As far as inconsistencies, the way this book was wrote, they are expected based on whether the research was done from the Texans, Mexicans, or the observer standpoint. It also seems difficult to separate the myth from the truth at times. The primary sources used are found in the Texas State Library in Austin, Benson Latin American Collection and the Baker Center for American History at the University of Texas in Austin, the DRT Library in San Antonio and many more.
By insisting on their Spanish blood and the absence of any African blood, some Mexicans were able to claim whiteness and purchase land. Whiteness was thus inscribed in Texas law as the precondition for the rights of both citizenship and land ownership. This construction of whiteness separated white Texans from slaves and laborers of such "mongrel" groups as African Americans and Mexicans. Chapter Two, " 'The Little Brown Man in Gringo Land," details the impact of the legalization of Mexican labor and the relaxing of the Immigration Act of 1917 on farm labor and tenancy in central Texas. Large numbers of Mexicans in central Texas replaced African American and Anglo American tenants and sharecroppers, exacerbating tensions among the remaining white tenants.
“The fighting in Bexar raged with a house-to-house assault unlike anything the Mexican army had before experienced” (Lee, n.d.). General Cos’ surrendered from the Alamo on December 9, 1835 with 200 of his men dead and many more wounded. The Mexican surrender and the siege of the Alamo brought immediate retaliation from Santa Anna. He quickly assembled a force of 8,000 men and pushed mercilessly towards Texas. He was determined to crush all opposition and teach the Texans a lesson (Lee,
“The annexation of Texas to the US was inadmissible for both legal and security reasons. Thus, when the Mexican
In the text “Mexicans Begin Jogging”, it says “At the factory I worked in the fleck of rubber, under the press of an oven yellow flame.” Soto Lines 1-3 Thus Gary saying this, he also said “Over the fence, Soto,” he shouted, and I shouted that I was American. “No time for lies,” he said, and pressed A dollar in my palm, hurrying me Through the black door.” Furthermore Mexicans have to deal with the hard jobs of America because it’s the only America offers them in jobs (the hardest and dirtiest jobs) and they are not being appreciated for what they are doing.
In the book Sleuthing the Alamo, by historian James E. Crisp we are faced with some surprising truths about the Texas Revolution as he draws attention to many facilities that have been said to be truths over the years. These facts are often covered by tales of racism and political correctness. Over the course of this engrossing interpretation of the Texas Revolution this historian works like a detective to bring light to the more difficult truths behind all the tales that many believe. I believe James E. Crisp’s thesis to be fairly straightforward. This historian wishes to bring truth to the light.
The film prejudice and pride, revealed the struggle of Mexican Americans in the 1960s-1970s. In the film it showed Mexican Americans, frustration by the President discrimination and poverty. In this film I learned about the movement that led to the Chicano identity. This movement sparked, when the farm workers in the fields of California, marched on Sacramento for equal pay and humane working conditions. This march was led by César Chavez and Dolores Huerta.
Mexican immigration has been a controversy in the United States before 1980. According to Jie Zong and Jeanne Batalova, Mexican immigration can be divided in three waves: the first one, before World War two, the second one started with the Bracero program, and the last one after it. Nevertheless, Mexican immigration can be seen as something threat or as the opposite, a benefit to the country and it all depends on which side you want to be. The American, Cesar Chavez who was a farm worker, also creator/leader of the United Farm Workers Union, influenced ad contributed to United States history by using Mexican’s “dignity” and nonviolent strategies to showed Americans that Mexicans could accomplished hard work and being successful for the country. Mexican’s deal with discrimination since 1962, schools, minorities, and farmers were the main target, this guide Chavez to create the National Farm Workers Association, now the United Farm Workers Union.
As stated before, the US was justified in going to war with Mexico because of three reasons, Americans were killed, Texas was already annexed, and Manifest Destiny allows it. The United states had many superb reasons for going to war with Mexico. This essay is significant because it helps explain the United States’ choice to go to war with
The war with Mexico was not justified for three reasons, one reason is that the war was about expanding slavery, another reason is because the war was not needed, the final reason is that the war was wicked and provoked. The first reason why the war was unjustified was because the war was about getting more land for slaves and slavery. Joshua R. Giddings explains, “This war is waged against an unoffending people without just or adequate cause, for the purposes of conquest; with the design to extend slavery; in violation of the Constitution, against the dictates of justice, of humanity, of the sentiments of the age in which we live, and the precepts of the religion we profess. ”(Document E). Giddings explains it perfectly, he was there while the war was going on.
Much of the economic sector within the community is agricultural based. Many Mexican-American in the early 20th century were braceros and vaqueros. Vikki Ruiz mention the Economic status of Mexicans, and states, “Pushed by the economic and political chaos generated by the Mexican Revolution and lured by jobs in U.S. agribusiness and industry, they settled into existing barrios and forged new communities both in the Southwest and the Midwest” (Ruiz, p.265). these communities were build on the economic opportunity available of migration.
A second Hispanic contribution was that they helped us gain Texas from Mexico. José Antonio Navarro and José Francisco Ruiz were the two of the most well-known Spaniards that helped us accomplish
The empresarios disliked the law, such as Stephen F. Austin. While Stephen F. Austin tried to encourage people to obey the law, he was concerned about the Mexican government was treating their
Although the United States war against Mexico resulted in the gaining of America’s most valuable land, the war itself wasn’t legitimate because of the revolution in Texas, motivation for superiority, and the U.S. government’s actions. To begin, the Texans began an unreasonable war because they didn’t follow Mexico’s laws and conditions. When Mexico started selling cheap land, they set conditions for the people moving in. The people had to convert to Catholicism, learn Spanish, become a Mexican citizen, and have no slaves. Many Americans didn’t like being told what to do, and disobeyed the rules and laws.
The Mexican American population is comprised of a myriad of different statuses. Many families have resided in this area since Spanish American first began to migrate and settle here. The lower class arrived in Texas along with Indian and Mexican immigrants to go to work on a Spanish ranch. Others more recently attained their status as citizens here after migrating from Mexico to the United States.