Visit Mexicali's La Chinesca
Story & photos by Ted Donovan Did you know Mexicali has the largest Chinatown in Mexico? It's true and you can visit the area. A group called La Chinesca is preserving the Chinese area of Mexicali and the traditions of those immigrants who came from China. The Chinese traveled to the hot, barren deserts of Mexicali, Baja California's capital, around 1900 to work on the railroads and irrigation canals being built on both sides of the border. After the construction was completed, many stayed and became merchants who opened up bars, restaurants, shops in the area now called La Chinesca next to the US/Mexico border. Mexicali's history can not be written with out the contribution of the Chinese immigrants. Underneath their shops and businesses, the industrious Chinese built elaborate basements, tunnels and pathways to both escape the extreme heat of the summers (as high as 120F) and to live/work unmolested from the local community. Unfortunately, over the decades many