Premium Essay

Mexican Immigration 19th Century

Submitted By
Words 490
Pages 2
Mexican immigration was stagnant until the late 1800s; restrictive immigration laws were set in place which resulted in a decline in Asian labor, so the U.S. looked to Mexico to fill the manual labor void. Western expansion demanded labor in several industries including mining, agriculture, construction and transportation (particularly railroad construction and maintenance.)
While major railways were constructed over 60 percent of all crews were Mexican. The developing areas of northern Mexico and southwestern U.S. drew many towards the border and encouraged immigration. By 1900 U.S. over 100,000 Mexicans had come into the U.S. After the
Mexican Revolution, occurring a decade later, thousands of people traveled across the border
due …show more content…
Mexicans worked in basic industries and trades, and were recruited for agriculture and railway jobs. This was about the time U.S. Border Patrol and work contracts were introduced; the de facto Bracero Program (Bracero translated is “farm worker”) granted workers to bring their families to the U.S. for the duration of their work contract, and the government began to recognize undocumented workers as fugitives if they did not possess a contract. The terms “undocumented worker” and “illegal alien” were created because of Border
Patrol. Entry was denied if workers could not prove their employment in the U.S. and if they were discovered they would be deported for breaking the law. The Second World War allowed laborers back into the U.S. due to the reopening of jobs, most of which were war efforts. The Bracero program was in full swing again and for the next twenty years, millions of Mexicans immigrated to work in the agriculture industry as braceros. Regulations for braceros included surrendering their permits after their allotted work times and only returning to Mexico in a case of an emergency if their employer

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Immigration Inamerica in the 1800s

...Immigration in America AMH 2010 During the Colonial period, the United States experienced successive waves of immigration, particularly from Europe. Many immigrants came to America seeking greater economic opportunity, while others arrived in search of religious freedom. Starting in 1820, some federal records, including ship passenger lists, were kept for immigration purposes, and a gradual increase in immigration was recorded. At the turn of the 19th century, roughly 1790-1830, the population of the US doubled to 10 million people as a result of an increase in reproduction, as immigration had slowed during this time to about 250,000. Then another major wave of immigration occurred from 1815-1865 just after the defeat of Napoleon in 1815. Between 1841 and 1850, immigration nearly tripled again, totaling in 1.7 million immigrants, including at least 781,000 Irish, 435,000 Germans, 267,000 British, and 77,000 French. Bad times and poor conditions in Europe drove people out, while land, relatives, freedom, opportunity, and jobs in the US lured them in. Approximately one-third came from Ireland, which experienced a massive famine in the mid-19th century resulting in 750,000 people who starved to death. In the 1840s, almost half of America’s immigrants were from Ireland alone. Typically penniless, these Irish immigrants settled near their point of arrival in cities along the East Coast such as Boston and Ney York City. Nearly 2 million Irish migrated to the United States during...

Words: 741 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Essay On Open Borders

...immigration system as “broken.” If what we’re doing doesn’t work, why not try something different?There’s a notion that in the 19th and early 20th centuries, Europeans immigrated to the U.S. legally. But “legally” meant something very different than it does now. At that time, the United States accepted practically everyone who showed up, with few restrictions other than the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act and a brief health examination. The foreign-born share of the population, 12.9 percent, is lower today than it was during the entire period from 1860 to 1920, according to data published by the Brookings Institution.There’s a notion that in the 19th and early 20th centuries, Europeans immigrated to the U.S. legally. But “legally” meant something very different than it does now. At that time, the United States accepted practically everyone who showed up, with few restrictions other...

Words: 1590 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Dominican Republic Research Paper

...Immigration its wrath Since the first European settlement in the 16th century, The United States of America has been subjected to large waves of immigration. The pilgrims saw in America, a country of great opportunities and religious freedom. In addition, the land of “milk and honey” was contemplated as a safe haven for those trying to escape persecution in their country. As the charter business continued to develop, traveling became more accessible to an even larger number of individuals worldwide. The lack of rules and regulations were a catalyst for America’s increasing population. As a result of this rapid growth, new and more restricted immigration laws were introduced in 1965. I will come back to this point in one of the segments below. Immigrations have a tendency to generate minority groups. These groups are often the targets of oppression and abuse. For a long period of time African and Native Americans were disregarded by the US government, however in 19th century with the...

