On September 14, 1915, an incident in Wrangell catalyzed a wave of fear and discrimination against the Mexican community, resulting in their expulsion from the town.
Oscar Carlson, a respected local figure, was attacked by a group of Mexican cannery workers while driving his wagon near the power plant.
The encounter escalated when one laborer, allegedly intoxicated, stabbed Carlson in the cheek.
As the community rallied around Carlson, anger and hostility toward the Mexican laborers surged.
A meeting convened by Mayor John G. Grant concluded with the formation of a vigilance committee tasked to rid the town of ‘undesirable elements,’ which effectively targeted the Mexican workers employed by the local cannery.
The actions of this committee were informed by the broader anti-Mexican sentiment sweeping the U.S. at the time, amplified by fears stemming from ongoing Mexican revolutions and racial stereotypes.
This climate of fear culminated in public announcements demanding the expulsion of every Mexican resident within 24 hours under threat of lynching.
The urgency of the situation was exacerbated by the lack of law enforcement in Wrangell, with Deputy Marshal Harry Wallace absent from the town.
The following day, the committee ordered the cannery manager to expel his Mexican workforce, leading to over 60 laborers being driven out.
This irruptive mob mentality starkly highlighted the fragility of community cohesion in Wrangell, especially toward those deemed outsiders.
While the immediate goal of the vigilance committee was to assert control and be perceived as protectors of the town, they disregarded the humanity of the laborers who made significant contributions to the local economy.
Unlike the residents of Wrangell, these transient workers were not embedded in the community and lacked the support or connections to defend themselves.
As the townsfolk celebrated their ‘victory’, the consequences of their actions were felt deeply by the remaining local Mexican population.
In the ensuing weeks, four of the thirteen remaining Mexican-Americans were jailed, while the broader expulsion reflected an unsettling racial narrative that had become entrenched in American society.
Media coverage across the nation echoed the sentiments from the Wrangell Sentinel, describing the expulsion as a justified response to alleged threats posed by Mexican individuals.
Contrary to the anti-immigrant sentiment that tainted public perception, Oscar Carlson himself was an immigrant, further underscoring the irony of the community’s collective actions.
As a Finnish immigrant, Carlson’s experience demonstrates the complexities of identity and belonging among marginalized groups during this tumultuous period in Alaska’s history.
The public’s animosity towards Mexicans was not matched by any significant opposition from local authorities or broader political figures, reflecting a troubling aspect of societal compliance with vigilante justice.
In December 1915, the legal proceedings surrounding the aftermath of the stabbing began to unfold.
Joe Costa, arrested for attacking Carlson, received 16 months in prison, while Antonio Hernandez faced unjustifiable extended detention due to the community’s lingering grievances.
The eventual acquittal of Hernandez served as a pointed reminder of the flawed justice system that could not shield him from the prejudices of the Wrangell community.
As the urgency of the expulsion faded, the community of Wrangell began to welcome Mexican laborers once more, as though the shocking events of 1915 had never occurred.
Ultimately, the 1915 Mexican expulsion from Wrangell serves as a somber reminder of the capacity for fear-driven actions to overshadow principles of justice and humanity when fear infiltrates community dynamics.
In the years that followed, the narrative around the incident became an obscure part of local history, overshadowed by other unfolding events as the community moved forward with a flawed memory.
While Oscar Carlson continued his life as a respected member of Wrangell until his death in 1964, the story of the Mexican expulsion remained buried in the pages of history, emblematic of the darker chapters in Alaska’s narrative.
This incident reveals the complexities of American identity and the struggles of immigrants as they navigate perceptions in a society rife with contradiction and injustice.
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