The Mexican-American Predicament: Discrimination and Denial of Homeownership in the United States Mexican ancestryUndocumented colonization of the American WestDiscrimination against Mexican Americans has resulted in loss of land and prideThe role of the U.S. government in exacerbating bigotry toward Mexican AmericansFactors that have contributed to the segregation of Mexican Americans and who was responsible for itConclusionWorks CitedIntroductionMexican Americans have a long and colorful history dating back hundreds of years. Over the course of nearly a century, Mexican Americans have created a distinct identity. They are separated into two groups: those who are new to the United States and those who are first- or second-generation Americans due to their parents' immigration to the United States decades ago. Then there are Mexican Americans, whose ancestors arrived in the United States while the country was still under Spanish or Mexican rule. Mexican Americans have been fighting for property rights in the United States since the 1800s and the annexation of several United States countries that formerly belonged to Mexico. There are two sides to this argument. The first argument is that Mexican Americans gained security, freedom, citizenship, and peace in the United States after several states became part of the country. They were allowed to stay on their property and had the option to claim U.S. citizenship if they wished. They were welcomed in the United States. The second aspect of this argument is that because the United States has not systematically attempted to incorporate the Mexican approach to property into the system, the legal system has failed Mexicans living in America. Additionally, the United States failed to combat prejudice against Mexican Americans and colonization, leading to repeated cycles of oppression that can still be witnessed today. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayProperty disputes in Mexico are a source of contentionThe conflicting notions that Americans and Mexicans have about land ownership are the one of the reasons why there were and still are problems with the land that was provided to Mexicans in America when their country lost its territory to the United States. Mexicans place great emphasis on the "informal" system of land ownership, based on connections and patronage, while Americans are more concerned with the distinction between public and private ownership, as well as whether an individual has or not complete authority over a plot. of property. The simplest way to understand Mexican land grants is to examine them in the historical, social, and cultural context in which they were created. The business practices of the Mexican people in the 1800s relied more on mutual trust than on official paperwork. Agreements between two people or groups undertaking a transaction were almost never written down; instead, they were verbal because each person's word was as good as anyone else's. The American justice system, on the other hand, was and continues to be reluctant to understand this facet of Mexican society. While the Mexican land grant system is based onSpanish civil law, the American system is more formal and rigorous and is based on English common law. This perhaps explains why the two are so irreconcilable and why today's lawyers and landowners have such difficulty understanding the system. The United States government's reluctance to recognize Mexican land ownership arrangements was sometimes motivated by ulterior motives. While Mexican usufruct rights allow landowners to use common land resources as they wish, the U.S. tax does just the opposite. If the American legal system had granted landowners their usufructuary rights in the same way as the Mexican system, they would have been denied access to the property's resources. As a result, usufructuary rights were declared unenforceable under US law. The fundamental underlying problem between the two sides has until now been and continues to be what Montoya calls "translation." The land belonged to them by right in the eyes of the Mexican people; the steps they followed to obtain it made it legally and entirely their property. Unfortunately, the American legal system does not recognize these practices. The system has its own set of conditions for having the right to property, which have nothing to do with what Mexicans consider property rights. Both sides believe they are right, with the winner chosen solely by the party having a greater say in the current situation, namely the American justice system. The American West phenomenon and its impact on Mexican American land ownership. The fact that the American West was seen as a vast, uncivilized, populated land to be conquered opened the way to conflicts over property rights. It was as if the Mexican landowners who lived there before the Anglo-Americans had gone unnoticed. This made it more likely that they would be kicked out without a fight. The Anglo-American settlers simply did not accept or respect the land ownership system of the Mexican people. This perpetuated the idea that the land was open to all, that there were no established institutions with which they had to contend, that no one was harmed during their settlement, and that they acquired the land in a transparent and unacceptable manner. This has worked against Mexican Americans in court cases because this misconception has