MarisolFlores

Peaceorwar,thestruggleofMexicanImmigrationtotheUnitedStates

ThehistoryofMexicanimmigrationhasbeenaharsh,complexandpainfulprocessand
stillis.TheMexicanAmericanWarpushedMexicanimmigrantstotheU.Sinsearchofjobsand
leftthemwiththechoicetochoosetobecomeanAmericancitizenorstayaMexicancitizen.
TheGoldRushpulledMexicanimmigrantstotheU.Stogetapieceofthefortunebutweremet
withdiscrimination.TheMexicanRevolutionwasanotherpushfactor.Mexicanimmigrants
wantedtogetpeaceawayfromthewar.Alltheseeventsinhistorywhetheritbeapushorpull
factorhasdisplayedsimilarreasonstoleaveMexicoorhowtheU.SispullingMexican
immigrantstotheU.S.MajorcurrentdaypushandpullfactorsaretheMexicanWarondrugs
andthepoorschoolsysteminMexico.AlltheseissuescontributetothestrugglethatMexican
immigrantsface.
TheMexicanAmericanwarwasamajorpushfactor.Duringthe1820s,Americans
migratedtoMexicosterritoryknownasTejas(Texas).SoonTexashadbecomeamajority
AmericanandminorityMexican.Therewere20,000Americansand4,000Mexicans.In1830
MexicobannedAmericanstoenterintoTexas,buttheycontinuedcrossingtheborder.In
attemptstoAmericanizeTexasandbringtheterritoryundertheU.Sflag,StephenAustin
believedthatviolencewasinevitableandwarwastheremedy.In1836,warcamewhen
AmericansbegantorebelagainstMexicanAuthority.175rebelsbarricadedthemselvesinthe
Alamo,whichsoonwaslabeledasTheLoneStarRepublic.Mexicosenttroopstosuppressthe
rebelsintheLoneStarRepublicwhichresultedindeathbecausetherebelsrefusedtosurrender.
ThreeyearsbeforetheMexicanAmericanwar,theLonestarRepublicbrokeoffdiplomatic

relationswithMexico.IntheTreatyofVelascotheMexicanborderwassetalongtheRio
Grande,butMexicobelieveditwassetattheNuecasRiverwhichranparalleltotheRioGrande
150milesnortheastofit.WithbothMexicoandtheU.Swantingtoexpandtheircountries
tensiongrewbetweenthem.MexicanarmyhadcrossedtheRioGrandeandPresidentJamesK.
PolkclaimedthatAmericahadbeeninvaded.BelievingthatAmericahadaManifestDestiny,in
1846,JamesK.PolkdeclaredwarwithMexico.Thewarthenstartedin1846andendedin18481
DuringthewarMexicanimmigrationwasntinsuchhighnumbersasitistodaybutback
duringthewar,MexicansleftMexicoforjobsandtodistancethemselvesfromthewar.In
America,therewereemploymentoptionsfortherailroadindustry.Wantingtogetawayfromthe
war,MexicansmigratedtotheAmericaandworkedontherailroads.Winningallthebattles
withintheMexicanAmericanwar,AmericanwonandtheTreatyofGuadalupeHidalgowas
signed.2IntheTreatyofGuadalupeHidalgo,Mexicolostover500,000squaremilesand
requiredtheU.S.topay$15millionfordamageclaimsanddebtrewardment.TheTreatyof
GuadalupeHidalgowassignedonFebruary2,1848.ThesigningofthattreatyleftMexicans
whowerelivinginCalifornia,Arizona,NevadaandTexastomakeadecisiononwhethertostay
inAmericaandbecomeaUScitizenorremainaMexicancitizen.Thewarendedandinsteadof
MexicanimmigrantsmovingacrossthebordertocometotheU.S,thebordercrossedthem.3
AmajorpullfactoraftertheMexicanAmericanwarwastheGoldrush.TheCalifornia
GoldRushstartedinJanuary24,1848,roughlyafewweeksbeforeMexicowasdefeatedby

RonaldTakaki,ADifferentMirror:AHistoryofMulticulturalAmerica,1993NewYork:BackBayBooks,
Chapter7Foreignersinthenativeland
2
"BattlesoftheWarOverview."
PBS
.PBS,n.d.Web.5Nov.2015.
<http://www.pbs.org/kera/usmexicanwar/war/battles_of_the_war_overview.html>.

3
"TreatyofGuadalupeHidalgo."
History.com
.A&ETelevisionNetworks,n.d.Web.5Nov.2015.
<http://www.history.com/topics/treatyofguadalupehidalgo>.

