Mexican American Before 1900’s

ThyErika Buenrostro Yaolee ChenScott McKague Elizabeth RoblesBrianJason Ray

Mexican American Settlers

Mexican immigrated to the US can roughly be placed in three categories.

1. The first is immigrants who were left outside the borders of a shrinking Mexico after 1836,1848, and 1853 and these were natives who, although not really immigrants, but they were considered foreigners in their native land by the American.

2. The second category consists of migrants who continued entering and leaving the US in southwestern area.

3. The third and most important group , in terms of bigger picture of immigration are Mexican who arrived in response to the dramatically expanding need for laborer after 1880s.

Between 1850 and 1880, 55,000 Mexican workers immigrated to the United States to become field hand workers in regions that had, until very recently, belonged to Mexico.

For many Mexican immigrants, moving to the U.S. was not necessarily a one-time journey of permanent relocation. Since the distance was so short, Mexican citizens could return home relatively easily, and many did so--because of improved conditions in Mexico, In the 1910s and 1920s, it is estimated that more than 1 million Mexican immigrants returned to Mexico.

need of U.S. employers for manual labor heightened first by the expansion supported American agriculture.

World War I also increased Mexican immigrant, because much of the U.S. labor force was overseas fighting the war. This open employment opportunities for Mexicans American jobs like industry and service fields, working in trades such as machinists, mechanics, painters and plumbers. These years were ripe with employment opportunities for Mexicans and much made the move to major cities.

Americans felt that immigration was beneficial and necessary to the economy. They are seen as people with good characters and their migration meant they would be both producers and consumers in society and help economic growth in the United States.

Americans were also left with the feeling that the United States simply could not turn their backs on the Mexican people simply because the quality of life that they had in Mexico was minimal

The Mexican American war

Major conflict driven by the idea of “Manifest destiny”, God given right to expand overseas

Tension grew between Mexico and US after Texas independence

It caused a great deal of suffering for many mexicans

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

Signed in Feb 2, 1848 55% Mexican territory annexed including CA,

NV,AZ,NM,UT $15 million paid in compensation for territory Mexicans given the choice of citizenship Mexicans now “foreigners in their own land”

Democracy for Anglos only. Mexicans not granted suffrage.

New tax system dispossess Mexicans from land

Tax system was color blind and applied to everyone

Mexicans lost their land to Anglos who would pay the taxes

Gender roles

The history of Mexican woman can be traced back to the 18th century when the Spanish missionaries brought their wives and children to live in California. The man was a missionary. He played a role like a shepherd to his sheep. The Spanish woman worked as a midwife, who helped the Indian woman to deliver the babies. After the babies were delivered, the Spanish woman often baptized the Indian babies and converted the Indian babies into the Catholics. The Spanish woman during the colonial period played a role like a mother to the Indian children.

The Napoleon War fought in 1815-1820 around. Because of the political instability in Spain, the Mexican Government stroke for the independence. In the year of 1820, the Mexican government received California from the hand of Spain. And the California became a state of Mexico. The Rancheros were the Mexican governors who lived in California. The Rancheros often received a huge land grand from the Mexican government. The population of Rancheros was only 3% of the Californian’s. The rest of the people, they worked in the Ranchos. The Indian man crafted tools, chairs, and other valuable materials for the Rancheros. The Indian woman cooked the dishes, cleaned the houses, and baby-sat the children for the families of Ranchero. And, there were the cowboys and the cowgirls, watching cattle on the Ranchos. In general, the man's job and the woman's jobs in the Ranchos were different, except the children.

The story changed in the late 19th century. The rise of the American Industries required a great number of labor worker. Usually, the immigrants were paid poorly because they were the non-skillful workers. The Mexican children were about in the same condition as if they were the children of immigrant. The Mexican boys worked in the coal mining camps. They were muddy and dirty. For other Mexican boys, who worked in the factories, they often lost their fingers or toes during the works. The Mexican girls worked in the laundry shops, the hotels, the restaurants, the garment factories, or the cannery industries.

Since the Industrial Revolution, the types of man's job and woman's job are not much different. An increasing number of Mexican man performed woman's jobs in the cities because of that the types of job were well paid in the cities. And they were the food processors, chefs, bakers, laundry operators, and garment factory workers.

A garment factory worker, for example, was not always a woman. A Mexican man worked as a garment factory worker too, by the turn of the century.

