Editing Yucatán (section)

==== The henequen industry ====
{{main|Henequen industry in Yucatán}}
[[File:Plantsisal.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Agave fourcroydes]], commonly known as [[henequén]] in Yucatán, [[sisal]] elsewhere and ''ki'' in [[Yucatec Maya language|Maya language]]]]
In the late 19th century, the henequen industry grew to unprecedented power in the Yucatan. The henequen grown in the Yucatan was used around the world for rope and twine, and became known as sisal rope, named after the seaside town of Sisal, from where the rope was shipped. Today Sisal is a sleepy fishing village, being rediscovered by locals and visitors as a beach location for vacation homes. The henequen industry provided financial autonomy to the isolated Yucatán. The fiber of the [[henequén]] plant (known as ''sosquil'' (maya: ''sos kí'')) was manufactured into twine and rope, used in riggings, string, sacks, rugs, and many other items. It became the chief export item of the Yucatán, making many local families very wealthy. That wealth is today evident in the architecture of the colonial city of Mérida, as well as in the more than 150 haciendas that are spread throughout the Yucatán Peninsula.

[[Koreans in Mexico|Korean immigration]] to Mexico began in 1905. The first Korean migrants settled in Yucatán as workers in henequen plantations. Labour brokers began advertising in newspapers in the Korean port city of [[Incheon]] in 1904 for workers willing to go to Mexico to work on henequen plantations for four- or five-year contracts.{{cn|date=March 2023}} A total of more than one thousand were recruited and departed from Incheon on board a British cargo ship on 4 April 1905, despite efforts by the Korean government to block their departure. Once their contracts were up, most settled in Mexico, either continuing to work on henequen plantations or moving to various cities in the country.{{cn|date=March 2023}}

Hundreds of prosperous [[hacienda]]s abounded in the state until the advent of synthetic products after World War II, the cultivation of henequén in other parts of the world and the self-serving actions of some of the leading henequen-growing families led to the gradual decline of the Yucatan's monopoly on the industry.{{cn|date=March 2023}}

The great influx of wealth during that period from the henequen industry focused mainly on Mérida, the capital of Yucatán State. It allowed the city of Mérida to install [[street light]]s and a tram system even before [[Mexico City]]. It is said that in the early 20th century, the city had the largest number of millionaires per capita in the world. Today, [[Paseo de Montejo]] (inspired by the Parisian avenue [[Champs-Élysées]]), is lined with the elegant houses built during that time. These houses are mostly now renovated and serve as everything from private homes to banks, hotels and restaurants. Many of the haciendas today<ref>{{cite web |last=Fields |first=Ellen |title=Haciendas of the Yucatan |url=http://www.yucatanliving.com/destinations/yucatan-haciendas.htm |work=Yucatan Living |access-date=May 11, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150506005012/http://www.yucatanliving.com/destinations/yucatan-haciendas.htm |archive-date=May 6, 2015 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all}}</ref> have also been renovated and now serve as private homes, event venues and upscale luxury hotels.