AmericaintheMexicanAmericanwarandthesigningoftheTreatyofGuadalupe.James
WilsonMarshall,acarpenteratawaterpoweredsawmillownedbyJohnStutter,Jamesfound
flakesofgoldintheAmericanRiveratthebaseoftheSierraNevadaMountain.BothJames
MarshallandJohnStuttertriedkeepingitasecret.Inmidmarch,anewspaperhaddiscovered
thatlargeamountsofgoldwereturningupatSutter'smillwhichledtothemreportingit.Word
brokeoutaboutthefindingsofgoldinCalifornia,andimmigrantsfromallaroundtheworld
cametogetapieceofthefortune.DuringtheGoldRush,over25,000Mexicansarrivedin
California.DespitecomingtoCaliforniawhereiswaspromisedtobethelandofthefreeanda
placewheredreamscancometrue,thetreatmentuponimmigrantgroupslikeMexicanswasnot
good.AmericansdislikedtheMexicanpresenceandMexicansweresubjectedtoviolentassaults.
StillwiththeunfairtreatmenttheGoldrushremainedamajorpullfactorforMexican
immigration.4
TheMexicanRevolutionwasamajorpushfactorforMexicanimmigrantsthatallowed
themtoescapethepoliticalpowerofPorfirioDiazandgetpeaceawayfromtherevolution.The
MexicanRevolutionbegan
November20,
1910,andendeddictatorshipinMexicoestablishinga
ConstitutionalRepublic.LeadersoftherevolutionincludedFranciscoMadero,PascualOrozco,
PanchoVillaandEmilianoZapata.Thereiscontroversyoverwhentherevolutionended,some
peoplebelievethatitendedin1917withtheProclamationoftheMexicanconstitution,and
othersbelieveditendedin1924whenPresident
PlutarcoEliasCallestookoffice.5Thepurpose
oftherevolutionwastooverthrowPresidentPorfirioDiaz.PresidentPorfirioDiazwasamajor
politicalpushfactorforMexicanimmigrantstoAmerica.Asheconfiscatedlandtoselltolarge
"TheGoldRushof1849."
History.com
.A&ETelevisionNetworks,n.d.Web.5Nov.2015.
<http://www.history.com/topics/goldrushof1849>.
5
N.p.,n.d.Web.5Nov.2015.<https://www.insidemexico.com/revolutionfacts/>.
4

companiesforcingsmallMexicanfarmerstofindnewhomes.ThatpushedMexicanimmigrants
toAmericainsearchforjobsecurityandpeaceawayfromtherevolution.6
AmodernpushfactorinMexicoisthehighcrimeanddrugtrafficking.Drugtrafficking
inMexicohasbeenanongoingstruggleforthepeopleofMexico.Thedrugtraffickingindustry
inMexicoisworthovermorethan$50billionperyearandiflostitwouldshrinktheeconomy
by63%.7 LivinginMexicowheredrugsareeverywheremakesithardforcitizenstolive,andis
pushingthemtoAmerica.Mexicanimmigrantslongtohaveasafehomeenvironmentwhere
theyaren'tsurroundedbydrugs.AmainfactorthatdrivestheMexicandrugwaristhe
willingnessofthelowerclasspeopletoearneasymoneybyjoiningcriminalorganizations,and
thefailureofthegovernmenttoprovidelegalmeansforgoodpayingjobs.Sincepeopleofthe
lowerclassareinneedofmoney,theyseedrugsasaviableoptiontomakethatmoneytobeable
toprovidefortheirfamilies.Highgovernmentofficialsaredeeplyinvolvedinthedrugtrade.8
Havingthoseauthorityfiguresthathavepoweroverthecitizenscontributestothedesireto
travelupwardtotheAmerica,toescapethecorruptionthatgoesalongwithdrugviolence.The
officialtotalofdeathsfromtheMexicandrugwarwasmorethan111,000asof2013.9
CorruptionwithinMexicosgovernmentandpolicerunsdeep.InDecember2005,upto
7,000higherofficialswentunderinvestigationbecausetheywerebelievedtohaveworkedas
enforcersforvariouscartels.Outofthose7,000agents,only457werefacingcharges.The
CleanupOperationthatwasperformedin2008,hadseveralagentsandhighrankingofficials
arrestedandchargedwithsellinginformationorprotectiontodrugcartels.Withinthatoperation

N.p.,n.d.Web.5Nov.2015.<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_Revolution>.