spread so widely that it has effectively replaced reality. Clandestine Colonization of the American West Residents of the acquired territories, namely Texas, California, Colorado, and New Mexico, were welcomed into America. territory on an equal footing; they enjoyed the same representation in Congress as their Anglo-American counterparts, and they were even allowed to vote. As the Mexican-American population grew, it became more visible in American politics. However, it appeared that questionable tactics and some coercion were used. Colonization simply means being conquered by a more powerful foreign force. Colonization has many general characteristics: the colonizer arrives in peace, disguised as a friendly foreigner bearing Trojan gifts. He asserts himself little by little, and soon the roles are reversed and he takes charge. The next step is to grab anything that catches its attention, shouting as fervently as the natives and moaning if it is taken away. He incites change and seeks to modify his environment until it suits him. He then invitesits people, who are rapidly depleting and dominating the resources that were once the lifeline of indigenous peoples. With this in mind, Mexican Americans were colonized. The plight of thousands of Mexicans who lost their homes and land to Anglo-American settlers received little attention because it was considered unbelievable that the new and free America, which preached so much about freedom and equality for all, may be the home of such a number of people. a vice. Some people viewed the growing Mexican immigrant population as a societal concern and attempted to eliminate what they saw as the bad features of Mexican-American life. “Americanization through housekeeping,” according to a school handbook, was the key to social harmony by enrolling Mexican girls in sewing, cooking, and housekeeping classes. Aimed at young Mexican immigrant women, this book by Pearl Idelia Ellis describes educational programs on housework and citizenship. It symbolizes the immigration policy of the American “melting pot” and demonstrates how assimilation can take place in the country. Sewing, food, family finances, home nursing, preschool child care, parenting, home location and interior design, and the important role young Mexican women played in Americanization Mexican immigrants are discussed. Discrimination against Mexican Americans resulted in loss of land and pride. The American War was fought from 1846 to 1848 after the United States conquered Texas in 1845. The Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo was signed at the end of the two-year conflict and Mexico lost Texas to the UNITED STATES. Mexico ceded more territory in the Gadsden Purchase in 1853, which included present-day New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Wyoming. At first, the Mexicans who lived in these territories viewed their new American citizenship as a refuge from the dictatorial regime of General Santa Anna. In addition, the U.S. government offered to guarantee the security of the fields of Mexicans, known to be victims of raids. There was also peace, which had long eluded the region; the Mexicans knew that if they didn't have to fight all the time, they could settle down and generate wealth. However, things didn't go as well as they seemed at first. Even though the treaty contained provisions ensuring that landowners would be able to retain their properties, the United States government failed to fulfill its commitments. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was amended in Congress to remove protection for Mexicans. Article 10 of the original treaty, which specified that the U.S. government was required to honor land grants made to Mexicans living in areas ceded to the government, was removed. The other article that was amended was Article Eight, which stated that Mexicans who remained in America for one year after cession could choose to become full U.S. citizens or retain their Mexican citizenship. However, this period was replaced by an indefinite period for obtaining U.S. citizenship, with Congress determining the duration. Thousands of other Mexicans lost their property as a result of these changes when they took their claims to state and federal courts. These landowners, usually uneducated or semi-literate, were powerless against the legal system. Many of these people lost their land due to the legal fees they had to pay tofight for their right to keep their property. The U.S. Government's Role in Exacerbating Bigotry Against Mexican Americans The Mexican people were left without a source of income and no way to support themselves after losing their property. In their own country, the Mexicans had become fugitives. The United States government has failed to intervene to stop the abuses against the Mexican people. As more and more Anglo-Americans took over the ceded lands, the government stood idly by, buying back territories that rightfully belonged to the Mexicans and putting them for their own use. In the American West, social classes began to be reorganized based on who was richest and held the most power. Landowners constituted the elite; they owned ranches and worked in the cattle trade. Then there were people who owned smaller plots of land, called “rancheros.” They had modest herds of cattle and horses on which they depended for their survival. The landless, also known as “peons,” “vaqueros,” and “cart men,” were at the bottom of the social structure. This lowest group in the hierarchy appeared to be nothing more than slaves. They had no property of their own and were frequently employed by ranchers. They resided in cabins located within the same compound as the main hacienda where they worked, but far enough away. They didn't even have access to building materials, so they had to make do with mud for the walls and whatever thatching material they could find for the roofs. It was an extremely degrading existence. The legal system has completely failed the Mexican American population, not only in terms of loss of land, but also in terms of its failure to protect their basic human rights. In addition to the continued segregation of Mexican Americans, which eventually turned into blatant racism, there have been hundreds of cases of unjustified violence against members of these communities. There was never any reparation for the victims and their cases were never heard in court. In most parts of the American West, Mexican Americans were denied this privilege, even though they were citizens like everyone else at the time. The factors that contributed to the segregation of Mexican Americans and were to blame for the lives of Mexican workers were literally not their own. Jose Alamillo remembers his childhood in Southern California, where he lived with his parents, who worked on a limoneira farm. The farm, which was and continues to be the largest lemon ranch in the country, relied primarily on Mexican immigrants for its labor. According to Alamillo, his family lived in a house owned by the same company as the lemon plantation. The omnipresent corporation owned the grocery store where they purchased their products as well as the entertainment venues they visited. Working in the lemon groves was not easy. The work was seasonal and there were periods during the year when the author's mother had to carry out additional tasks in people's homes in order to meet their financial obligations. The author claims that during the fruit season, when packing had to be done, his mother had to work day and night with only short breaks in between. His father had to get up on the coldest nights so that they could continue to burn the dirt pots so that the fruit would not be damaged by the cold. The working conditions of the workers were.

Essay / The Mexican-American Predicament: Discrimination and Denial of Homeownership in the United States Mexican ancestryUndocumented colonization of the American WestDiscrimination against Mexican Americans has resulted in loss of land and prideThe role of the U.S. government in exacerbating bigotry toward Mexican AmericansFactors that have contributed to the segregation of Mexican Americans and who was responsible for itConclusionWorks CitedIntroductionMexican Americans have a long and colorful history dating back hundreds of years. Over the course of nearly a century, Mexican Americans have created a distinct identity. They are separated into two groups: those who are new to the United States and those who are first- or second-generation Americans due to their parents' immigration to the United States decades ago. Then there are Mexican Americans, whose ancestors arrived in the United States while the country was still under Spanish or Mexican rule. Mexican Americans have been fighting for property rights in the United States since the 1800s and the annexation of several United States countries that formerly belonged to Mexico. There are two sides to this argument. The first argument is that Mexican Americans gained security, freedom, citizenship, and peace in the United States after several states became part of the country. They were allowed to stay on their property and had the option to claim U.S. citizenship if they wished. They were welcomed in the United States. The second aspect of this argument is that because the United States has not systematically attempted to incorporate the Mexican approach to property into the system, the legal system has failed Mexicans living in America. Additionally, the United States failed to combat prejudice against Mexican Americans and colonization, leading to repeated cycles of oppression that can still be witnessed today. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayProperty disputes in Mexico are a source of contentionThe conflicting notions that Americans and Mexicans have about land ownership are the one of the reasons why there were and still are problems with the land that was provided to Mexicans in America when their country lost its territory to the United States. Mexicans place great emphasis on the "informal" system of land ownership, based on connections and patronage, while Americans are more concerned with the distinction between public and private ownership, as well as whether an individual has or not complete authority over a plot. of property. The simplest way to understand Mexican land grants is to examine them in the historical, social, and cultural context in which they were created. The business practices of the Mexican people in the 1800s relied more on mutual trust than on official paperwork. Agreements between two people or groups undertaking a transaction were almost never written down; instead, they were verbal because each person's word was as good as anyone else's. The American justice system, on the other hand, was and continues to be reluctant