Sociology 2501
Chapter Nine - Mexican Americans

Southwestern or Borderlands

• Mexican American population is concentrated in SW U.S.
• Settled by people of Spanish-Mexican- Indian ancestry
• Spanish Mexicans entered through conquest
• Spanish Mexicans in return were conquered by Anglos
• Spanish Mexican assimilated into Americans

• Spaniards landed in 16th century and established themselves as the dominant European-Christian group
• Expanded its territories
• Spanish monarch was interested in land and precious metals
• Spanish Church wanted to save the heathens
• Indians were at the bottom of society

• Indians were used as laborers
• Peons - human slavery
• But because they were human and Christian they were accepted as a lowly part of Mexican society
• Melting pot process in Mexico
• Louisiana Purchase in 1803 lead to blurred boundaries between Mexico and the U.S. which led to tensions

• Spain claimed eastern portion of Texas until 1819 treaty that gave Florida to the U. S. and Texas to Spain
• In 1821 Mexico gained independence from Spain
• When Americans began to push westward, they considered themselves racial superior to Mexicans
• In 1836 Texas broke away from Mexico to form the Republic of Texas

• Mexican Pres. Santa Anna in 1843 warn the U.S. against trying to annex Texas
• In 1846 U.S. declared war on Mexico
• In 1848 Mexico surrendered nearly half of Mexico to the U.S.
• Rio Grande was established as the boundary
• Now the Spanish-Mexican-Indians were U.S. citizens
• They were considered inferior by Americans
• War did not end the violence
• System of ethnic stratification emerged

• 1859-1873, Juan Cortina initiated a series of raids called the "Cortina Wars"
• In 1916, "Pancho" Villa was chased into Mexico by U.S. General Pershing

• For 50 years after the defeat of Mexico, little immigration occurred
• There was little concern about Mexican immigrants
• Beginning in 1904 the number of entrants began to rise due to the need for labor
• Those immigrants after the 1900’s were the first generation
• Migrants rather than immigrants - crossing border into territory that had once been theirs
• Anglos saw no difference between groups

• Mexicans occupied the lands 100’s of years before the Anglos
• Through the war, U.S. forced Mexico to cede the Spanish S.W.
• Relations between Anglos and Mexican Americans have always been tense
• Assimilation has not produced as many changes in Mexican Americans as expected during a period of 140 years
• Migrant Generation

• Anglo American employers took advantage of Mexican migrants
• Mexican immigration was dampened in the late 1920’s
• The Great Depression
• Deportation - American citizens of Mexican heritage was not considered full citizens
• Labor shortages vs hard economic times

• Mexico allowed Mexican workers to enter the U.S. under certain conditions
• American Employers saved time and money by hiring Braceros
• Growing number of Mexicans heightened Americans’ prejudice against Mexicans
• Migrants replenished and strengthened culture of Mexican Americans
• Mexico began to protest acts of discrimination against their citizens

• Sleepy Lagoon Trial
• In 1943 riots occurred when off-duty policemen and U.S. servicemen attacked Mexican Americans because of their haircuts and suits
• Pachucos movement
• Servicemen considered pachucos to be draft dodgers
• Disorders swelled into thousands and spread into a number of cities

• Returning Mexican American veterans of WWII
• The League of United Latin-American Citizens - 1929 - emphasized both assimilation and end of discrimination
• La Causa - put pressure on political parties
• United Farm Workers Union (UFW) organized in California say the rise of Cesar Chevez and Dolores Huerta
• Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund - 1967

• Has continued at a high level, including undocumented immigration
• Large majority of U.S.-born persons of Mexican origin are descendants of recent immigrants
• Number of children of foreign, mixed, or native origin
• Closeness of Mexico to the U.S. and movement back and forth call calls into question assimilation

• Classifications have varied -
•       Prior to 1930 - Other
•       1930 - Mexican
•       1940 - Spanish Speaking
•       1950-1970 - Spanish Surnamed
•       1980 - classify themselves
• 1995 Population survey -
•       58% - Named Hispanic as compared to
•       28% Multiracial
•       12 % - Latino
•       12 % Spanish Origin
•         8% Other

• General pattern is three generations
• Number of students with limited English proficiency has grown 70 % from 1984-1992
• Spanish as 1st language is increasing
• The desire to abandon Spanish as 1st language varies with age, place of birth, length of time in U.S.

• Question of bilingual education?
• Reached only a fraction of the population
• Anglo conformists reaction
• Schools should recognize that Children learn best in a language they understand
• Most U.S. bilingual programs are transitional or partial bilingual programs
• Pluralists encourage all children to be bilingual

• English Colonies believed America should be defined by a common language
• Laws were passed declaring English
• LULAC (League of United Latin-American Citizens) demanded recognition of bilingual-bicultural society in the S.W.
• Segregation of Mexican students because of "deficiency"

• Many 2nd & 3rd generation Mexican Americans supported code-switching
• 1930 - San Diego Supreme Court ruled that segregation deprived Mexican children of the presence of American children
• 1946 - Mendez v. Westminster School District
• Dade County Bilingual Program
• Bilingual Education Act of 1968
• Lau Task Force Remedies

• 1980’s - Regan Administration
• Movement to make English the official language
• House Speaker Gingrich
• Most immigrants want to learn English
• Some Anglo conformist support bilingual education
• Bridge between cultures
• Pluralist's view

• Controversy over Mexican American Family and familism
• Machismo
• Over the last several decades, Mexican American Families have become more like Anglo American families
• Primary kin ties
• Immigration process shapes family relationships

• Since WW II, Mexican Americans have moved into many different jobs
• As they learn English, more job opportunities open up
• Mexican American Males vs. Anglo American Males
• Income level is lower

• Mexican Americans are achieving higher levels of education
• Third generation is higher
• High rate of Mexican Youth dropouts

• Due to racial discrimination, most Mexican Americans are segregated
• Segregated from Blacks also
• Less than Blacks
• Poor Mexicans less than affluent Blacks
• Declines with rising socioeconomic status

• Depends on the area of residence
• Increase in the rate of out-marriages
• Determinants -
• 1) Opportunity for contact
• 2) Social differentiation
• 3) Language
• 4) Group size
• 5) Imbalance in sex ratio

• Have not relinquished their culture rapidly
• Still have not reached the goal of pluralism
• Children suffer from language barrier
• Classical colonialism
• Attacks on Mexican culture only mask Anglo conformity
• Socioeconomic positions are very important