• Primary and secondary sources relating to the Irish in Mexico (Sources database for Irish research)

Ancestry and ethnicity in Mexico
Mexicans
Non-Amerindian	Mexico Mestizo From Africa Kenyan From the Americas American (Mormon) Argentine Brazilian Canadian Chilean Colombian Cuban Guatemalan Haitian Salvadoran Uruguayan Venezuelan From Asia Chinese Filipino Indian Japanese Mexico City Korean From Europe British (Cornish) Czech French German Greek Irish Italian Polish Portuguese Russian Scandinavian Spanish (Basque) From the Middle East Arab (Lebanese) Armenian Turkish Multiregional Jewish Mennonite Romani
Amerindian	More than 100,000 people Nahua Maya Zapotec Mixtec Otomi Totonac Tzotzil Tzeltal Mazahua Mazatec Huastec Ch'ol Chinantec Purépecha Mixe Tlapanec Tarahumara 20,000–100,000 people Mayo Zoque Chontal Maya Popoluca Chatino Amuzgo Tojolabal Huichol Tepehuán Triqui Cora Mam Yaqui Cuicatec Huave 1,000–20,000 people Tepehua Kanjobal Pame Chichimeca Jonaz Guarijio Chuj Chocho Tacuate Mexicanero Ocuiltec Pima Bajo Jacaltec Fewer than 1,000 people Kekchí Lacandon Ixcatec Seri K'iche' Motozintlec Kaqchikel Paipai Tohono O'odham Cocopah Kumiai Kikapú Cochimí Ixil Kiliwa Aguacatec Opata
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