Words: 878 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Immigration Concerns Throughout the 20th Century

...Immigration concerns across the years Asian Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 – denied any Chinese immigrant from entering unless they could prove they were not of the skilled or non-skilled labor set. Geary Act of 1892 – extended the Exclusion Act 1902 the Exclusion act was made permanent The US and Japanese entered into the Gentleman’s Agreement in 1907. This cooperative effort resulted in Japan no longer issuing passports to its citizens that planned on immigrating to the US (except for Hawaii) and the US agreeing to only allow the wives and children of current Japanese residents into the country. This Act was not as harsh as the Chinese Exclusion Act even though both the Chinese and Japanese were regarded as threats by the white population. http://aapcgroup11.blogspot.com/2009/12/gentlemens-agreement-of-1907.html http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/229394/Gentlemens-Agreement African Americans Black Codes There were many laws and rules prior to the passing of the 13th Amendment which freed black slaves. The ones of concern are those enacted just before the passing of the 14th Amendment which would have granted equal status to the blacks, in theory. These new laws, The Black Codes, granted second class status to the newly freed slaves. The newly freed slaves’ hands were tied once again in perhaps a less pervasive hold. In essence, the Codes were the new quasi-slavery laws that the South instituted in order to maintain the control the whites had over...

Words: 1413 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

English

...about how Americans in the last part of the 19th century have actually formulated the values of being barbaric against immigrants and foreigners that are both found inside and outside the country. It is from this book that wide and open reflections can be done as to how America have been influenced enough to its formation of the immigration laws in the ways that they applied racial discriminations and superiority against other races. These attitudes of the 19th century America is considered to be the primary factors that led to the formation of the American laws regarding immigration and its country’s history. In fact, this can be the considered turning point of the American society as to how they have actually regarded themselves more powerful than the rest of the other races. This should hold true in the ways that America allowed immigrants to work in the country and thus leading to the economic boom of the country. This, in turn, allowed the creation of the Centennial Exhibition and political stability through immigrant children. Outside interaction of the Americans would apply the same concepts of the American superiority. In the discussion that follows, we consider the particular relations of the Americans to foreigners and how this has actually affected the formations of laws that would, in some ways, consider the Americans barbaric. Primarily, we may have to consider the situation of the Americans in the 19th century. This is be a well-known time of the American...

Words: 2685 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Mexican Immigration Research Paper

...Mexican immigration to the U.S (2)Ever since the 1890’s, immigrants have come from many countries, especially Mexico, all the way to the U.S. They came looking for jobs, wealth, safe places to live, and more. Around the 1920’s, Americans encouraged the immigration of these people, mostly because the south needed the cheap labor for their farms and plantations. They were even excluded from the immigration act in 1924 that put quotas on how many immigrants from certain countries could come into the U.S. Mexican-Americans are very important to the U.S. society, economy, and overall stability. (3)The first Mexican migration was not to the U.S., instead, it was from the U.S. After the Mexican-American war in 1846, the United States annexed off...

Words: 1415 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Illegal Immigration Research Paper

...Joseph Grieco Frye Seminar 3rd 7 January 2017 US Policies On Illegal Immigration and Its History Since the 19th century, there has been a constant flow of federal policies that have made attempts to regulate immigration in the US. These policies started when New York began to register and tax immigrants in 1824 (Welch). Since then, policies regarding illegal immigration have changed, and an increased overall number of immigrants coming to the US caused policies to become more oppressive. There has also been struggles including policies that affect children and how to properly help undocumented children while considering what is morally best for the child. Due to issues with the policies regarding illegal immigration, there is controversy...

