The Porfirio Díaz Colony: A historical Approach to the migration and assimilation of italian settlers in Morelos

Abstract

This article examines the process of Italian colonization in Mexico during the nineteenth century, with particular emphasis on the establishment, development, and eventual decline of the Porfirio Díaz colony, located in the municipality of Tlalizapán, in the state of Morelos. Grounded in Milton M. Gordon’s theoretical framework of sociocultural assimilation, the study analyzes the migratory policies implemented by the Mexican State, as well as the economic, social, and political factors that prompted peasants from northern Italy – primarily from the Veneto región – to emigrate. It further explores the conditions of reception, settlement, and adaptation encountered in the host country. The findings demonstrate that this colonization project was shaped by a nineteenth-century modernizing ideology that regarded European immigration as a strategic instrument for national development and state-building. The article also documents the multiple challenges faced by Italian settlers, including adverse climatic conditions, disease, partial noncompliance with contractual agreements, and local conflicts, which collectively contributed to the progressive abandonment of the neighbourhood. Finally, it argues that the small number of Italians who remained in Morelos underwent a slow, generational process of cultural assimilation, gradually incorporating linguistic and cultural traits into Mexican society through agricultural practices, formal education, and shared religious life.