The Mexican Imsigrant in America

In 1619, Pineda skirted the Gulf of Mexico and came to what is
today known as Mexicc. From this incldeot. Sects banad her claim in the new
sand. in 1525 to 1660, The Spanish E mpire was at its height and it was the
greatest world power. Mexico, ipesces, gained her independence from Spain
in i510 and the United States began to take an interest in her young neighbor.

In 1830, The United States helped Texas to gain her independence
fron Mexico. he United States lost heavily in the transaction and the
Slaughter perpetrated by Santa at the Alamo has not been forgiven even to
this day.

War between the two countries was inevitable. In 1846 the crisis
Game. The causes listed are of interest in this study. First, the United
States wanted California. Sescnd Ii @xico had failed te vecemiies Texan
independence. Third, Mexico had refused to receive the American ambassador,
Slidell and las the capture of Vera Cruz.

The treaty which ended the war provided that the International
Boundary should be the Rio Grande, Southern boundary of New Mexico, the Gila :
and the Colorado rivers and the line dividing upper and lower California.
It was further provided that the Vaites States should pay fifteen million
dollars to settle American claims against Mexico.

There are certain basic reasons for the movexents of people
and the movements of the. Mexican to the united Satates are characterized
by many of them. Let us teen. examine some of the fundamental ides con
cerning Sash ation, There is s astse of dispersion when the group moves
out of familiar places and finds other Sic. There is in every group, the
period of Race Formation followed by the period of race contact. This
period is shamastarians by wars and hostility. In almost every case of

migration we are justified in looking for some cause of a repellant nature,

some dissatisfaction, disability, discontent, hardship, or other disturbing
condition,

The causes of immigration are econimic, political, aociai and religious.
This peaceful eavenont may be described in terms of two states coneerned with
biois status for To are usually on restenosis same stage of civilization.
And finally, imai gration is a distinetly individual undertaking. |

L et us examine the cultural background of Mexico and veg united
Sats with these factors in mind. First, the character of america is
modern, integrated and a homogeneous civilization with material and intellect-
ual characteristics sharad - all the people ee within the borders of the
country with some ~, between social levels, but always preserving its
typical characteristics. :

Mexican = on the other hand differ completely from et
oF the United States ae also contains marked differences within itseld. There
are ee three cultural groups corresponding to racial elements ean be described
among the Mexican iumigrant. Its modera civilization is derived recs
or Anes A* but developed withing axa modeled to Mexican environment. The
socail minorities are white Mexicans and! festizos(snall group). Then the
ancient aboriginal civilization ie aifferent in tyne from the modern and much
mor sitmple. ais of Indians end Heshiens ape inclided in this cultural
group. 4 asta proportion of the imuigrants, the number of which cannot be
calculated but which direct: Sin indicates to considerable constitue
a variable factor.

Mexico has a mixed civilization. This exists between two formal
groups. It characterized a great proportion of M estizos, Indians and fewer
whites. Probably She @ajerisy of imuigrants belong to this mixed cultural 
bype. :

This indigenous culture was uncisturbed Cir te Spanish conguest.

It was made up of various cultural subtypes differing anong themselves, the
differences due chiefly to the geographic and climatic variations of the

country. Very little of this culture has carried over into the sresent day.

The prehispanic antecedents of the indigenous group med cortata
outstanding characteristics. oo was the migratory tendeney of the Agtecs
who cane from the unknown regions of North.or northeast and moved southward
until they reached what is today Mexico City. The more civilized Mayas, Aztecs
and Toltecs covered extensive ter~itory in their migration. The more primitive
groups, such as the Tepehuanes, Y aquis and Tarahumores confined themselves
to very limited areas.

It is generally agreed that the prehispanie migration eroassa the
northern plateau to the south-central sintveas to the south eeatres plateau;
gertaialy in the architectural remains on the Northern plateau such as
Casas Grandes, the pyramidal structure is lacking, while in the archaelogical

remains on the southern :lateau this feature is the most characteristic trait
and is profusely representa by the pyramid with inclined wall, features of the
_ Aztec culture as well as of the Toltec culture.