Words: 1136 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

History of Spanish Language Newspapers

...Eron Jenkins History of News Media Jeff Johnson November 28, 2011 Spanish-Language Newspapers in Ybor City and New Mexico In 1898, the Cuban War for Independence ended. 12 years later, the Mexican Revolution against the autocratic president Porfirio Díaz began. Not surprisingly, the ramifications of these two events were not limited to Cuba and Mexico. Thousands of Spanish speaking people came to the United States in search work and asylum. In Tampa, Florida, in a neighborhood called Ybor City, cigar manufacturers offered work to immigrants from Cuba and Spain. Conversely, in New Mexico, Spanish speaking people had lived in the region north of the Rio Grande for hundreds of years. However, growth and stability in the region offered new opportunities to Americans from the east and Mexican immigrants from the south. The goal of this paper will be to examine the development and content of Spanish language newspapers in these two areas from 1900-1910 by looking at two newspapers: El Diario de Tampa of Ybor City and La Estrella of La Cruces, New Mexico.               To understand any aspect of any culture one must note the historical context in which the event occurs. In this case, the goal is to study the history of the news media, specifically newspapers, in Ybor City and New Mexico. Because of the corresponding migration and revolutionary atmosphere, the context of the development of the newspapers in these two places is similar. However, they diverge in terms of their...

Words: 3298 - Pages: 14

Premium Essay

Immigrants a Vulnerable Population

...Immigrants a Vulnerable Population BSHS – 302 September 20, 2011 Today, immigration policy and immigration is mostly debated at the extremes, between those who want no immigrants and those who want no borders, implying that immigration is an all-or-nothing proposition. It is clear that some type of policy and reform needs to be established. This writer will discuss and identify the causes of the problems or issues for this population. Focus will be placed on these topics: the history of the population, the nature of the social problems or issues experienced demographics and common clinical issues and intervention strategies, as well as a discussion of future interventions. Since, I live in a rural agricultural area that has been flooded with immigrants for the past decades; I have become very familiar with the Haitian and Hispanic populations. Finally, these groups are from different origins, recognized by various names, and all have taken broad paths to arrive in the United States. Immigration is the center of United States history. The earliest colonization of immigrants was established in the United States in the late 1500’s throughout the 1700’s. Additionally, with the exception of the Native Americans or Indians, evidence proves that America’s citizens are the product of immigration, whether they came as volunteers or they were forced (US Census Bureau, 2000). For example, the transatlantic slave trade created a lasting image of black men and...

Words: 1387 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Westward Expansion

...“Manifest Destiny is a term for the attitude prevalent during the 19th century period of American expansion that the United States not only could, but was destined, to stretch from coast to coast.” “Some American citizens and government officials believed in the notion of “manifest destiny,” a term coined by journalist John L. O’Sullivan in 1845, which meant Americans were destined to control all the continental lands west to the Pacific, south to the Rio Grande, and north to Canada. But manifest destiny could also be a guise for opportunism. America’s expansion west was an expansion for merchants as well as farmers. California was known for its fertile land and, later, its rich gold fields, but American merchants wanted to acquire it for its Pacific ports. These allowed for American expansion into the Pacific Ocean for trade with China and Japan; eventually, the U.S. established a powerful American naval base in Hawaii. Factors that contributed to America’s westward expansion in the later half of the 19th century included the quelling of Native American resistance and relocation of tribes to reservations, gold rushes (in Colorado, California, and the Black Hills of South Dakota) and the building of the Intercontinental Railroad. By the Spanish-American War of 1898, having reached...