Technology and Mexican American Childhood

Introduction

California was remote region in Spanish empire

Remained isolated within Mexican Republic

Referred to themselves as Californios Held large tracts of land called

Ranchos Traded with Americans, principal

goods of trade

Life on the Rancho 1850 After the war, initially, life changed

little in the southern ranchos A child living in the early 1850’s on

large rancho would be exposed to: hide and tallow production for

commercial trade for local trade, tanners, soap makers,

harness makers household included cook, baker, and

winemaker

Change was coming Land Act of 1851 Legitimize Californios land claims The ranchos in the north were the

first to go Many of the ranchos in the south

remained intact

Life on the rancho 1860 child living on a rancho in 1860 rancho was considerably smaller There were considerably fewer

ranchos Californios were losing economic

dominance to Anglos

New Technology Arrives! First railroad arrives in Southern

California 1869 opened up Southern Cal to land

speculation higher land taxes and lawyer fees

for Californios

Life on the rancho 1875 child living on a rancho in 1875 very few left Californios, once landowners, now

wage laborers mortgaged property lost to banks,

lawyers, money lenders

Say good-bye 1887 railroad brought in 120,00

Anglo settlers to Southern California

total Mexican American population at the time, 12,000

And then there was, Californios lost power and social

status became indistinguishable form

Mexicans who came at the turn of the century

went from dominant economic and political power to one of prevailing wage labor

schooling and language changes

Life did not change immediately, except in texas and northern ca.

Language in central CA changed in 1852 Some remained spanish speaking until 1870’s Schools were bi-lingual, there were bilingual

newspapers, judges, community leaders

Language changed in 1878 Anglos dominate the west, transformed

schools Caused Mexican to become forgotten

citizen

Mexican-American Children1850-1900

Play

Play

Mexican-American war

Mexicans become Mexican-Americans

Traditional Games and Toys

Games

Rondos El Chicote Lottería El Bote Marbles

Toys

Trompos El Balero Muñecas Paper-mache figures Rag Dolls Rattles and noisemakers

Mexican Religion: History The study of the history of religion has never

existed in Mexico as a distinct discipline.

-History of religion in Mexico coincides with the political history of the country.

-Religious happenings date back to as early as 40,000 BC.

Mayan: 2000bc-1500ad -Multiple gods: all had to do with nature

-Religion was an important part of Mayan life that regulated almost everything

-Life dominated by priests and worship of gods of nature and war -elaborate rituals including sacrifice of war prisoners; respect for the dead

Colonial Religion:1500-1700 Catholic Church’s role in Mexican history goes back

to 1519, when Hernan Cortes landed on coast of Mexico accompanied by Roman Catholic clergy

-Virgin of Guadalupe has long been a symbol enshrining the major aspirations of Mexican society

-Arrival of Spanish Roman inquisition(1571) to “protect the faith”; banned Protestant bibles; became political, executed 42% of all “Heretics” in Latin America

Religion: 1800-1900 The first major confrontation between the church and the state

occurred during the presidency of Benito Juarez(1855-1872). -on July 12, 1857, Juarez declared 1.)No church could legally own property 2.)Foreigners could not serve as priests or pastors 3.)Worship services should be held exclusively in temples or

churches 4.)clergy could not directly or indirectly criticize government

authorities 5.)clergy could not vote or participate in politics 6.)mass media should not be used to promote religion 7.)government leaders supposedly should never participate in

religious ceremonies

Religion: Effect on Children

-Religion during this time was influential in all aspects of life including: social, political, economical, and practical

-Children’s lives effected by long held family beliefs and turmoil regarding religion’s role in everyday matters

Study questions Who were the Californios? What was the Land Act of 1851? What were Mexican american called after Anglos dominated

the southwest? When did CA stopped being a bilingual state? Where did the game Lotteria originate? What were dolls, or Muñecas, frequently made from? As a result of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, how much

money did the United States paid to the Mexican government paid for the seized land?

As a result of the Mexican American War what percentage of territory was seized to the United States?

bibliography Meir, Matt S. and Felicano Rivera. Dictionary of Mexican

American History.Westport Ct. Greenwood Press. 1981.

Pitt, Leonard. The Decline of the Californios, A Social History of the Spanish- Speaking Californians, 1846-1890. Berkeley, Ca. University of California press. 1966.

Tenenbaum, Barbara A., ed. Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture. New York: C. Scribner’s Sons; London : Simon & Schuster:

Prentice Hall International, c1996. Vol 1.

1.)Torres, Yolotl Gonzalez. “The History of Religion and the Study of Religion in Mexico.” Method and Theory in the Study of Religion; 2000, Vol. 12 Issue 1/2, p38, 11p. EBSCOHost.

2.)Matovina, Timothy. “Our Lady of Guadalupe: Patroness of America.” America;12/8/2003, Vol. 189 Issue 19, p8. EBSCOHost. 3.)Isais, Juan M. “Mexico.” Christianity Today;11/16/98, Vol. 42 Issue 13, p72, 2p. EBSCOHost

4.)“Mexico-Religion.” http://countrystudies.us/mexico/61.html

5.)“Study Guide to Map & Facts: Mexico.” http://www.ncccusa.org/friend/religionmex.hml

6.)“The Mayan World.” http://www.mayanet.hn.copan/English/Culture/culture.html