Mexican Americans In The 1930's

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At the time of the Great Depression, 1920s and 1930s, Mexicans were facing difficulties to keep living in the United States. With the Great Depression, many American citizens were facing with unemployment and wanted restrictions on the immigration policy to the countries in the Western Hemisphere. In response to the American’s revolt against Mexican immigration, the government expelled hundreds of thousands Mexican, and tried to stop more Mexicans from entering the country. The creation of railroads, farms, and industries demanded a high amount of labors in the United States. Many Mexicans left Mexico to come work in the industries and in the agricultural field. Before 1920s, there was no restrictions of Mexicans immigration and it was believed…show more content…
Ernesto Galarza, a Mexican American scholar, describe the problems that many Mexicans were facing during the time of unemployment. Ernesto wrote a report, or an article at 1929 explaining what Mexicans were facing and asking recognition for what they have done for the country. (5) It is not clear what type of document Ernesto wrote, but on the document, Ernesto asked for the Americans to recognize what Mexicans had provided to the country and to teach them to live like Americans. “If you give him his earned wage and he proves improvident teach him otherwise; if he is tuberculous, cure him; if he falls into indigence, raise him. He has built you an empire!”…show more content…
According to Ernesto, the Mexicans are the first to suffer from unemployment. Mexicans are not lazy men like some people believe, Mexicans are humble people who suffers with the minimal wages but has no ability to change the wage system, so the Mexicans deal with the minimum standard of living that are provided to them. (7) Mexicans-Americans has to deal with overcharge at transportation, has to bear the cost of getting minimum wages, and faces prejudices. Ernesto asks for the recognition of their hard work, to change the way Americans see them, and says that Mexicans are humble people ready to learn from Americans how to live. Ernesto’s document could be a little bias. Since the Mexicans were facing strong discrimination, getting exported to Mexico, and losing their jobs, Ernesto could be bias making it seems that the Mexicans were poor people wanting to work and learn from the Americans how to live. He might be showing a poor side of the Mexicans so Americans feel sorry to them. Ernesto also argues that many of the work done in the country was done by Mexicans and so, Mexicans should be recognize by their work and not be getting

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