Mexican Migration to the United States of America.

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Mexican Migration to the United States of America.
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Mexico USA BACKGROUND

• Napoleonic war ignites struggle for independence
  
• Struggle lasts ten years
• Treaty of Cordoba (1821)
• Mexico an independent state)

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Mexican Colonization Law(1820 1830)

• Texas in 1820 4,000 Mexicans
• Solicited immigrants from USA
• American immigrants could receive a League
  Labor of land if they
• Became Mexican citizens.
• Obeyed Mexican laws.
• Converted to Catholicism
• Slavery was illegal

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Tensions lead to war Independence

• April 6, 1830 - the Mexican government forbids
  further American emigration to Texas.
• 1835 - October 9, the Battle of Goliad takes
  place and ends with a victory for Texas.
• On December 11, the Seige of Bexar ends with the
  Texans capturing Santa Anna Mexican president

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Mexican/American Relations

• Mexican American War (1846 -48)
• Set in motion by US annexation of Texas
• Fighting was one-sided
• Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848)
• Mexico loses 40 of territory
• Mexicans living in territory become U.S. citizens
  
• U.S. pays 15 million for territory acquired

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U.S. Dominates North America
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Caribbean Basin
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The Great Depression

• High unemployment rates led to hostility towards
  Mexican immigrants
• Deportation but situation is Mexico is worse
• Migrant work camps established by U.S. Farm
  Security Administration
• Provided necessities
• Protection
• Sense of community

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Migration Continues despite legal prohibitions

• Tensions
• Ethnic groups in U. S. react to growing Mexican
  community in the cities
• Zoot Suit Riot in L.A. (1942)

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World War II Immigration from Mexico tolerated

• Factories lit up to support war effort
• Need low-cost agricultural labor
• Bracero joint program between U.S. and Mexico
  to contract laborers for these jobs
• Popular with farmers
• 5 million Mexicans came as braceros
• Once war ended, U.S. deported 4 million
  immigrants back to Mexico, again
• This was a larger deportation than during the
  Depression

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lure of Jobs reignites immigration from Mexico

• Bracero Program (1950-964) Mexicans continue
  their working relationship with US farmers.
• Maquiladora program -
• Factories within 50 miles of U.S. border given
  tariff preferences
• developed to curtail the job incentive for new
  immigration
• Higher US wages continued to attract migrants
• Immigration act of 1987
• Intended to ensure that Mexican workers here were
  legal
• Failure to close border led to increased
  immigration

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Mexican Immigration Surges

• Present currently 20 million legal residents of
  Mexican heritage in U.S.
• 1990s more legal immigrants came from Mexico
  than all European countries combined
• Illegal immigration surges (10 million plus)
• Mexican-Americans influence culture in USA
• Communication UNAVISION
• Jobs in most professions
• Public office (Sonia Sotomayor Supreme Court )
• Projections within two generations, over 25 of
  the U.S. residents will be of Mexican origin
  largest part Mexican

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The Wage Comparison

• The minimum wage in Mexico is about 57 cents an
  hour. About 12.5 times less than that in the USA.
• This offers a huge incentive for immigrants to
  come here to work and send money home to their
  impoverished families.
• Economic crisis in Mexico in 1994 exacerbated the
  wage differential.

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Economic Crisis of 1994

• Devaluation of the Mexican peso
• Occurred on the watch of Mexican President Carlos
  Salinas Gortari
• Insurgent rebellion in Chipas shook the nation

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Lack of Foresight

• De Gortari launched a high spending splurge
• Lax banking surrounded the government loan
• 20 over specualation of the Peso

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Recovery/Aid

• NAFTA almost derailed
• 50 billion dollars in loans/aid issued mostly
  from the U. S.
• Loans quickly repaid, but recovery difficult
• Wages fell sharply

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Effects on Population Movement

• Migration to the U.S. (much of it illegal)
  increased
• Family connections channeled new migrants
• The more Mexican people that migrate, the larger
  the network becomes
• Many Mexican women migrate after their husbands
  have established themselves n the U.S.

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Effects on Population Movement Women

• Female migration to the United States increased
• Rapidly catching up with the number of male
  migrants
• Low paying jobs (seamstress, maids)
• Prostitution
• U.S. role dates back to prohibition
• Relatively high-paying - 100 per day)
• Violence remains a concern

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Mexican Migration What is Unique?

• While the United States is a nation of
  immigrants, we have never has one foreign
  nationality come in so rapidly and in such
  numbers
• Potential to change U.S. culture and institutions
  is unprecedented