The almost exclusively utilitarian character of the Spanish conquest
and domination kept a part of the prinitive group of the northern mesa, as well
as trives in Sonora end California in a stats of almost animal slavery. of
Spanish civilization, these indians adopted only scant rudiments in some
instances and, continued their savage existence of prehispanic times. In Jalisco
and Michoacan the conquest and colonization estas an interesting and
humanitarian aspect,  one sense, for here men of real eenius like Arche
Bishop Vasco de Quirogo observed aad utilized the practical and beautiful
elements of the native culture, fusing them harmoniously with analogous elemente
of the Spanish sivikinaticn and developing new and important crafts and indus-
tries, often of an artistic character, such as lacquer, beautifully decorated
pottery, leather tennisg and carving, woodearving and metal work. Yet, the
development of modern civilization along edueational and scientific Lines
has not advanced in these regions since illiteracy and fanaticism were

important lixiting factors during the colonial regime.

The development of the mixed civilization was more rapid and
intense during the 18th century because after Mexico declared her independence
from Spain, she threw wide her doors to the European cultural current. Rail-
ways and other means of communication which facilitated contact within the
Mexican Republie and with the United States; the spread of popular education;
the rapid industrial or agricultural development of some regions and the deecad-
ence of others; the social, economic and oul fuga! transformations and reversals
produced by revolution; the return of hundreds of thousands of immigrants
from ce United States who brought new idea and tendencies--these are some of
the profoundly influential factors which thrust suddenly into the slow evolution
of the masses have produces such strange and fantastic cultural fusions and
substitutions that it is difficult to ddentify and cdassify without falling
into serious error, the characteristics of the immigrants belonging to the
cultural groups in question.

The change from the aboriginal and mixed cultures to the highly
modern civilisation of the United States is therefore, exceedingly abrupt.

The contact results in a conflict of cultures characterized by substitution
and artificial integrations. The abnormality of the situation is heightened
by the geographic and climatic change.

The cultural contacts of the Mexican Sed grands in the United States
are complicated by the fact that besides the modern American civilization
there is another and different Mexican-American culture, that of Americans of
Mexican origin. Sbis civilization is A merican nominally and exhibits the
principal material aspects of modern American Civilization but intellectually
and emotionally it lives in local oxi sax traditions.*

Though a struggle occurs between the purely mexican culture and this
seni-Mexiean, in the end it often absorbs the Mexican imaigrant. With it, there
ean occur csi: fusion than with the purely American culture, for with
the latter, it already ares many traits, while the great difference between

the purely American and the purely Mexican, together with the factor of race

-

prejudice makes an intellectual, emotional an@ vraditional disparity toogreat
to be bridged rapidly and perhaps never completely. ;

the reason for the high percentage of emigration from Jalisco,
Guanajuato and sechoacan lies in the fact that conditions there for agriculture
are difficult, the land having always been in the hands of a small number vf
bie vlantation owners. Ine excess popuiaton of the prolific peon class has
been obliged to emigrate periodically.

The development of natural resources and the increase of prosperity
in California assumed great proportions in a short space of time, 1900-1910.
This caused a great demand for labor and therefore, the number of Mexican
Immigrants grew.

Texas, New Mexico and Arizona demanded mexican labor oe this developed
and the demand was proportionally eens as the United States devcloped.

The demand for Mexican labor was intensified chiefly for the
eultigetion of beets and for industris such as iron, cement, automobile,
and packing houses. In  the immigration was the result of increasing
demand for labor in one country and available supply of labofers in the other.
This is the practical application of a general law of immigration.

MeLean estimats that there are one-half million Mexicans in this
country. In 1900, there wer 100,000. They are almost entirely in the southwest.
Although some have found their way to Chicago and Minneapolis. Most fexicans
who come here belong to the peon euics tele a mixture of white with Indian
or Negro blood or both. The Mf Sas eiaxts are engaged almost altogether
in rough, poorly paid out door jobs. tn 1894, there were 109 exicans. This
number increased to 52, 361 in 1920.

