Revolutionary Mexicanist Action

Members of the ARM wear bright golden ranch-style shirts, tied at the waist, with black pants and a palm hat. They wear a red bandana around the neck. On the yellow shirt, there is an embroidered shield of Aztec inspiration called Yaoyotl. Its deeper meaning consists of four half-moons and cotton (Ichcatl) representing agriculture. The Chimalli (shield) is made of tiger (jaguar) skin, and the half-moons are gold. The fringes are made of quetzal feather beards, twisted with gold thread. A central band with the letters A.R.M., in the colors of our flag, represents the Dorados' program. The shield of Moctecuhzoma II, the most notable and powerful lord of Pre-Columbian America, from Tenochtitlan to Nicaragua, was the Chimalli with gold half-moons, all decorated with symbols of the god of war. Their organization is divided into branches like infantry and cavalry, and they are supported by a female nursing corps. Many people wonder if this is a brotherhood, a kind of club, or just a ridiculous eccentricity, but there is no doubt that we are dealing with a fascist organization, like those that have recently appeared in Italy and Germany. The very name "camisas doradas" (golden shirts) is akin to the blackshirts and brownshirts of those countries. Furthermore, like their counterparts, they employ the tactic of inspiring fear and respect by their mere presence, exhibit an aggressive, crude nationalism, and openly confess anti-communism, constantly resorting to the use of force. Let's hope the authorities closely monitor the activities of this organization, which mimics the attitudes of Mussolini's fasci di combattimento or Hitler's stormtroopers. "The salute with the right arm, raised with a clenched fist, is the ancient Aztec victory salute." Unlike other fascist organizations in the world, the ARM found a salute that characterizes the organization and differentiates it from other parties. This salute was found in ancient culture, which at the time was looked down upon by many Mexicans. The Dorados gave it their own meaning, infused it with mysticism, and it became the "Call to victory, the call to action to save Mexico, the war salute par excellence." This battle pose can be found in various contemporary representations as well as in ancient codices. [Even the Huitzilopochtli (god of war) is depicted raising his arm with his Xiuhcoatl. On some occasions, the uniformed members used a type of club, resembling a macahuitl/mace. This Dorados salute consisted of two steps: first, the hand was placed on the "Yaoyotl" shield, and then the right hand was raised with a clenched fist. == History ==

Background (1920s–1933) Anti-Chinese and Anti-Semitic sentiment File:ProrazaDF1930.png|thumb|left|Mexico City Pro-Race Committe e 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. Roque González Garza led the group for a few months from its foundation until Nicolás Rodríguez Carrasco assumed the position of supreme leader. Political pushback and Ban (1935–1936) The incident sparked nation-wide public outrage against the Revolutionary Mexicanist Actiontion, mainly from labor organizations. The Mexican senate sought to ban the organization a day after the riot. On November 22, senators Ernesto Soto Reyes and Guillermo Flores Muñoz condemned the Gold Shirts for the incident and called for a commission to ban the group. On February 27, 1936, Cárdenas ordered the dissolution of the group. On August 11, Rodríguez Carrasco was arrested for promoting "inter-labor conflicts" and was set to be expelled from the country. He was detained in Pachuca where was driven to an airport and flown to Ciudad Juárez then to El Paso, Texas. Following his exile, Rodríguez Carrasco was classified as a non-threat by the Mexican government. Organization in Exile (1936–1940) Rodríguez Carrasco moved to Laredo, Texas, with his wife, Leonor Gutiérrez. Rodríguez Carrasco's Illness and death (1940) Following the thwarted rebellion, Rodríguez Carrasco lost a considerable amount of financial support as well as support from the Gold Shirts. He remained exiled in Texas while continuing to publish articles for The McAllen Monitor. By the 1960s, membership reached 500,000 in Mexico and the United States. A significant amount of members belonged to the Mexican Army or law enforcement. The Mexican government routinely hired the paramilitary group to combat left-wing paramilitaries. However, the group faced persistent funding problems, and by the 1970s the Gold Shirts appeared to have dissolved, with no notable activity. Some former members later joined the neo-fascist Mexican Democratic Party. ==Organization & structure==

Initially, organizing, directing messages, appointments, as well as basic tasks were all carried out by Rodriguez Carrasco. 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 to 15 individuals. Each group had a sub-chief who only reported to the zone chief who, in turn, would report to the supreme chief. By 1935, the ARM had 350 group leaders in the 15 zones. At this time, the organization had approximately 4000 members. 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. General Vicente Gonzalez, chief of Mexico City's police force, was also in close contact with Rodriguez Carrasco. The headquarters of the Mexicanist Revolutionary Action was in a two-story building used by the organization, the headquarters was located on Calle Justo Sierra 29 in the Historic Center of Mexico City, one street from the Historical Jewish Synagogue. "A two-story building, in one of the oldest places in the city, overlooking the main headquarters of the ARM, a Mexican fascist party, well armed, with shirts, symbols, salutes and a strong nationalist creed of hatred of Jews and the communists. The entire upper floor is occupied by the offices of the Dorados, the premises must have been rented with a view to future expansion. The house occupied by the Mexicanist Revolutionary Action on Justo Sierra Street was converted into a real one. There were more than a hundred men ready for anything and no less than 500 weapons, as well as clubs and stones, inside the building. A medical team was also formed (mostly nurses and male nurses with the Yaoyotl embroidered on their clothing). The organization had a female Section called '''Mexican Nationalist Women's Action in charge of Leonor Gutiérrez''', the first wife of General Carrasco. Some other outstanding and very important women within the group and the organization were, Margarita Vda. de Cárdenas, María de la Paz Luque and Teresa Castrejón. "Mexican women have sacred obligations towards the people and the country, for that reason, and because we are golden affiliates of the A.R.M." 1936. In 1939 the Mexican Nationalist Women's Action led a protest against abortion led by Victoria Huante. “Mexican women cannot remain calm when they see that in a State that is part of a country that prides itself on cult, there is an attempt to denigrate the mission of women, putting them at the level of inferior beings who do not have a clear idea. of what it means for humanity to dignify and honor the creation of new beings. 1934 Leadership The council of the Gold shirts were known as the Mesa Directiva. 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. == Beliefs ==

Their motto was "Mexico for the Mexicans," a racialized or ethnic group that excluded Mexicans of Jewish or Chinese descent, and those who held anti-fascist political views, supported trade unions, or were communists or socialists. John W. Sherman, an expert in Mexican right-wing organizations, describes them as "fascist" and "fascist-inspired," for their nationalistic, racist, and pro-business beliefs and activities. Respect for Hitler Nicolás Rodríguez, founder of the ARM, said about Adolf Hitler:"Hitler, an insignificant ex-soldier of the world war, but a man of clear vision and an unsuspected love for his homeland; he took in at a glance the great problem of the Jewish danger, matured his plans, and when he found himself master of Germany, he bravely faced the situation and expelled without mercy, in a brilliant and audacious act, all the Jews residing in the Reich." == Activities ==

The Gold Shirts often violently clashed with supporters of the Mexican Communist Party and the Red Shirts, including a famous attack on a communist protest in 1935 in Mexico City at the Zócalo. Three people died and over fifty were injured, including Rodríguez. They ransacked communist party offices on various occasions. ARM members were often hired to intimidate workers or to prevent agrarian reform on haciendas. They attacked workers in Monterrey in 1936 as part of their anti-union activities. On one night in 1936, the Gold Shirts raided Jewish businesses, destroying them and attacking their owners. The protests in response were immediate, highlighting those of the United States embassy, the Mexican Communist Party, and the International Red Aid. The general public described the event as a pogrom. ==See also==