-
U.S. Invades Mexico
In 1845 the United States sent a representative to Mexico and offered to buy California and New Mexico, as well as make the Rio Grande river the border. Mexican government declined the offer. U.S. retaliated, which lead to the U.S. invading Mexico to seize some of their land and the beginning of the Mexican-American war. -
The Consitutional Rights of all Americans
After the Mexican-American War, Mexicans remaining on the land were promised by the U.S. that their properties, cultures, and religion would be protected by signing the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. This treaty also ended the Mexican-American war. Unfortunately, the promises were not kept and tension again began to rise between Anglo-Americans and Mexicans. -
Repratriation
Due to economic troubles in the U.S. between 1907 and 1908, Mexicans were forced to leave the country "by choice". This was called repatriation. The U.S. government threatened, scared, and forced Mexicans to go back to their homeland. This happened again during The Great Depression in the 1930s where about two million Mexican families were forced to leave, even if they were born in the U.S. -
Selective Mexican Labor
Throughout Mexican-American history, Mexicans were exploited for labor. Even though they were told they were not wanted and did not have the right to be in the U.S., they were still used, when needed, for hard labor. One example is in 1918, Americans hired Mexicans along the border close to railroads and usually did not pay them what was promised and/or overcharged them for food and lodging. Another example was in the fields with farmworkers again, making little to nothing for their hard work. -
Border Patrol and the "Brown Scare"
Prior to the Border Patrol being created in 1924, migration to the U.S. was very common. Unfortunately, along with families trying to make a better life there, illegal contraband made its way back and forth acrross the border as well. This made the U.S. crack down on smuggling and immigration laws. Lynchings and other forms of violence were common. The U.S. was also printing stories about the so-called "Mexican criminals" coming into their country which caused the "Brown Scare". -
Immigration Act of 1929
During The Great Depression, when President Hoover was in office, they passed the Immigration Act of 1929. This act was initially not only for Mexicans but that is what ended up taking place. WIth this new law in place any Mexican that was caught without documents more than one time was charged a $1000 fine and some even got jail time. This turned innocent and hardworking immigrants into criminals. -
Veteran injustices
After WWI Latino veterans faced many problems and injustices in America. War heroes returned home and were again treated as thought they did not deserve to be there. One soldier, who was awarded with a medal for his service, was later arrested in a diner after being refused service and fighting the owner. Another who had died in battle, was not allowed to be buried because he was Latino. His family fought to earn him a proper burial. -
Zoot Suit Riots
The Zoot Suit Riots took place during WWI in Los Angeles, California. The riots broke out when sailors targeted Latino "pachucos" dressed in zoot suits. The sailor drove around towns and brutally beat any Latinos they could find. Many of the Latinos that were beaten were teenagers and young men. Police did not get try to stop these fights from happening. -
Segregation in a "Free Land"
Segregation between Mexicans, Blacks, and Whites was a major issue all around the U.S. Schools were segregated and Mexicans were upset that they were forced to sit with blacks in movie theatres. They were also not allowed in certain Anglo-American establishment. It was against the law, but the police did nothing to stop this separation. In 1925 in Tempe, Arizona, a school was desegregated for the first time but segregation didn't completely stop until the 1940s. -
Operation Wetback
Between 1954 and 1958, the U.S. was trying to cut back even more on illegal immigration. This lead to "Operation Wetback. With Operation Wetback in place, more the 3 million people of Mexican Descent were deported and sent back to Mexico, regardless of their time in the country or if their kids were U.S. citizens.
