In March of 2020 I traveled to the Yucatán to document Korean descendants of the 1905 exodus. Due to the encroaching COVID-19 pandemic I was only able to work for 5 days, so this story remains unfinished.

Over 1,000 Koreans arrived from Incheon by boat, lured away from the increasing threat of Japanese occupation to work 5-year contracts on hennequen plantations. It was an opportunity to escape political strife so the demographic of this group was unusually varied, including both aristocrats and laborers and their families.

The story didn’t go according to plan: The moment they booked passage they were deep in debt and the majority of wages were dedicated to paying off the cost of their transport. The work was difficult for people unused to the Yucatán climate. Henequen also disappeared from use as synthetic fibers were brought to market, jeopardizing the economic stability of haciendas.

Worst of all, 1910 — the year the contracts were supposed to end — brought about the Mexican Revolution and Japanese annexation of Korea, making it impossible in every way for immigrants to return home.

Through the decades the majority of Koreans dispersed to other parts of Mexico, however there are still descendant groups in Mérida that exist today.

Thanks to Jenny Hijuelos and Javier Chavez for your help with this project.