Gamio seeks his immigration on the interesting factor of money orders
sent to Mexico by the exican imuigrants living is the united States. in

addition his information was gathered from observation and interviews with

thousand of immigrants.

cr or tT

"The official census cannot be accepted as exact since this pop-
ulation is, in part, a transient population. Statistic compiled by the
Bureau of Immigration are of little value toward correcting the earlier
numerical estimates of the census, since a great gumber of exican immigrants
enter or leave the united States without knowledge of the Immigration offices.

Official American Census

1900 103,393
1910 gel,9i5
1920 486 ,418
1926 890,746 estimate)

Mexican estimate 257,969

The discrepancy is accounted for by the non-registration of mexicans
who Sesact from the united States. Second, mexican ieration Law regulates
both ends of the problem, that is bothimnigration and emigration. he illegal
entry of mexicans into the united states" accounts for the final ~eason.

e distribution of this group in A merica will be of interest. the
largest number of exicans come from the central and northern vlateaus. he
difference in altitude, latitude and temperature between the United States
and Mexico hinders the adjustment of the Mexican Imaigrant for with the ex-
ception of the states to the west of the Rocky Mountains- New iexico, Arizona
and California, which in sone respects have a climate sinilar to that: of the
northern regions of Mexico-the extremes of temperature elswhere are very great
and the humidity greater than that of the Mexican plateaus.

This difference in climate causes a high morbidity and mortality
rate among the Lugl eaeka. especially those who come for the first time.

The Outdoor Pellef Division of the  eosty vhartties. nos Angeles,
California auring the fiscal year form July x 1925 - June 30, 1916, extended
State Aid to 6, 609 American Children and to 5, 708 exican children.

e Mexican relif cases included disproportionately numerous instances
of tivectin problems, unemployment, desertion, tuber tulosis and other sickness
aifficulties. Yenereal disease and tuberculosis predominated.

C. E. Durham, director of the Bureau of Vital Statistics, Texas

State Board of Health, calculated that while for the white population in that

uke. chila out of 19 did not see its second birthday, for the Mexican
population one out of five did not live that long.

The scant economic means and the ignorance and inexperience of the
Mexican immigrants hamper them in their struggle with the hostile climate
and they frequently succumb to disease.

Contrary to popular opinion, Mexicans immigrate from those exican
States having the smalles population. Conditions for agriculture are difficult,
the land having been always in the hands of a small number of big proprietors,
as has been previously pointed out.

Naturally, exican thigration to the wnited states developed in the

border states first. 1900 Mexicans in egas 71,062

" Arizona 14,172
" California $8,096
" Kew exico 86,649 while in no other

state did their number reach 500.

The lorge ened nestices in Yexas is due to the fact that Texas
had the largest population technically A merienan, but really Mexican
racially an Spanish linguistically and naturally this attracted more Mexican
settlers.

Immigration began to spread from these first states to those adjoining
increasing in 1910 in Louisana to 1,925, in wklahome to 244, Golorado 2,502
and new Mexico 732. :

Mexican labor during this period was employed chifly in a cultivation
and harvest of cotton, corn, sugar cane and fruits. They were represented
also on railroads, in stock ranches and in mines.

Imiilgration increased enormously in Kansas from 71 in 1900, to 9,429
in 1910. this was due to the fact that sansex City becane a temporary stopover
and Saserieat distributing center of imnigrants going to the eastern and mid-

western states where the demand for mexican labor incremsed more perceptibl
Dp y

than in others.

issourits population increased in 1910 reaching 1,413. As a result
a conte also beffame a distributing center of exican labor. ,

From 1910-1920 the  exican imnigration to California was not
proportionately great (33,694 in 1910), reaching 68,771 in 1920. his was
due to the enti-cein sis campaign vigorously carried on in this period which
also retarded exican immigration.

With the exception of laine, Vermont and North and South Carolina,
Mexican imuigrants sent money to Mexico during these months from all the
States in the American union. oney orders came from 94 American cities
of less than 25,000.

