Читать реферат по английскому: "Mexican Immigration Essay Research Paper Mexican Immigration" Страница 1

(Назад) (Cкачать работу)

Mexican Immigration Essay, Research Paper

Mexican Immigration John CeleskAmerican Humanities Per. 2 There were four major time periods when the Mexicans immigrated to the U.S. They had settlements in southwestern United States, such as, California, New Mexico, and Texas. They settled in cities such as Laredo, San Jose, San Antonio, El Paso, Santa Fe, Tucson San Diego, and Los Angeles. Mexicans wanted to migrate to the U.S for such reasons as being with their families, better government policies, or deteriorating conditions at home. Often illegal immigrants were aided and abetted by American employers and by labor contractors, looking for unskilled laborers. Between 1880, and 1920 was a period which many Mexicans moved to the US. As opportunities slightly grew in the 1880 s and 1890 s, a small, but steady stream of temporary and permanent Mexican workers crossed the open border. Many began working for mine operators, railroads, and farms in the Southwest.The 1900 census counted about 300,000 people of Mexican ancestry, mostly in the border area. Only 103,000 were of Mexican birth, showing that much of the growth of the Mexican-American community was due to the natural increase of the 80,000 Mexicans in the United States in 1848. The United States had done little to restrict any immigration. Acts in the 1880s and 1890s and 1903 excluded such special classes as convicts and anarchists. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and later extensions had a narrow effect, as did the 1907 “Gentlemen’s Agreement” by which Japan agreed not to permit emigration. Bureau of Immigration personnel on the border was more concerned with stopping Europeans and Orientals from entering the United States than Mexicans. Then, during the years 1900-1920, Mexican movement to the United States quickened, with about 200,000 entering legally and more than that illegally. According to the census, the Mexican-born rose from the 103,000 in 1900 to 221,415 in 1910, and 486,408 in 1920. The Mexican influence increased also as the second-generation population grew, together with the daily and intermittent commuters in the Mexican border areas who worked in the United States and returned to Mexico at night or every few days. Larger immigration resulted partly from economic development in the Southwest. From 1900 to 1920 California orange output rose more than 400 percent. Southwestern lettuce, cotton, and other crops increased fabulously. Just clearing the brush and trees for new fields took much rough labor. Demand for labor was so high that employer’s and their agents went to border towns to hire immigrants and also sent notices into the interior of Mexico. More employers realized how nearly ideal Mexicans were for their needs. They were close by, worked hard, accepted low wages, and poor working conditions, and would take seasonal employment and move on when it terminated. The seasonal workers who left after planting and harvesting seasons relieved strains on the purse and conscience of Anglo employers. The low wages early in the twentieth century often meant about one dollar a day, usually less than that paid to any group for similar labor. But that was more pay than in Mexico and was often supplemented by the toil of wife and children as well. Furthermore, living costs were little more than in Mexico. Western mines, railroads, and construction projects also depended heavily on Mexicans, who supplied over 70 percent of western railroad labor between 1900 and 1920. The railroads sowed Mexican communities throughout the West and Midwest, as workers settled along the lines they built or maintained. Mexican-American communities expanded in Los Angeles, San Antonio, and other towns not far from the border; but they also were formed or enlarged in the far interior–in Kansas City, St. Louis, and Chicago, where slaughterhouse, iron mill, and factory operators found that Mexicans worked as well as European immigrants. Mexicans also emigrated because of worsening conditions at home. The last years of the long D az dictatorship saw a decline in the average person’s income. Then came the Revolution of 1910-1917, with northern Mexico a principal site of combat, suffering much destruction, dislocation, and flight before marauding bands and armies. At the same time the hold of great estate owners on their workers was reduced or ended. Although both Washington and Mexico City were willing to ensure the southwestern labor supply, problems arose during World War I. The 1917 Immigration and Nationality Law was America’s first general restrictive measure, requiring that immigrants be literate (in some language) and that they pay an eight-dollar head tax. It caused a slowdown of Mexican immigration, but the Labor Department found ways to ignore or weaken its provisions. Temporary workers were permitted–73,000 entered legally from Mexico between 1917 and 1923. Simultaneously, southwestern employers let immigration officials know that they preferred an open border policy to make less even the minor supervision of border crossings that was customary. As a result, inspections were not rigorous. The Mexican government consented to allow its citizens to emigrate; though it could not get assurances from Washington that Mexicans would be treated fairly. Mexico was driven to this policy by the great financial losses of the Revolution and by the fact that some income from Mexican labor in the United States made its way back to Mexico. In fact, the government even aided the movement; President Carranza (1917-1920) offered free rail transportation for emigrant workers. For different reasons, the Mexican and American governments approved written contracts between employers and braceros (strong arms) that obligated workers to make daily deposits in a U.S. Postal Savings Bank to a total of fifty dollars. Only when the bracero returned to Mexico, could he take principal and interest back with him-and it bought much more than it would

Похожие работы