Mexican Immigrants II1910's El Paso, Texas•major point of immigration; just across the border•Early 1900's- easy border crossing•1910's- more elite whites moved in to el paso- fears about the mexican revolution (1910-1920)•jan. 1916- Pancho Villa killed 17 American Engineers- Riots- 20 mexicans rounded up and imprisoned for riots- Bathed in Kerosene to remove lice, one prisoner lit a match and started a big fire- typhus disease spreading/ liceThe "Bath Riots"•1916- 4 deaths from typhus in El Paso•Mexicans were cast as dirty and diseased•Quarantine and disinfection•Jan 23, 1917- The Bath Riots- Carmerlita Torres lead bath riots; mexican- 200 women protested- threw rocks at Americans- Failed- quarantine requirements continuedThe Quarantine Process•separated by sex•forced to strip; clothes sterilized•checked for lice•showered with kerosene•vaccinated for small pox•interrogated to see if they had mental defects•commuters had to go through the process over and over againQuarantines and Pesticides•sprayed mexicans with DDT (DDT was very poisonous)The Great Depression•1930's- only 30,000 Mexicans immigrated•Market forces- lack of jobs•Government actions•hoover called for strict interpretation of immigration rules•LPC (likely to become a public charge)•Repatriation campaignAgriculture Strikes•employers thought they could take advantage of Mexicans•Great Depression- Mexican laborers organizing more•1933- 12,000 Mexican laborers went on strike- San Joaquin Valley, CA- Employers evicted them and had leader arrested•resulted in a compromise wage- from 60 cents to 75 cents Railroads•Great depression- railroads offered jobs and mobility•mexican americans moved to urban areas•nativism and social tensionStereotypes•some based on African American stereotypes•lazy and backward•dirty, diseased•''greasers''•''wetbacks''•juvenile delinquentsThe sleepy lagoon murder•August 1942- Jose Diaz dead in L.A.•Gang fights in the area•police rounded up Mexican youths•''greaser'' stereotype•17 young men convicted•appealed and freed •growing racial tension•police beat them up before court appearance to fit into the ''greaser'' stereotypeThe Zoot Suit•young mexican american men•from african american jazz culture•Bold and outrageousQuestioning Patriotism•sailors saw zoot suit as unpatriotic•war rationing •pachucos•gangs and petty crimesThe Zoot Suit Riots•june 4, 1943•Sailors attacked Mexican Americans and didnt matter if they wore zoot suits or not•Riots for 5 daysMexican American Servicemen•less than 10% of Mexican American young men were pachucos•500,000 Mexican americans served in WWII•Wanted to prove their patriotism and had served in very dangerous branches such as paratroopersBracero Agreement•1942- emergency farm labor (bracero) agreement •low wages•ended in 1964•5 million bracerosOperation Wetback•1954- president Eisenhower worried about mexican illegal immigrants•immigration and naturalization services (INS)•deported over 1 million mexican immigrants and some U.S.
View Full Document
Unlocking...