Mexican Americans & Immigration: The Current Situation The latest estimates  Undocumented immigrants  Legal immigrants

Foreign Born Immigrants

Undocumented Immigration

Where do they live? Traditionally Mexican Americans reside within 4 states

Legislation I. Bracero program ( )  4.5 million people  Met food supply needs  Seasonal immigration  Created institutionalized networks and labor/market relationships

II. Immigration Reform & Control Act of 1986 (IRCA)  2 million acquired permanent legal status  Changed traditional temp. migration  US employers accustomed  Did not allow ‘Clean Slate’

III. Post-September 11 th  Bilateral migration talks  9/11 shifted focus  Border patrol  National security

H.R Passed on 12/16/2005 Focuses on Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Brief Summary “Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (Secretary) to take all appropriate actions to maintain operational control over the U.S. international land and maritime borders, including: (1) systematic surveillance using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), ground-based sensors, satellites, radar coverage, and cameras; (2) physical infrastructure enhancements to prevent unlawful U.S. entry and facilitate United States Customs and Border Protection border access; (3) hiring and training additional Border Patrol agents; and (4) increasing deployment of United States Customs and Border Protection personnel to border areas with high levels of unlawful entry”-

Discrimination of Mexican Americans Racist Acts White men in East Texas in the 1880’s used violence as a method of political control. The Ku Klux Klan, White Caps, law officials, and the Texas Rangers, all holding positions of authority often terrorized both Mexican Americans and African Americans. Racist acts often effected the political scene and included terrorist tactics, lynching, literacy tests, stuffing the ballots, accusations, etc. People often perceived Mexicans as inferior and unhygienic. After the Great Depression, many cities became home to Mexican immigrants, thus creating new social tensions. One example of the situation is the Zoot Suit Riot.

Time for Action In 1911, Mexican American leaders met in Laredo to address the problems of their affliction. Organizations  MEChA- Is an organization that promotes awareness of Chicano history by education and political action.  Brown Berets- a Hispanic nationalist activist group of Chicano men and women during the Civil Rights Movement. Involved in community issues like unemployment, housing, food, and education.  LULAC- strives for the rights of Hispanic Americans; focus includes economic, educational, political, health, civil rights, etc.  Mexica Movement- an activist organization based in L.A. They assert that they are all oppressed under European-descent. And reject European borders.  MAPA- promotes interests of Mexicans and Mexican-Americans.

Civil Rights Movement Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (1968)  Issues confronted -employment discrimination -education inequities -voting right/abuses -immigration concerns

Ideologies “Mexican Americans have always fought these stereotypes, at first defensively, nationalistically, some tried assimilation.”

References Samora, J., Simon, P.V., The Mexican-American People. (University of Notre Dame Press, 1971).