Mexico

The incident that started it all is called the Tampico Affair, when a misunderstanding between Mexican soldiers and American sailors resulted in a "Mexican standoff" at the Mexican port of Tampico on April 9, 1914. The American sailors were arrested, but later liberated. Then, the American commander in the area, Rear Admiral Henry T. Mayo, demanded a formal apology for the events, which included that Mexico had to raise the United States flag on its soil and provide a 21-gun salute. Obviously, these demands were ignored, and President Wilson ordered an armed invasion of the area. This, among a faulty intelligence report stating that a German shipment of arms was bound for Veracruz, resulted in the United States occupation of Veracruz, when 2,300 American marines assaulted and took the aforementioned port city on April 21, 1914, occupying it for six months.

Immediate results include 22 American marines killed and 70 wounded, and up to 172 Mexican casualties, with 250 wounded including Mexican infantry, sailors and some militia formed from the city populace. Both Victoriano Huerta and Venustiano Carranza (opposing rivals during the Mexican Revolution) officially objected to the occupation, but neither was able to oppose it effectively, as both were fighting against each other. The occupation brought the two countries to the brink of war, and damaged the US-Mexican relations for many years.

It is one of the inherited traits from Spanish rule (1521 - 1821). Criollos (white people born in Mexico) had better opportunities against everyone except the Peninsulares, or Spanish people administering Mexico for the Spanish crown.

After Mexico's independence in 1821, nothing changed in terms of this racial hierarchy. It slowly changed with constitutions during the following years, most notably the 1917 Constitution, but closing inequalities that have persisted for centuries is a difficult task.

Just look how African-Americans are doing in the United States, which is universally accepted as one of the most democratic countries in the world: With slavery abolished in 1865, many people still struggle for opportunities and a better quality of life. For example, with the exception of Barack Obama, you don't see too many African-American people in high positions of power, do you?