CHICANOS (from Takaki)
El Norte – land of boundless dreams for Mexican migrants
Early 20th century – growing number emigrate with extravagant hopes or flee to escape starvation
IN MEXICO – many move to cities & find selves trapped in cyclical unemployment
Plus less land being cultivated = not enough food
1910 – Mexican Revolution (civil war) à many flee to North for safety
Train links Mexico to Texas à 10,000’s go to “El Norte” (most agricultural labor class 15-54 men – send for family later)
1900-1930 – SW pop of Mexicans grows from 375,000 to 1,160,000 (esp in 20’s boom)
Many urbanized workers in America (esp construction – locked out of management)
Women work in factories, food processing, canneries (worst/lowest paying jobs), auto plants, rr
Also cooks, maids, waitresses, servants (paid less than white women for same)
MOST jobs in agriculture – praised for obedience
1920’s ¾ of Ca’s 200,000 farm laborers = Mexicans (10% Anglo, 5% black, 85% Mexican)
pay = ½ whites’ – wages so low can’t move, must meet quotas to feed selves
Sugar beet hand work most arduous
Squalid shelters (dirty water, no baths) à strikes & union
1928-1933 (depression) wages cut from 35 to 14 cents per hour
J. Frank Dobie – family ranch observed Mexicans and described social distance between Anglos and Mexicans (kept to barrios, segregated schools, trained as obedient workers); teach them only to be good. Mexican fecundity seen as threat (worry over miscegenationist threst)
Largely Indian blood makes them seem largely unabsorbable – Anglos clamor for closing border
Owners argue (want laborers)
Depression à massive layoffs (esp Chicanos), many shipped out of town to Mexico (including many American born children) à whites employed
Mexican border = imaginary line; big Mexican American community in U.S.
Fandango – festivals (musicians/dancing in street, fireworks, stories)
Religion – uniquely Mexican version of Catholicism
Mexican survival depended on solidarity & mutual assistance; rejection reinforced return mentality
Strong sentiment of wanting to retain Mexican heritage