Imágenes de Japón en México
Photography Award
1st prize
With the patronage of:
Japanese Embassy in Mexico
Canon Inc. Mexico
Autoum Metropolitan University of Itztapalapa, Mexico
The Photography Institute of Coyoacan, Mexico City
Coordination: “Taiyo” Production, Mexico City.
Japotecas
Reason of the tiltle
The term Japotecas is formed by a prefix " japo ", which marks the relationship with Japan, in Spanish Japón , and the suffix "< em> tecas ", way to define its original inhabitants in Mexico, for example Toltecas, Mixtecas, Olmecas, Zapotecas , native populations of North America. With this linguistic construction sought to draw the membership of a population of Japanese descent to land in Mexico.
Historical reasons of the Japanese migration to Mexico
The second half of the nineteenth century marks the opening of the Empire to the West and with it the Japanese Empire entered the modern age. Diplomatic relations between Mexico and Japan come to life thanks to the interest of scientists in developing the study of the transit of the planet Venus.
In 1873 Francisco Díaz Covarruvias visited Japan, as spokesman of the Astronomical Commission in Mexico. Then-Mexican President Porfirio Díaz opened the doors to foreign migration, specifically: German, French, English and Japanese. The objective of the migration was that of the cultivation of coffee and colonize yet sparsely populated regions of the state of Chiapas. Therefore in the year of 1888 was signed the Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation between Mexico and the Empire of Japan. Then they created the Department of Migration through Enomoto Takeaki, in his memory called the migration of those years as "the migration Enomoto." Currently, Mexico and Japan have completed the signing of an economic development conference for the next ten years will lead to development in Mexico to Japan more than 10% of annual promedio. The reverse flow from Japan will grow in foreign lapses with an annual promedio 1.2 thousand million dollars, creating approsimatamente 40 thousand centers of commerce in both countries.
Reason of the Research
Japanese migration to Mexico has developed mainly in the territory of Chiapas, in particular the region defined as Soconusco, a land rich for any kind of cultivation. The harsh reality of this place has led to the "migration Enomoto" to a failure for what concerns the cultivation of coffee. Then their efforts have resulted in the need to survive in a foreign land with the burden of not having completed a agree with the Empire of Japan. Following the failure, the "migrant Enomoto," compared to other foreign colonies, have been integrated fully fit with the local populations, reaching religious and cultural syncretism and marriages from the early 1900s. During a century of Japanese migration has led to population growth and social influences in the region of Soconusco, specifically the municipalities of: Acacoyagua, Escuintla and Acapetahua. The aura of these places is manifested by a strong presence of melancholy and decay that formed the basis assisted the erection of an own identity. The photographic series Japotecas is a meeting in the places created by the pioneers of Japanese migration and their descendants.