This is a total of 1,511 post-offices and represents approxinately

 of the total of 36,970 populated centers in the tnited States.

Yrom these facts, we gather that a high proportion of the
immigrants are engaged in rural labor, in smaller town and cities, and that
a smaller proportion are employed in industrial enterprises. However,
there a large number doing agricultural work in cities like Chicago, Los
Angeles, San antonio and in the cicinity of Pittsburgh.

Having considered. the distribution of the Mexican as a city dweller,
let us now see him as a wage-earner. " Mexican emigration into the United
__ States is fundamentally an economic phenomenen, the automatic result of
increasing demand for labor in one country and available supply of laborers
in the other."

It has been beneficial to American employers according to representatives
of large industrial and agricultural enterprises involving probably five billion
dollars, having these Mexicans in the ee Mexican immigrants have bettered
their own living conditions and standard. ( 1919-1927 they sent home $10u173,719.31
in Mexican money) |

Those hostile to imaigration say that these remittances represent
economic loss to the United States. Large sums spent in relief work, larger

than on other groups of imnigrants is another of their arguments. The

American Federation of Labor is hostile to Mexicans for several reasons.

s evicek labour generally works for a wage much lower than the
American. Without the competition of the Mexican imuigrant, the American
worker would receive higher wages than he @oes. Mexicans refuse to becone
naturalized. Some Mexican workers becone members of the 1. %. We"

The Mexican labor group is composed of unskilled laborers, skilled
laborers and tenant farmers or farmers on shares. Clerks, small merchants,
artists, students, professional exiled politicians constitute the remainder.

The wage scale in Mexico is very low. in order that a Mexican
laborer might be able to live normally, he would have to receive .247.48 pescs
a month ($23.74) . The true wage scale shows that the actual mean daily
wage for the Mexican worker is 1.15 pesos or .57 or $17,67 per month. In
other words, the mean wage of a Mexican worker would have to increase eight
times in order that he might meet the cost of the normal necessities of life.

The average wage scale in the United States is $3138 a day or
104.78 in a month. This pay is six times as great as the 217.67 a month
which the workers get in MexicO. In the United States the Mexican laborer

not only earns enough to s&tisfy the elemental requirements for minimum comfort
a 3

', @ condition not yet attained in Mexico, but he also spends money for education

recreation and the like.

The condition of the skilled laborer in Mexico is much better than

that of the comaon or unskilled laborers, but it is not good or even satisfactory.
In the United States very few of the skilled laborers find work of the same sort
which they have done before and most of them have to begin all over again as
unskilled workers.

We find cultural conflict in the tenant and share faarming in "exico
and in the United States. One of the principal cases, and perhaps the most
important, of the revolutions that have agitated Mexico for a than a century

lies in the urgent and never satisfied need for land on the part of the masses

of the people, as well as for agricultural education and implements for

tilling the soil efficiently.

* Tenant f:

land, or work it for a.

very stable going back to Mex
operators are 12,142.
It is the characteristic of Ui
he does not readily form co-operative bei
imnigrant in the United States changes yadically.
formed;. mutual weitere and relief , asgonic, purely Bu.

pand artistic groups are formed. The Honary Commission (Comisic.

c

is one of the most important. The object of this group is mutual aid and pro

ection. The Blue Cross (LaCruz Azul) is a welfare organization. La Alianza

Hispalio-Americano founded by Mexicans of Tucson. it is semi-rasonic. its
aim is political.

Mexican Folk-lore is very similar to the folk-lore of the American

} ;
Negro. There are many instance in which the natives believe in the evil-eye,
in various forms of inate to keep away disease anc poverty. The intense
superstitions of the Mexican make him very difficult to assimilate.

In conclusion, the causes of cultural conflicts are apparent in the
problem oreeeiis by the texican as an economic competitor of the American white,
the glaring difference in culture with little appreciation of the American for
the Culture of the mess ose the lack of formal education and ne oes

se)

of the belief in magic.

Phi lin inntne , Aslan * -

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