His work provided the stepping stones for all previous and future Chicano artists to display their works in the mainstream, and ultimately provided the initiative for a race connected by cultural backgrounds to break free from the bounds an oppressive nation had placed upon them. The most interesting aspect of Gonzales’ work is the emphasis on one phrase “I am Joaquin, lost in a world of confusion.” He begins his poem with this statement firstly to entice the reader, as well as connect his culture under the feelings each experience. However, this statement carries more connotations that one would assume. This confusion he experiences relates to the entire history of Mexican-Americans, a race of individuals who reside in a “country that has wiped out all [Mexican-American] history, [and] Stifled all…pride,” by a hegemonic Anglo-American race. The confusion, as Gonzales describes stems not from the lack of confidence, but from the constant change that this race has experienced throughout its history.
For example, in 1776 there was slavery/racism and women were not given equal rights, as they were not able to vote. Today there is still some racism that exists towards Mexicans and African Americans. The Declaration of Independence states that all men are created equal, which means, we are supposed to treat fellow human beings with the same amount of respect and equality. Although this is stated in the Declaration, the principle is not currently relevant today. People in school will make racist comments towards Mexicans for their difference in race and African Americans are still judged for their different color of skin.
Chicano Culture The history of ethnic Mexicans in the American political and education systems between 1940 and 2012 shows the struggle of Mexican Americans from discrimination, bias and stereotyping. Although these struggles have been somewhat addressed through various efforts, achieved primarily through the Mexicans’ coalition with other minorities, the issues surrounding Mexicans and their conditions in American society have still remained somehow extant in the 21st century. As Weber (1970) suggests, deeply rooted stereotypes against Mexicans still remain a formidable obstacle to more harmonious relations between Mexicans and Anglo Americans (p. 166-167). The Civil Rights Act of 1964 made a huge impact on the political situation of Mexican Americans, as it marked a political transformation in terms of identity and political strategy. From trying to claim “whiteness” in order to escape racial discrimination, the Act has encouraged them to claim their brownness instead, and join other minorities in progressing politically (MacLean, 2007).
The Latinos separated into an area of city with oldest, most run-down housing they had many discrimination on theirs jobs the Mexicans where forced to work for below poverty level wages. Los Angeles had a big part of discrimination because they would describe Mexicans by using racial propaganda. This was causing lost of racial tension between Latinos and whites. Is was late 1930s that young Latinos in California, who the media would call Chicanos. Well the Chicanos created a youth curries they adopted their own music, language and their also there way of dressing.
The Benefits of Citizenship for Illegal Mexican Immigrants to Work in the U.S There are many people from different countries that come into the United States of America for many different reasons; this is known to be called immigration. The United States is a country where people have the privilege to better their lives. Illegal Mexican Immigrants are just like everyone else “Americans”. They have needs, wants, dreams and goals that they want to pursue. In their country, it is difficult for them to succeed.
The impact of the Raza Unida Party in Texas? The Raza Unida Party was born in Crystal Texas and was made of the Chicano power. They wanted to help the Mexican- Americans who lived in Texas. People who live and work in Texas were discriminated. People received less salaries and their work was harder and more complicated.
Becoming Mexican American is a chronicled publication on the preservation and perpetuation of the Mexican culture in Los Angeles during the beginning of the twentieth century. Many Mexicans who immigrated into the United States were eventually deported back to their home country. However, many Mexicans stayed in Los Angeles, creating new identities for themselves by joining labor unions and participating in post-Great Depression politics. During the earlier years of the twentieth century, Mexican-Americans found a place in the United States, which was sought after, in the form of depreciated labor. Interestingly, the experience of Mexican-Americans in the United States is not similar to that of other groups who have immigrated before them.
In 1924, The Border Patrol was founded and the immigration status of the Mexicans changed instantly. It was from that point on that the category of “illegal” was born and continues to mark the Mexicans today1. The Ku Klux Klan made it a point to express their negative opinions toward the Mexicans and was responsible for lynching many Mexican Americans between 1848 and 19282. Additionally, newspapers in the 1940s exposed Mexicans as murderers, Zoot suiters, and disloyal foreigners3. Despite the fact that approximately 300,000 Mexican Americans served in the US armed forces during World War II, they continued to be discriminated upon by denying medical services on their return to the
Zanani Jefferson Professor A. McGee POLS 1101 Section 22 20 February 2013 The American Fight for Civil Rights In America there has always been an issue with racism, discrimination, or biased judgment towards people. When America was founded, the Declaration of Independence states that all men are created equal and that we all have natural rights to peruse life, liberty and happiness. But some of those rights were violated when laws founded by the constitution and bill of rights withheld them, and from only certain groups of people. The fight for proper civil rights by Americans, have helped contain the ideas and actions of racism that have held back the growth and progress of women, and African Americans for years. Women begin their
What is illegal immigration you ask? Well it is when an unauthorized or undocumented alien from another country crosses the national border in a way that violates the immigration laws of this country. In today’s world we are faced with the problems of illegal immigration, what we don’t know is that this actually cost us money. As of today we have eleven million illegal aliens in our United States, some of these 6,640,000 are from just Mexico alone. Mexico is one of our big illegal immigration problems we are faced with.