Takaki-Chapter 12

Takaki concludes in “El Norte: The Borderland of Chicano America” that Mexicans came to America to escape starvation and the Revolution only to be exploited by American landowners and to be paid less for doing the same jobs as whites.

Takaki begins by stating that to Mexican immigrants, America was “El Norte” as America was “The Promise Land” to the Jews. Mexicans came to America in order to escape starvation and the revolutions that were taking place in Mexico at the time. Many Mexicans were losing their lands to private land speculators and the country just wasn’t safe with the Revolution taking place in Mexico. Takaki explains that Mexicans could enter and leave the country without passports unlike Asian and European immigrants (312). These Mexicans immigrants, however, intended to return to Mexico when the civil war was over as most believed it would be in a few months. Takaki states the railroads accelerated the movement of Mexicans into America. The trains carried thousands and thousands of Mexicans into America where most worked as agricultural field labor. Mexicans also worked on railroads and in factories. Takaki states that “the Mexican population in the Southwest grew form and estimated 375,000 to 1,160,000” between 1900 and 1930 (317). Most of these immigrants were between the ages of fifteen and forty-four. The Mexicans became the primary manual work force in the United States comprising 75% of all construction workers. However, white labor unions withheld skilled jobs for whites by denying Mexicans union membership. Mexicans were forced to work the worse jobs for the lowest wages, and were often paid less than whites for doing the same jobs. Landowners exploited these Mexican laborers and used debt to keep them on their plantations. They also discouraged the schooling of Mexican children. Takaki also explains how Mexican laborers were semi-successful at striking to increase wages. Takaki then explains how during the Great Depression many immigrants were deported back to Mexico in order to free up the jobs for whites. Americans began to fear that Mexicans were disrupting the genetic makeup of the country and thought there were too many to assimilate into the American culture. Takaki finally discusses the Mexican barrios within the U.S. at the end of the chapter. These were little communities of Mexican culture north of the border where the people held on to their Mexican culture.

Do we still see the effects of what Takaki describes throughout this chapter in our world today? Yes, the effects are very noticeable in everyday life. In fact, what we, as a country, are experiencing today is very similar. There are still huge numbers of immigrants coming into the country from Mexico. Most of these immigrants are illegal and come in order to perform the same kind of work which Takaki describes. They work in agriculture doing the hardest, lowest paid jobs our country has to offer. These workers are being exploited by the landowners just as they were 100 years ago.

I wasn’t all too surprised by the reading of “El Norte.” I have learned this material in the past and much of it is still going on today. The illegal immigrant population in our country is treated poorly and this is very sad. I am currently doing a research paper on illegal immigration and have come across very similar information in my research process. It is very unfortunate that humans are being treated this way, but they are and will continue to be until our country makes drastic changes to its immigration policy.