Since there has been a US/Mexican border, Mexicans have always played a role in the migrant experience. But it was never able to reach a noticeable amount until the beginning of the 20th century. During the second World War, the United States had experienced a tremendous labor shortage due to its economic and military role. With the bulk of its traditionally male industrial and agricultural workforce fighting abroad, the United States was in dire need of a replacement. Realizing that Mexico could provide a large and cheap workforce, the United States signed several economic agreements with the Mexican government to allow Mexicans legal access to U.S jobs. With foreign worker programs, such as the Bracero program being easily available, Mexicans …show more content…
A social process is defined as the formation of certain groups in another country. All Hispanics experience some form of the social process. Basically, the process first begins in the home country. Under the effects of “Push-Pull factors”, poor Hispanics begin to leave behind the economically undeveloped rural areas of their country and internally migrate to urban areas in pursuit of employment. This is phenomenon is documented heavily in, “Maquilapolis”, as many of the women workers did not originally live in Tijuana but moved from other parts of Mexico. However, most jobs in urban areas are generally low service sector jobs with often abysmal pay. This fact, is often the reason why most Hispanic migrants never consider urban areas to be the end of their migration but the merely the first step. So, while “Push-Pill” factors promote internal migration to urban areas, it is only a part of the broader stage migration process. After collecting enough money in the urban areas, Hispanic migrants them make the next leap for the US border. From there, migrants either work in border towns to collect more money or make the jump right away. Usually these migrants are often only effected by certain factors of social processes because they are often either the first or among the first members of their communities to …show more content…
For Mexicans, the general reason to migrate is for pure economy reasons. For Cubans and Guatemalans, the main reason is to escape from persecution at home and seek refugee status in the United States. For Indigenous communities, it is generally a combination of the two. But often or not, the poor and unlivable conditions in the home country are just too much to bear. They are often so horrible that not only are men and women willing to face and in some cases, die to reach the United States but, as dramatized in “Victoria para Chino”, so too do the children of migrant parents. Upon crossing the border, many migrants discover that the much-hyped notion that the US is a land of opportunity or plentiful work is not true. Migrants, unlike citizens, have far fewer choices to employment options such as agriculture and service jobs. Generally, these jobs provide low pay and are some of the most economically vulnerable during economic downturns. If a migrant cannot find stable work, he is often forced onto the streets as a jornalero. A jornalero is basically a day laborer that seeks work on street corners. However, this method of work is notorious for its unreliability for work and money that it is often joked that there is only “¡Tres trabajos para toda la pinche ciudad!” (Ordenez pg.44). While
Ruben Martinez was fascinated with the tragedy of three brothers who were killed when the truck carrying them and 23 other undocumented migrants across the Mexico – United States border turned over in a high-speed chase with the U.S. Border Patrol. “Crossing Over: A Mexican Family on the Migrant Trail” is a story about crossing and life in the United States.
Becoming Mexican- American has been such a great book so far! I truly favored how Sanchez focused on factors that contributed to the migration of so many across the border north to the United States during the first many years of the twentieth century. During that time, immigrants experienced groups of people trying to Americanize and Mexicanize them and their people. This is a fascinating topic, and Sanchez pulls it off really well. It makes it better because Sanchez is Mexican-American himself, the son of Mexican immigrants, and his sensitivity to the nuances of the culture are very apparent throughout the book. It is the story of the creation of the Mexican-American culture, specifically in the early 1900's in Los Angeles. In addition, also in Los Angeles, Majority of the immigrants would experience the efforts to Americanize them, which was then proceeded by counter attempts to mechanize the immigrants to maintain their loyalty and to return to Mexico. This back and forth contribution developed a Mexican American identity, which was evident in food, and clothes. For example, it was particularly evident in the
The documentary El Contrato follows the exploits of Mexican migrant workers as they find themselves being exploited. In particular, it follows one man, Teodoro Martinez, a father of 4 who has worked many seasons in Canada. Teodoro returns year after year. He does not return because he enjoys it, he returns for the pay. The migrant workers are chosen with certain criteria in mind. These ‘desirable’ traits are that they have minimal, if any, education and a family in Mexico. The workers chosen are typically quite poor, many not owning a house. The pay is better than what they could get in Mexico, so they must make the decision to desert their families for two thirds of the year to support their loved ones. They are brought to a town where most
focuses on the nationalization of the United States Border Patrol during and after World War II. Due to the perceived threat of emigrants from any nation, Border Patrol resources were amplified and law enforcement personnel was diverted toward the Mexican and United States borderlands. With increased patrol of the borderlands, many Mexican migrants were unable to cross the border for seasonal work. This created a shortage of Mexican labor that United States agri-businessmen could not afford. The Bracero Program would serve as a binational program to manage the cross-border migration of Mexican laborers.
Imagine one day your mother tells you that she is leaving and is not sure with she will see you again. Imagine growing up only occasionally speaking to your mother on the phone. Immigrants make the decision to leave behind their life and move to a new place mainly because they believe it will be better for them and for the people they care about. The Book of the Unknown Americans and Enrique’s Journey show the advantages and disadvantages of parents leaving their children behind or bringing their children along when they migrate. This decision causes harsh consequences that affect the family immediately and in the future.
