A sociological approach to bureaucratic perspectives on deportation in the Yaqui War

This study provides a sociological analysis of the justification of the deportation of the Yaqui population during the Yaqui War, which took place in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Drawing on historical sources, particularly the military chronicle by Francisco P. Troncoso, as well as the discourses of bureaucratic actors such as Porfirio Díaz, Martínez, and García, the paper argues that the state did not operate as a homogeneous entity, but rather as a contested bureaucratic field, following Pierre Bourdieu’s theoretical framework. The analysis identifies at least two main positions within this field. The first supported deportation as a solution to the so-called “Yaqui problem,” legitimizing it through civilizing rhetoric and the need to impose state order. This perspective was also closely linked to economic interests, particularly the demand for labor in regions such as Yucatán and Valle Nacional. The second position opposed deportation, emphasizing its negative consequences for regional economies and the interests of landowners in Sonora. Additionally, the study suggests the possible existence of a third, more moderate perspective in Oaxaca, although current evidence remains insufficient to fully characterize it. Overall, the findings demonstrate that deportation policy was not the result of a unified state decision, but rather emerged from internal tensions within the bureaucratic field, where different actors competed to impose their own interpretations and strategies.