Canadian Mexicans are
Mexican citizen
Nationality in Mexico is defined by multiple laws, including the 30th article of the Constitution of Mexico and other laws. The Constitution's 32nd article specifies the rights granted by Mexican legislation to Mexicans who also possess dual nati ...
s who have Canadian ancestry or are immigrants from
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...
.
An important Canadian-descended group is the
Plautdietsch-speaking
"Russian" Mennonites and their descendants, who emigrated from Canada to Mexico starting in 1922.
History
Early immigration
Individuals born in what is now Canada have been present in Mexico since the early republic. For example, the
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Government of Canada, Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is ...
-born
Michel Branamour Menard
Michel Branamour Menard (1805–1856) was a Canadian-born trader and merchant, first active on the upper Mississippi River and later in Texas. He co-founded Galveston, Texas. He represented Galveston County in the Congress of the Republic of Te ...
was a settler of
Mexican Texas
Mexican Texas is the historiographical name used to refer to the era of Texan history between 1821 and 1836, when it was part of Mexico. Mexico gained independence in 1821 after winning its war against Spain, which began in 1810. Initially, ...
and became a Mexican citizen.
An important Canadian immigrant was engineer
Carlos Henry Bosdet
Carlos Henry Bosdet Fixott was an electrical engineer, born in 1857. He was the first person to install and introduce the telephone in Mexico during President Porfirio Diaz's term in office.
Early life
Carlos Henry Bosdet Fixott, was born on ...
, who set up the first
telephone
A telephone is a telecommunications device that permits two or more users to conduct a conversation when they are too far apart to be easily heard directly. A telephone converts sound, typically and most efficiently the human voice, into el ...
line in Mexico in 1878.
Canadian immigrants were first tabulated in the 1900 census. A total of 140 individuals, 102 men and 38 women, were counted.
Mennonite immigration

The ancestors of the
Mennonites living in Mexico arrived via Canada. Migration to Mexico took place mainly in the years 1922 to 1927, with smaller groups coming after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
.
The 1930 census counted 7,779 Canadian immigrants; 3,862 men and 3,917 women.
Most, but not all, of these immigrants were Mennonites.
The first settlers moved to the
State of Chihuahua
Chihuahua (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Chihuahua ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Chihuahua), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 federal entities of Mexico. It is located in northwestern Mex ...
(near
Cuauhtemoc) and
Durango
Durango (), officially named Estado Libre y Soberano de Durango ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Durango; Tepehuán: ''Korian''; Nahuatl: ''Tepēhuahcān''), is one of the 31 states which make up the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico, situated i ...
(near
Nuevo Ideal
Nuevo Ideal is a city in the state of Durango, Mexico. In the 1920s, a population of Mennonite immigrants, originating from Canada, settled in the area. As of 2020, Nuevo Ideal had a population of 12,850. The city is located on the eastern slopes ...
). Later daughter-settlements in other states were established (
San Luis Potosí,
Sinaloa
Sinaloa (), officially the Estado Libre y Soberano de Sinaloa ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sinaloa), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 18 municipalities and ...
,
Sonora
Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sonora), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is divided into 72 municipalities; the ...
,
Zacatecas
, image_map = Zacatecas in Mexico (location map scheme).svg
, map_caption = State of Zacatecas within Mexico
, coordinates =
, coor_pinpoint =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type ...
,
Campeche
Campeche (; yua, Kaampech ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Campeche ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Campeche), is one of the 31 states which make up the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. Located in southeast Mexico, it is bordered by ...
,
Quintana Roo
Quintana Roo ( , ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Quintana Roo ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Quintana Roo), is one of the 31 states which, with Mexico City, constitute the 32 federal entities of Mexico. It is divided into 11 mu ...
and
Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tamaulipas ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas), is a state in the northeast region of Mexico; one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal Entiti ...
). Today, there are about 100,000 Mennonites in Mexico.
Recent immigration

Contemporary Canadian emigrants to Mexico consist mainly of working professionals that settle in larger cities and retired individuals living in smaller towns.
According to Canada's
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Global Affairs Canada (GAC; french: Affaires mondiales Canada; AMC)''Global Affairs Canada'' is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (). is the department ...
, there are about 6,000 Canadians living in
Mexico
Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...
, but only 3,000 are registered with the Canadian Embassy in
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley of ...
.
[Canadians Abroad: Canada's Global Asset]
, ''Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada'', 26 July 2011.
, ''CBC News'', 13 January 2010. According to statistics from Mexico's
National Institute of Statistics and Geography
The National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI by its name in es, Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática) is an autonomous agency of the Mexican Government dedicated to coordinate the National System of Stat ...
, in 2009 there were 10,869 Canadian-born persons living in Mexico.
According to
INEGI
The National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI by its name in es, Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática) is an autonomous agency of the Mexican Government dedicated to coordinate the National System of Stat ...
's 2020 census, there are 12,439 Canadian-born emigrants residing in Mexico.
Notable individuals
Notable Mexicans of Canadian origin include the artist
Arnold Belkin
Arnold Belkin (December 9, 1930 – July 3, 1992) was a Canadian- Mexican painter credited for continuing the Mexican muralism tradition at a time when many Mexican painters were shifting away from it. Born and raised in western Canada, he ...
, cinematographer
Alex Phillips, actress
Fannie Kauffman
Fannie Kauffman (April 11, 1924 – February 21, 2009), who was often known by the stage name Vitola, was a Canadian-born Cuban actress and comedian.
Biography
Early life
Kauffman was born on April 11, 1924, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She mov ...
, and the wrestler
Vampiro Canadiense
Ian Richard Hodgkinson (born May 31, 1967), better known by his ring name Vampiro, is a Canadian semi-retired professional wrestler who most recently served as director of talent for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA). He also worked for Lucha Und ...
.
See also
*
Canada–Mexico relations
The relations between Canada and Mexico have evolved over time. Historic ties between the two nations were dormant, but since the 1990s relations between Canada and Mexico have positively developed, as both countries brokered the NAFTA. They were o ...
*
Mexican Canadian
Mexican Canadians ( es, Canadiense mexicano, french: Canadien Mexicain ) are Canadian citizens of Mexican origin, either through birth or ethnicity, who reside in Canada. According to the 2021 Census, 155,380 Canadians indicated that they were o ...
*
American Mexican
American Mexicans ( es, estadounidense-mexicanos) are Mexican citizens who are either born in, or descended from migrants from the United States and its territories.
Americans are a significant demographic group in Mexico. As of 2020, over 65% ...
References
{{Ethnic groups in Mexico
Immigration to Mexico
Ethnic groups in Mexico
Canada–Mexico relations