The main reasons for the migration despite the dangerous journey are due to many factors. Such factors include escaping their dark pasts and looking for a brighter one in the United States, looking for work to earn enough money to support their struggling family back home, seeking other opportunities like education, a loving family and more. Through both the sad and happy times during the travel, their motivation for seeking better lives is the key for their persistency and
During World War II, the United States was in dire need of Mexico and its laborers. The Americans were at war and the labor was needed to supply the soldiers with food as well as to help keep the countries’ agriculture business going. As well, the Mexican government failed to provide many Mexican peasants who were skilled workers with the resources they needed to improve their lives following the Mexican Revolution of 1910. With this being said, by the late 1930’s, many crops in Mexico were insufficient, making those skilled workers look elsewhere for jobs. On August 4th, 1942, the United States and Mexico negotiated a temporary contract to allow Mexican guest workers into the United States. These agricultural and railroad labor contracts were intended to be short-term and terminated once World War II was over. However, after involving over 4.5 million people, it can be said that the longstanding effects of this program contributed to today’s illegal immigration from Mexico. By analyzing the different components involved with The Bracero Program, there will be a deeper understanding to how this intended short-term legal contract
In 1942 Mexico signed a binational treaty the Bracero Program with the United States that allowed for large numbers of Mexican nationals to work in the United States on a temporary basis. The Bracero Program was considered a win-win proposition for both governments, as it fulfilled the labor needs of powerful agricultural growers in the United States and relieved the pressure of Mexico’s large wage-seeking population. As millions of Mexican workers became accustomed to employment practices, lifestyles, and consumption patterns in the United States, they established networks between jobs in the U.S. and friends and family members back home that allowed migratory flows to become self-sustaining in the decades to follow (Munoz, 2011). “Mexican workers have been invited in and forced out depending upon American economic desires and sociopolitical fears” (Salcido, 2004). “The Bracero Program, for example, reconfigured the Southwest borderlands when, in 1942, border controls were eased for Mexican men to offset wartime shortages” (Salcido, 2004). In 1954 the United States launched a high profile campaign, called “Operation Wetback,” that subjected ethnic Mexicans citizens and immigrants alike to heightened anti-Mexican sentiment and deportation. The U.S. government was condoning the use of Mexican labor “while simultaneously whipping up anti-immigration hysteria against wetbacks” (Munoz, 2011). Operation Wetback was one of the tactics used by the U.S. government to create pressure on the Mexican government to extend the Bracero Program while also giving appearance to the American public that the border was “under control” (Munoz, 2011).
As people immigrated to the United States, legally and illegally, particularly Hispanic workers, they began to look for jobs to provide for their families. They took jobs that Americans did not want: they accepted the low-paying, physically-demanding, and temporal agriculture jobs. Since many did not speak English and were uneducated, some even illiterate, they were easy targets for farm owners to exploit. Immigrant workers were often not paid, had low wages, and because of such conditions, some even died. In addition, they also lived and worked in appalling conditions, some workplaces did not even have suitab...
Chapter three from the book Mexican Migrants by Hellman focuses on the life of cooperation. Beto and his friend went to San Rafael, apart from growing corn they are very commonly known for woven baskets and sleeping mats. They would sell this to people had plenty of straw goods but didn’t have access to these products in the city. They were the ones with shaping the appearance of San Rafael. Most of the people who migrated to San Rafael live in brick houses in the pueblo, while the other houses belong to those who had never been to the other side. Most of the people who lived in San Rafael always tried to help around with festivals that celebrated the saints and kept the church around. Chipping in was obligatory, I think this must have been
During the 1900’s through 1950’s the United States experienced an influx of immigrants coming in from Mexico seeking employment opportunities, as many of them wanted to avoid the Mexican Revolution occurring from 1910 to 1920. Methods for arriving in the United States varied for each individual’s preference of the destination, but the means of transportation had been constant throughout. These methods of transportation consisted of contractors seeking unskilled workers willing to partake in hard labor in steel, railroad, or agriculture companies. Contractors traveled to towns close to Mexico’s boarder such as Laredo or El Paso seeking Mexicans citizens for labors. In some instances, immigrants traveled on their own will based on the advice
Only half a century ago, in 1940 a majority of the Putlecan people were not content with the way their lives were being run, and were seeking solutions to their problems. Under President Porfirio Diaz the Putlecan people were offered a dramatic solution: the Bracero Program. The Bracero Program gave workers a new opportunity: migration. By migrating into either Mexico City or even the north, the United States, they hoped to find a more prosperous means of living. The program offered to thousands of Mexican workers the chance to work farms in the United States and get paid good wages. Unfortunately, it had its failings. As rewarding as the program may have seemed, it turned out to be anything other than what these people had hoped for. “Some did manage to save enough to build a home, but most had their illusions crushed by the hard work and the meager salaries paid. (Grimes 1998: 40-41)” Basically, the program was a way for the American employers to exploit Mexican workers and pay them little, so that they would wind up with the benefits instead of the workers. The program ended in 1964. This represented the first major wave of Putlecan migration of the 20th century.
“The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people.”~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
One of the main challenges people face is the language barrier, then come to the US not knowing any English hoping that some relatives or friends with help them. Not only is language barrier hard enough but there is also the difference between men and women that migrate, overall this general sexism that occurs and what goes behind closed doors when women are trapped into these circumstances. The one big factor that comes into play is the separation between families, many families are separated for years, before they can finally reunite. Mainly it is men who leave their families and find work elsewhere, with some men being gone for almost the entire year they like to send remittances back home to their families. In the book “Transborder Lives” by Lynn Stephen she talks to many Oaxaca families and their experiences with living transborder lives and how the women are now the ones in charge of the farms and children. Migrating to the United States can be hard because you experience this culture shock and hardships of trying to survive, some people are lucky enough to now people in America but other don’t know anyone and have to overcome more obstacles to
Mexican immigration in the early 1900's was a huge issue that impacted the United States. States in areas such as urban population, employment and many other areas. The mass number of Mexican immigrants that migrated to the United States from Mexico were at nearly half million. between the years of 1920 and 1929. Mexicans left their native land and moved to the United States not only to achieve financial prosperity, but to get out of the chaotic environment that Mexico was in at the time due to the Mexican revolution which began in 1910.