"TraffickingStatistics."
DrugDrugTrafficintheUnitedStatesDrugRehabandDrugTrafficking.
N.p.,
n.d.Web.5Nov.2015.
8
"MiguelngelFlixGallardo."
Wikipedia
.WikimediaFoundation,n.d.Web.5Nov.2015.
9
"MexicanDrugWar."
Wikipedia
.WikimediaFoundation,n.d.Web.5Nov.2015.
7

higherofficialslikeVictorGerardoGarayCadena(chiefoftheFederalPolice),andRicardo
GutierrezVargas(exchiefofMexicosInterpoloffice)werearrested.Governmentcorruption
anddrugssurroundingthecitizensofMexicopushedandpulledthemtoAmerica.Makingthem
feelliketheycouldnttrustthegovernmenttohelpprovideasafeenviromentforthemtolivein.
Theywantedtogetawayfromthattoxicenvironment,sotheymigratedtotheU.Sbecausethere
drugsandgovernmentcorruptionwerentasprominentastheyareinMexico.10
AmericasschoolsystemisamajorpullfactorforMexicanimmigrants.Accordingtothe
1960census,allMexicansovertheageof5hadnotcompletedoneyearofschool.Mostchildren
attendelementaryschool,butonly62%ofthemreachmiddleschool,halfofthosekidsdropout
andonlyaquarterofthemreachhighschool.Comparedtothat75%ofU.Sstudentsgraduate
fromhighschoolontimewitharegulardiplomaversus45%ofMexicanswhoonlyfinish
middleschool.TheschoolsysteminAmericaispullingthoseimmigrantssothattheycan
becomepartofthat75%andprovethestereotypeofaMexicanwrong.11
Inconclusion,Mexicanimmigrationisagrowingthingandwontstopunlessthings
changeforMexico.Mexicanshavehadaharshexperienceleavingtheirlivesbehindforabetter
lifewithabrighteropportunity.Likeanyotherotherimmigrationgroup,itwashardbutworthit
tomovetoAmerica.TheysawAmericaasthelandofopportunityandfreedomwheretheir
dreamscouldcometrue,butitwasstillastruggletobeacceptedinthisnewland.Lookingback
atthehistoryofMexicanimmigrationshowshowitcontinuouslyaffectsmodernimmigration.
ThesimilarityofallthepushandpullfactorsshowthatMexicanimmigrantsarelookingfora

10

"MexicanDrugWar."
Wikipedia
.WikimediaFoundation,n.d.Web.5Nov.2015.

"Factbox:FactsaboutMexico'sEducationSystem."
Reuters.
ThomsonReuters,13Apr.2011.Web.5
Nov.2015.
11

betterlife.TheclaimsthatstatethatMexicansaretakingAmericancitizensjobsandthat
theyarebringingdrugsintoAmericadestroystheimageofMexicanimmigrantswhoareonly
lookingforfreshstart.WithpeoplelikeDonaldTrumpdontmakeitanyeasierandwiththe
knowledgeofthehistoryofMexicanimmigrantsitshowsthattheyaren'tlookingfortrouble,
theyaretryingtogetawayfromtrouble.

Citations

RonaldTakaki,ADifferentMirror:AHistoryofMulticulturalAmerica,1993NewYork:BackBayBooks,
Chapter7Foreignersinthenativeland

"BattlesoftheWarOverview."
PBS.
PBS,n.d.Web.5Nov.2015.
<http://www.pbs.org/kera/usmexicanwar/war/battles_of_the_war_overview.html>.

"TreatyofGuadalupeHidalgo."
History.com
.A&ETelevisionNetworks,n.d.Web.5Nov.2015.
<http://www.history.com/topics/treatyofguadalupehidalgo>.

"TheGoldRushof1849."
History.com
.A&ETelevisionNetworks,n.d.Web.5Nov.2015.
<http://www.history.com/topics/goldrushof1849>.

"MexicanMigration."
:HistoryFactsforKids***
.N.p.,n.d.Web.5Nov.2015.
<http://www.americanhistorama.org/18811913maturationera/mexicanmigration.htm>.

N.p.,n.d.Web.5Nov.2015.<https://www.insidemexico.com/revolutionfacts/>.

N.p.,n.d.Web.5Nov.2015.<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_Revolution>.

"TraffickingStatistics."
DrugDrugTrafficintheUnitedStatesDrugRehabandDrugTrafficking.
N.p.,
n.d.Web.5Nov.2015.

"MiguelngelFlixGallardo."
Wikipedia
.WikimediaFoundation,n.d.Web.5Nov.2015.

"MexicanDrugWar."
Wikipedia
.WikimediaFoundation,n.d.Web.5Nov.2015.

"
EducationinMexico."
Wikipedia
.WikimediaFoundation,n.d.Web.5Nov.2015.

"Factbox:FactsaboutMexico'sEducationSystem."
Reuters
.ThomsonReuters,13Apr.2011.Web.5Nov.
2015.