Madero had just become President of Mexico in 1911 after overthrowing the dictator Dias. But in 1913, Francisco Huerta attempted to take over Mexico. An assassination attempt was made against Madero and he was shot. Carranza united Madero's followers and fought against the dictator Huerta, finally taking Mexico City away from Huerta and forcing him to leave the country in 1914. However, the struggle for power continued with Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata fighting against Carranza. The struggle continued even after 1917, when Mexico adopted its current Constitution. Carranza was killed in 1920 during a revolt led by Obregon, who later became President. It was during this last period, probably in late 1918 or early 1919, that Mauro Alcala, 5 or 6 years old, and his family fled Jimenez, Mexico and arrived in Matamoros, Mexico.

Mauro’s grandfather Jesus Alcala was a man of privilege and a wealthy landowner in Jimenez, Tamaulipas, Mexico. However, revolutionaries during that time were murdering the wealthy landowners and confiscating their properties to redistribute to the poorer people, who until then had not owned any land. Jesus Alcala, his eldest son Basilio Alcala, and Basilio's eldest son Jesus Alcala (the 2nd), were all marked for death by the revolutionaries. The only recourse for the three men was to flee from Mexico. Aided by Fiacro Betancourt, a son-in-law of Jesus Alcala, the three men, representing three generations of Alcalas, fled south to Tampico in 1916 or 1917. Jesus Alcala was then probably about 73 years of age, Basilio Alcala was around 47, and Jesus Alcala (the 2nd) was about 18 years old. Once in Tampico, the only way the three men could escape was to disguise themselves in women's clothing. Dressed as women they were successful in boarding a ship bound for Galveston, Texas. They stayed in Galveston for about one year, with Basilio and his son Jesus finding jobs working for a railroad.

After things had cooled down in Mexico, they moved back to Matamoros, Mexico, where Basilio's family soon joined them. The family then legally immigrated to the United States and established residence in Brownsville, Texas, across the Rio Grande River from Matamoros. Though they lost all their lands and property in Jimenez, they retained many fond memories of the life they once enjoyed there. There are still extended family members living in Jimenez.