The Mexican Immigrant and Mexican American Generations

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The Mexican Immigrant, and Mexican American Generations
At the start of the 19th century, the white Americans started deporting their Anglo-Saxon believing that they were inferior, from the Africans Americans to Mexicans who they believed were a barrier to evolution. Their arguments evidently show the racism, and the representatives argued that the Mexicans were lazy and would most likely be criminals. The farmers contended that their mental capacity was low, only fit for repetitive labor on the farms (McWilliams 171). The outcome of these discriminatory views was the restitution and a banishment undertaking of the 1930s. The following paper explains how the discrimination impacted the lives of Mexican immigrants and the Mexican-Americans living in the US throughout the beginning of the 20th century. It also compares and contrasts how the Mexican immigrants and Mexican Americans responded to such forms of discrimination and prejudice. It describes the developments and fights for justice and equality.
The Americans viewed the Mexicans as inferior, fit for only hard labor under harsh conditions that no white man would do (McWilliams 171). They were never to get employed regardless of the skills they had. This exposed them to poor living conditions, and they were financially poor to afford a better residence. Only the minority prospered. The discrimination denied them jobs, and they could only afford to live in the ghettos and barrios in the towns (Vargas 235).

Some traveled all the way to the country as migrant labor, depending on farm produce.
The discrimination led to their families being used as the center of production. Their women and children were utilized as unpaid labor. They inclined to lower salaries and low labor standards (Vargas 280). Furthermore, the severe, strenuous labor was completed in persistent heat; forced joblessness was triggered by a rainy season and several Mexicans agonized the blatant ethnic exploitation of Anglo farmers.
The discrimination from the Americans isolated the Mexicans in the rural regions and small cities and segregated by race from Anglos. The Mexicans’ hatred was ingrained in Texas philosophy, and in this state of unpleasant contempt was not rare aggression to end violence (Vargas 255). The workers were projected to admit their lowliness as part of the apparently reasonable deportation of Mexicans separating them from the Anglo races in Texas.
The Mexican immigrants and Mexican Americans reacted to the discriminations in several ways. The Mexican American media took the lead in accusing the unfair treatment against their community. For instance, in 1858 an editor condemned the stealing of California area by Anglo-Americans. He went ahead and urged rebelliousness to Anglo American principles and control (McWilliams 166). The Mexican American media also established a sense of cultural harmony by recording on such social measures as Cinco de Mayo that rejoices the conquest of the French armies in 1862.
The reporters also endorsed the La Raza at that period. Its usage by the Spanish-speaking media was a signal of a different cultural identity. The word presaged tribal, spiritual, and blood links to all Latin American individuals, relations mainly to Mexico. Besides, several socio-political relations started to support the cultural personality. During this period, there were many associations formed by a social and political purpose. However, they tremendously endorsed Mexican pro-self-government ideas.
They also formed unions to defend their employment conditions in the mines. For example, the banishment of Jesus Pallares. As a local union organizer, he led a group to ask the administration for help in enforcing section 7-a (Vargas 280). They protested, and drew petitions to the local Labor Commissioner, but heir grievances went unaddressed, and the union meetings were prohibited. Jesus went ahead to form Spanish-speaking workers league to address the Spanish-America problems.
Their stay in Texas was horrible. They lived in harsh conditions and in isolation in the rural areas. In reaction to this, they decided to leave behind the jobs and harsh living situations made especially cruel by discrimination. Most of them moved from Texas to Midwest, where workers were respected. They could work with less control, no intrusion and servility were needed in industrial work(Vargas 255). Other laborers relocated to San Antonio. Life in the Midwest was better and they had to call the others to also migrate. The Chicano Generation activist revolutionized the Mexican American undertaking for human rights, encouraging for equal chances for everyone, irrespective of race. The ideology of the movement called into question the notion of traditional values to “Anglo-American” ethnic standards.
Unilingual English-language Chicanos studied Spanish. The people wore Mexican clothing with pride as a show of heritage. A new insight of self-confidence and arrogance in one’s legacy triumphed amongst the supporters of the Chicano crusade. This viewpoint was not only revealing of a fresh appearance and self-concept. This was also a declaration of self-worth in a civilization that viewed Chicanos and their ethnic codes as substandard.
In conclusion, the discrimination really impacted the lives of Mexican immigrants and the Mexican-Americans living in the US. They were exposed to harsh living conditions, without better employment and education. The discrimination denied them jobs, and they could only afford to live in the ghettos and barrios in the towns. But they reacted to the discrimination by accusing the unfair treatment against their community. The Chicano Generation activist revolutionized the Mexican American undertaking for human rights, encouraging for equal chances for everyone, irrespective of race.
Works Cited
Vargas, Zaragosa. Major Problems in Mexican American History: Documents and Essays. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co, 1999. Print.
McWilliams, Carey. North from Mexico: The Spanish-Speaking People of the United States. , 1968. Print.