1. How the Chicano Community in the United States Changed
Chapter 5: The Great Migration: 1900-1930
During this time period, we had millions of Mexicanos leaving their native lands and
coming to the US. The push and pull factors that brought about this movement was due to the
Mexican revolution had left the country with violence, political corruption, and few job and land
opportunities for the peasant class. Combined with economic growth in the American Southwest,
Mexicanos made their way into the New Country in hopes of economic opportunity.
This new wave of Mexican immigrants in the US differed from the community of
Mexicans who were already in the Southern states. Many of the previous immigrants were
political exiles from the Mexican Revolution and were skilled workers of urban and professional
backgrounds. However, the newer immigrants from the early part of the 20th century were
attracted to the southwest for railroad, mining, and agriculture jobs. These jobs were unskilled
and highly seasonal. Therefore, these newer immigrants were forced in ethnic barrios an even
labor camp living quarters that were over crowded and had poor sanitation. The Mexican
immigrants were an indispensable labor force that worked hard and dangerous jobs under low
wages. They often moved frequently especially in agricultural industries to follow what crops
were in season. Initially, the Mexican immigrant that arrived in the first three decades of the 20th
century planned on returning home to Mexico after acquiring enough economic resources in
American to live well in their home country. But what these new immigrants found once in the
US was limited jobs, lack of education, and poor living conditions which all made social
mobility unlikely.

2. Political factors that influences how the Mexican community in the US changed during
this period centered around an anti-Mexican sentiment. The racial attitude of most Americans
after a long history of non-whites being discriminated, and because of strong anti-Mexican
sentiment in the US, Mexican immigrants gained a strong sense of nationalism to their native
lands as they were isolated residentially and in the work place from Anglo’s. They also received
poor treatment from the already established Mexican American community in the US who
preferred to call themselves Spanish-American and not be associated with the lower class newer
cholos. Again economic conditions also affected the position and treatment of the Mexican
immigrants in the US. The new immigrants were also often taken advantaged by contratistas,
often immigrants themselves, who served as middlemen between the immigrant contract
workforce and their employees, stealing money from the immigrants. The newer immigrants
lacked education and English language skills which made them open to such schemes and poor
treatment. Mexican immigrants often worked and lived along side European immigrant groups as
well as African Americans, Asians, and Indians.
Towards the end of the 1920’s much of the Mexican immigrants community in the US
was moving North into the cities abandoning rural agricultural life. Most of the Mexican
immigrants that entered the US during the early 1990’s were largely undocumented but this not
an issue due to the cheap labor force that the Mexicanos provided to the US industries. But
during the 1930’s after the fall of the US stock market, financial crisis ensued almost all
Americans and especially Mexican immigrants. As the agricultural industries dried up, even
more Mexicanos headed for the cities.

3. Chapter 6: The Depression: 1930-1940
Social and living conditions for Mexican immigrants in the southwest during this time
period continued to be disastrous as the ethnic enclaves were over crowded, poor sanitation, lack
of social services and segregated under funded schools for non-white children. Bu ton the flip
side, the barrios offered a cultural realm that was beneficial. The ethnic enclaves formed “Little
Mexico's” were Spanish was the dominate language and the Catholic Church ran social functions
and community events. The barrios played Spanish movies and radio programs. Chicano scholars
view the Mexican barrios in a positive light rather than ghettos that fueled violence and crime. In
the barrios, culture, customs and community were focal points.
Mexican immigrants living in urban areas in the midwest had a slightly different
experience. The midwest cities were highly urbanized therefore immigrants received higher
wages and better education. Also, the immigrant communities were mixed with Mexican barrios
bordering European immigrant communities. They two often intermarried and this join
experience made the Mexican assimilation process quicker. Also, in the midwest cities,
Mexicanos were further away from their homeland making it harder to keep ties to the Old
Country.
After the first World War, a nativism perspective was popular among Americans to keep
America pure and with economic strife following the depression, many felt the growing presence
of Mexican immigrants in the cities as a threat to white jobs and influx of crime and violence.
Again this anti-Mexican and anti-sentiment took on a racial perspective as Mexicanos were
looked at as dirty, heathens that were unassimilable. The”Mexican Problem” was part of a larger
anti immigration campaign that led to legislation that mandated immigration quotas in 1921 and

4. 1924. However, southwest corporations fought to keep their cheap labor force available therefore
allowing sometime before Mexicans were targeted specifically in the anti immigration campaign.
But because of the poor economic conditions in the US, many Mexicans after the 1930’s returned
back to Mexico however several involuntarily. Repatriation was targeted heavily toward the
southern California Mexican community and racial tensions were intense during this period.
The economic outcome of the depression brought labor strife which allowed for Mexican
activists and labor organization. Mexicanos realized they were going to stay in the US and
needed to address the issues they faced in the job market. The labor strikes and union movement
of the 1930’s though unsuccessful demonstrated Mexicanos militancy to fight for fair wages and
improved conditions. The Mexican government also supported their citizens abroad. Further,
Mexicanas who have always been vital to the Mexican community showed their resilience in
labor organization fighting now only for work conditions but civil rights as well.