Racism Against Mexican Immigrants

• Why were Mexicans immigrating to the US in the early 1900's?

Economic conditions in Mexico worsened and the number of immigrants increased. In 1910, the Mexican Revolution broke out and plummeted Mexico into years of political and economic chaos. The revolution also sparked a tremendous wave of immigration that continued until the 1930's.

• What type of work did they do?

They took jobs in factories and mines or on railroads, farms and ranches. In 1917, World War 1, Mexicans volunteered for service in the US forces. Some were able to move into better-paying, skilled occupations in construction and in the war industries.

• What was the program of "repatriation"? How did it work?

Mexican immigrants were viewed as a drain on the American economy because they held many low paying jobs while "true" Americans were unemployed. In response to such angry views, the US goverments cosponsored a repatriation program that returned thousands of Mexicans to Mexico. The program was intended to encourage people to return voluntarily to Mexico, but thousands were deported against their wishes.

• What other types of discrimination did Mexican Americans face?

In addition to the humiliation of repatriation, Mexican immigrants suffered other forms of discrimination. Many restaurants refused to serve Mexican immigrants. Public swimming pools, rest rooms, drinking fountains and theaters were often segregated. Mexican-immigrant scoolchildren were often forbidden to speak Spanish in shcools and were punished severely for doing so.

by Aphrodite-Irene Lourida