Revolutionary Mexicanist Action

Mexico City Pro-Race Committee meeting in 1930

At the start of the 1920s, racism in Mexico and xenophobic sentiments begun to intensify. Organizations such as the Pro-Race Committee and the Anti-Chinese and Anti-Jewish Nationalist League were created in response to a large influx of immigrants to Mexico. This was a result of growing economic concerns among the Mexican working and middle class. As Chinese-Mexicans, and Jews to a lesser extent, had come to constitute a considerable portion of the merchant class, many protests and boycotts against Chinese businesses were held. Mexican labor unions had put political pressure to restrict Chinese and Jewish immigration to Mexico.[1][2][6]

The Mexican government, both state and federal, actively enacted and enforced discriminatory laws targeting people of Chinese descent. Following the Great Depression, Jews had become subject to the same type of persecution. Notably in May 1931 where 250 Jewish merchants were expelled from the La Lagunilla Market in Mexico City.[2][6][5]

The government of President Pascual Ortiz Rubio faced intense political instability, exacerbated by the Great Depression. Droughts and floods heavily impeded agricultural production. By 1932, mass labor strikes in multiple industries were erupting throughout the country.[1][5]

Plutarco Elías Calles wished to "keep workers under control" in response to the support Vicente Lombardo Toledano had been garnering among laborers.[1][2][4] Ortiz Rubio would resign from the presidency in September 1932 as a result of Calles's influence and power in the government.[1][2][5]

As the result of labor strikes and the support Toledano had garnered, Calles wished to protect the business interests of industrialists from strikers. Under the protection of a Callista official, if not Calles himself, Nicolás Rodríguez Carrasco founded the Green Shirts (Camisetas Verdes) in 1932. Rodríguez Carrasco had joined the Pro-Race Committee a year prior. The Green Shirts were a paramilitary group which was characterized as anti-communist, anti-union, ultranationalist. Calles politically protected and financially supported the group. The Green Shirts's campaigned under the mantra of "Mexico for Mexicans". As Calles began to lose power under Abelardo Rodríguez, the group was shortly dissolved by Rodríguez after taking power in September of that year.[1][2][5]

Rodríguez Carrasco's Revolutionary Mexicanist Action portrait, circa 1934

The Revolutionary Mexicanist Action was founded on September 25, 1933, within the Pro-Race Committee of the Federal District. The organization declared its fundamental objective was the moral and aggrandizement of Mexico, stating that their struggle "was not an offensive against foreigners but rather a defense of national interests."[1][5]

The founders and early members were generals and other ex-military men.[5][4][1] Prominent members included Nicolás Rodríguez Carrasco, Roque González Garza (instrumental figure during the Mexican Revolution and former acting President of Mexico), Julio Madero González (brother of Francisco I. Madero and Gustavo A. Madero), Silvestre Terrazas (former Governor of Chihuahua), and Eduardo Dávila Garza (Head of the Mexican Catholic Apostolic Church). Other key members included Ovidio Pedrero Valenzuela and Andrés Morán.[2][8]

Roque González Garza led the group for a few months from its foundation until Nicolás Rodríguez Carrasco assumed the position of supreme leader.[2]

Initially, organizing, directing messages, appointments, as well as basic tasks were all carried out by Rodriguez Carrasco.[4] By May 1934, however, the ARM was divided into 15 zones. The zones were divided throughout the country but mainly in Mexico City. Each of these zones consisted of several groups of 10-15 individuals. Each group had a sub-chief who only reported to the zone chief who, in turn, would report to the supreme chief.[4] By 1935, the ARM had 350 group leaders in the 15 zones. At this time, the organization had approximately 4000 members.[4]

In the Mexico City chapter, there were a total of 377 members. Many members had been former military which included 14 generals, 7 lieutenant colonels, 13 colonels, 3 majors, 3 captains, 1 first sergeant, 1 lieutenant, a police chief, and a cop.[2] General Vicente Gonzalez, chief of Mexico City's police force, was also in close contact with Rodriguez Carrasco.[4]

The council of the Gold shirts were known as the Mesa Directiva.[1]

By 1934, the organization had branches registered in: Villa Union, Mazatlan, Concordia, Culiacan, Saltillo, Torreon, Coahuila, Durango, Chiuahua, Juarez, Toluca, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Sabinas, Hidalgo, Puebla Texmelucan, Tehuacan, Guadalajara, Orizaba, Veracruz, Iguala Guerrero. Each of these chapters had leaders referred to as Chiefs.[1]

Revolutionary Mexicanist Action zone chiefs. Individuals not identified.

Rodriguez Carrasco in the hospital for the wounds he received during the riot.

Tensions between Calles and president Lázaro Cárdenas rose with the latter increasing the suppression efforts of the Gold Shirts. On November 20, 1935, a violent clash between communists and the Gold Shirts during the Revolution Day parade at the Zócalo resulted in 3 deaths and more than 40 injuries of which included Rodríguez Carrasco. Rodríguez Carrasco was stabbed twice in the abdomen and left critically injured.[9][10]

The incident sparked nation-wide public outrage against the Revolutionary Mexicanist Actiontion. The Mexican senate sought to ban the organization a day after the riots.[11] Public protests were held against the group and their union busting activities with President Cárdenas receiving an overwhelming amount of requests to have the organization banned.[9]

Rodríguez Carrasco in uniform and giving a customary Revolutionary Mexicanist Action salute November 20, 1935

Caricature of Nicolas Rodriguez Carrasco and Roque Gonzalez Garza on the front page of a communist magazine in 1935

In February 1936, the group participated in anti-communist rallies in Monterrey and in Puebla. The Monterrey rally was filmed by fascist film director and Gold Shirts supporter Gustavo Sáenz de Sicilia. Members of the ARM engaged in gunfire between police leaving 10 members dead. Following this incident, on February 27, 1936, Cárdenas ordered the dissolution of the group.[2][11]

A few months later, Rodríguez was arrested for promoting "inter-labor conflicts" and deported to Texas in August 1936, from where he continued to lead the group until his death in 1940.[12][8] They established a new center in Torréon after Rodríguez's expulsion.[13] Gold Shirts toured the United States in 1937 and raised money from American supporters.[3]

Following the ban and expulsion of its leader, the Gold Shirts remained active and relocated their headquarters to Mission, Texas, where Rodríguez and his wife were located.[2]