Words: 892 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Depressio Bracero Case Study

...Migrant workers have played an integral role in the U.S. economy for centuries. For instance, without the help of the Chinese peasants that fled Asia in the 1850s, the Central Pacific Railroad may have not of been completed in a timely manner. Similarly, Irish migrant labor became an invaluable resource for the American industrial system during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Yet, from the early 1800s until World War 1, America’s borders virtually had no confines on immigration or its patterns. But the First World War greatly reshaped global migration patterns, and these lasting transformations would ultimately lead to the formation of America’s H-2A migrant laborer program. The onset of the First World War created a temporary end of European migrants to the United States. It was soon recognized that Mexican workers were needed in order to fill the existing labor shortages. During the wartime period they did just that, but after the War it abruptly came to a halt. “Soon afterward [WW1], the Great Depression arrived and Mexican workers were seen as a threat to American jobs. More than 500,000 people, including some United States citizens, were forcibly deported” (A brief history, 2012). A decade into America’s...

Words: 1299 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

American LGBT Movement In The 18th And 19th Centuries

...2. Overview of American LGBT history This chapter is the introduction of the American LGBT community. First, we will follow the way of how the concept of homosexuality and transgenderism, and their legal status has changed throughout the years. A sub-chapter on the first LGBT organizations will follow. The chapter will focus on the history of LGBT movement since 18th century till the year 2010. 2.1. LGBT in the 18th and 19th Centuries American Revolution (1765-1783) played a great role in developing a firmer sense of identity in Americans as a nation (Bronski 2011). This process was disturbed by abolition of slavery and huge increase in immigration from Asian and European countries. In the 1870 there were many minorities present in America...

Words: 297 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Manifest Destiny In The 1800s

...southwest. John L. O’Sullivan, Ney York journalist captured the phrase “manifest destiny” in the 1840’s. The idea of manifest destiny was developed. Manifest destiny was the belief or doctrine, held chiefly in the middle and latter part of the 19th century, that it was the destiny of the U.S. to expand its territory over the whole of North America and to extend and enhance its political, social, and economic influences. (Dictionary .com). Manifest destiny was substantial in the U.S. to justify an imperialistic grab of Mexican land in California, Texas, and New Mexico. Expansion into the western frontiers offered opportunities for self-advancement....

Words: 1561 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Illegal Immigration Satire Essay

...Immigration is the crusade of persons interested in another country or province to which they exist not native in mandate to settle down there, particularly as long-term dwellers or yet to come citizens. Immigrants are inspired to leave their nations for a range of reasons, together with an aspiration for financial success, party-political matters, and domestic re-unification, on the run from conflict or normal disaster, or merely the wish to change one's environments. America’s immigration scheme is ruined. As well a lot of businesses up for the structure by employing undocumented employees and there are 11 million individuals existing in the shadows. Neither is it a decent for the budget or the nation. Together we can construct an unbiased, in effect and shared sense immigration system that exists up and doing to our custom as a country of rules and a country of immigrants. The President’s strategy builds a smart, operational immigration system that carries on hard work to safe our borders and crashes down on businesses that employ undocumented immigrants. It’s a strategy that needs any person who’s undocumented to change to right with the law by forfeiting their tariffs and a consequence, book learning English, and experiencing background checks in advance they can be qualified to receive residency. It needs...

Words: 2303 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Persuasive Research

...Paper 2 Illegal immigration is one of the most controversial issues in today’s society. It is a major topic in many political debates, and one cannot read a newspaper or watch the evening news without eventually coming across a story about it. With all of the commotion surrounding illegal immigration, it is no surprise that many American citizens are concerned about how much it will affect their lives. The exact impact of illegal immigration is impossible to measure due to the fact that the majority of illegal immigrants are undocumented. However, it is clear that it has both negative and positive impacts on the American workforce. Whether or not one past outweighs the other is a personal opinion, but the only way to make an informed decision is to know the facts from both sides of the argument. This research report will discuss both the negative and positive impacts that illegal immigration has on the American economy, but will begin by giving a brief background on illegal immigration. [pic] Final Project: Persuasive Research Paper 3 Background Everyday more citizens from other countries enter the United States illegally. According to Steven Camarota of the Center for Immigration Studies, “the illegal immigration population grows by 400,000 to 500,000 each year.” The majority of those illegal immigrants entering into the United States cross the 1,952 mile Mexican border. While the...

Words: 2077 - Pages: 9