Mexican American Journey

Waving goodbye from the backseat of the car, as we pull out of my parent’s driveway. Looking out the window at the oddly, white shaped clouds. Thinking, I had never been away from my parents and my younger sister for so long, even though it was only for two weeks. I was excited and scared all at once, but I wasn’t too thrilled about the whole 29-hour drive there. Hoping that the trip would go well and nothing bad will happen to us.

The United States wanted to expand its territory toward the West and the Southwest during the Market Revolution in search for raw materials. After gaining its independence from Spain in 1821, Mexico was left “destitute, reducing its ability to supply the establecimientos as before.” Aside from that, Native groups such as the Apache and the Comanche returned to raid its supply. They continued to raid Mexico, especially Texas. Eventually, the Native groups reached the outskirts of Mexico City. To create a buffer zone between Mexico and the Natives, the Mexican government opened its border in Texas and welcomed new settlers. Most of these settlers were Anglo-American. By the end of the 1820s, “Anglo-American outnumbered Mexicans in Texas 12,000 to 5,000.” The Anglo-American brought with them cash crops that helped flourished the economy of Texas.

Being an undocumented immigrant is hard and just by when others notice that one is not fluent, they will begin to treat one differently and even look down on them even though the immigrants adapt to the melting pot. They have abandoned their cultures to become assimilated into the American society. In the article, “My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant” by Jose Antonio Vargas, he states, “However, I grew up this is my home yet even though I think of myself as an American and consider America my country. My country doesn’t think of me as one of its own” (236). In stating this, Juan adapted living in the USA he is more part of the melting pot, not the salad bowl he feels American even though he’s

In George J. Sanchez’s, Becoming Mexican American: Ethnicity, Culture, and Identity in Chicano Los Angeles 1900-1945, Sanchez brings forth a new understanding of Mexican-American culture through the presentation of how the culture made substantial adaptations under limited economic and social mobility (Sanchez 13). Unlike other historians who studies the variations of Mexican American cultural identity from a national prospective , Sanchez creatively selects Los Angeles as his site of research because, not only is the city home to the largest Mexican population in the United States, but also because Latinos play a profound role in shaping the city’s culture. Growing up in an immigrant family himself, Sanchez undoubtedly has many personal

“Wow, you are so rich”, these words have been repeated many times by close friends and relatives. I am perceived as a rich and spoiled girl who sleeps on top of a pile of money and lives in a mansion in the United States. As much as I would like to live up to that assumption, in reality, I am just a middle class citizen that lives in a small town. Yes, we have cars and a big house, but we are not loaded with money. In the country of Mexico I have had numerous occurrences where its citizens have seen me differently, not a Mexican, but as an American.

Latinos have been the hard working class of America that has been underappreciated throughout the centuries. They have been a significant force that pushed forward the advancement of America with providing their back breaking labor as a contribution. Over the past centuries Latinos have flooded the United States in the hopes for better opportunities and better pay. Most were undocumented illegal immigrants brought in for cheap labor to work on farms that covered most of the west coast. These Latinos had little to no rights and have been taken advantage of, with being compensated for their hard work for little to nothing of value. They can not do anything, for that they had no word. This was a great upset throughout the Latino community that

Dixie: I really enjoyed this seminar and talking about the wall that President Trump is going to build. I learned a lot from the discussion board. In chapter 10 on page 227. I learned about the Mexican American experience and what it was like coming to the United States. I thought this was great, as I am doing my final assignment for this class on Mexican American’s. In the book on page 226, it talks about the long history that Mexican American have in the United States. I have known that they have been here a long time. In the textbook on page 246, I got to learn about the Muslim Americans. Islam, with approximately 1.6 billion followers worldwide, is second to Christianity among the world’s religions (Schaefer, 2015.) I didn’t know this about

Being a Mexican-American, who was raised in the small town of Encarnación de Díaz – located at Los Altos de Jalisco, MX, – and then moved at the age of seventeen to Corpus Christi, TX, was not a smooth transition. The most difficult things I have encountered in my life must have been speaking a new language and adapting to a new type of living. I was fortunate enough to have amazing teachers who taught me to read, write and speak in English back in Mexico, but I was still not confident enough to speak the language when I arrived here. Although, many have told me that my English doesn’t sound as if I just moved here five years ago, I still believe I have so much more to learn.

From the 19th century to the present day there has been a massive migration from Mexico to the United States of America. There have been many causes for this migration from the Mexican Revolution to the need for laborers in the United States. This migration has brought benefits as well as problems like the thousands of unaccompanied children currently crossing the border to the United States.

Our family history is rooted in Texas and Mexico. Discussing our family history with my parents and relatives I have found that my grand-parents and great grandparents were born and raised in Texas. They moved back and forth between Mexico and Texas for work. Both sides of our family always sought work and better opportunities for their families. Our families have been made up of strong men who worked mostly as laborers. My grandfathers and great-grand fathers worked in cotton fields, as ranch hands, migrant workers known as “Campesinos”, “Brazeros” or laborers, sheered sheep and have even been grave diggers. Working in many different manual labors in the Del Rio, Austin and Hill Country area of Brady and Seguin, always working hard for their families. During the depression in America, my

When America entered WWII Mexican American were concern about if the New Deal relief would bolster the standard of living. The war brought new opportunities for them and the war made Mexicans Americans hopeful about their future. Thanks to the A. Philip Randolph’s march, it secured employment opportunities for African Americans in defense industries. To show loyalty by fully participating in the war effort and thousands of Mexican Americans enrolled into the armed forces after the Japanese attacked the pearl harbor in 1941 and others left for high paying jobs in defense industries. Due to so many Mexican Americans leaving to go to war it brought unexpected changes to their lives. The shortage of worker led to an emergency training programs

1. Describe the development of black schools in the south after the Civil War? Black people saw educations as a way of self emancipation. Slaves knew the importance of having a education, some of them took the risk of going to secret school, where they were able to learn how to read and write. Black decided to set up their own schools at their own expenses. With the help of free black men, white yankee missionaries, and school teachers the first schools were established in the South. The inspector of the Freedmen’s Bureau when to the South and found around 500 native schools. Black parents and southtreen residents took control of the schools’ system. Using their money to pay for the schools’ expenses.

Migration for Mexican immigrants has not always been easy. Having to face the threat of deportation on a daily basis, the stress of acculturation, and coping with an unfamiliar territory has not intimidated nor defeated this population as they seek a better quality of life. As history would have it, the Mexican population not only makes up a large number of immigrants that live in the United States, but they have also contributed to and molded the culture that is seen in North America today (Zong & Batalova, 2016). A main element that has constantly created a roadblock for Mexican immigrants is their inability to access healthcare which has proven to have many negative outcomes on their livelihood.

At the time before and during World War II white Americans considered themselves the only true Americans. In the 1900s during the Mexican Revolution, many Mexicans migrated to the United States, to escape the violence that came from a national uprising against Mexico’s government. After the Mexican Revolution, many Mexicans fought for the United States in World War II. Mexican American patriotism helped to soften racist attitudes. Hector Perez Garcia was a Mexican American Rights advocate, looking to change the poor treatment, disrespect, and discrimination directed at Mexican Americans. Through modifying policies and laws with the American Government Issue Forum, they changed treatment that Mexicans receive.

Growing up Mexican-American is similar to living a dual-identity. It feels as if I’m stuck in-between a border where I am unsure if I’m more American or more Mexican. Mexican-Americans have to live a life of proving themselves to the world. Am I Mexican enough to my family and am I American enough to the people of the United States.This idea was new to me even though I had been living with this.