to understand this facet of Mexican society. While the Mexican land grant system is based onSpanish civil law, the American system is more formal and rigorous and is based on English common law. This perhaps explains why the two are so irreconcilable and why today's lawyers and landowners have such difficulty understanding the system. The United States government's reluctance to recognize Mexican land ownership arrangements was sometimes motivated by ulterior motives. While Mexican usufruct rights allow landowners to use common land resources as they wish, the U.S. tax does just the opposite. If the American legal system had granted landowners their usufructuary rights in the same way as the Mexican system, they would have been denied access to the property's resources. As a result, usufructuary rights were declared unenforceable under US law. The fundamental underlying problem between the two sides has until now been and continues to be what Montoya calls "translation." The land belonged to them by right in the eyes of the Mexican people; the steps they followed to obtain it made it legally and entirely their property. Unfortunately, the American legal system does not recognize these practices. The system has its own set of conditions for having the right to property, which have nothing to do with what Mexicans consider property rights. Both sides believe they are right, with the winner chosen solely by the party having a greater say in the current situation, namely the American justice system. The American West phenomenon and its impact on Mexican American land ownership. The fact that the American West was seen as a vast, uncivilized, populated land to be conquered opened the way to conflicts over property rights. It was as if the Mexican landowners who lived there before the Anglo-Americans had gone unnoticed. This made it more likely that they would be kicked out without a fight. The Anglo-American settlers simply did not accept or respect the land ownership system of the Mexican people. This perpetuated the idea that the land was open to all, that there were no established institutions with which they had to contend, that no one was harmed during their settlement, and that they acquired the land in a transparent and unacceptable manner. This has worked against Mexican Americans in court cases because this misconception has spread so widely that it has effectively replaced reality. Clandestine Colonization of the American West Residents of the acquired territories, namely Texas, California, Colorado, and New Mexico, were welcomed into America. territory on an equal footing; they enjoyed the same representation in Congress as their Anglo-American counterparts, and they were even allowed to vote. As the Mexican-American population grew, it became more visible in American politics. However, it appeared that questionable tactics and some coercion were used. Colonization simply means being conquered by a more powerful foreign force. Colonization has many general characteristics: the colonizer arrives in peace, disguised as a friendly foreigner bearing Trojan gifts. He asserts himself little by little, and soon the roles are reversed and he takes charge. The next step is to grab anything that catches its attention, shouting as fervently as the natives and moaning if it is taken away. He incites change and seeks to modify his environment until it suits him. He then invitesits people, who are rapidly depleting and dominating the resources that were once the lifeline of indigenous peoples. With this in mind, Mexican Americans were colonized. The plight of thousands of Mexicans who lost their homes and land to Anglo-American settlers received little attention because it was considered unbelievable that the new and free America, which preached so much about freedom and equality for all, may be the home of such a number of people. a vice. Some people viewed the growing Mexican immigrant population as a societal concern and attempted to eliminate what they saw as the bad features of Mexican-American life. “Americanization through housekeeping,” according to a school handbook, was the key to social harmony by enrolling Mexican girls in sewing, cooking, and housekeeping classes. Aimed at young Mexican immigrant women, this book by Pearl Idelia Ellis describes educational programs on housework and citizenship. It symbolizes the immigration policy of the American “melting pot” and demonstrates how assimilation can take place in the country. Sewing, food, family finances, home nursing, preschool child care, parenting, home location and interior design, and the important role young Mexican women played in Americanization Mexican immigrants are discussed. Discrimination against Mexican Americans resulted in loss of land and pride. The American War was fought from 1846 to 1848 after the United States conquered Texas in 1845. The Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo was signed at the end of the two-year conflict and Mexico lost Texas to the UNITED STATES. Mexico ceded more territory in the Gadsden Purchase in 1853, which included present-day New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Wyoming. At first, the Mexicans who lived in these territories viewed their new American citizenship as a refuge from the dictatorial regime of General Santa Anna. In addition, the U.S. government offered to guarantee the security of the fields of Mexicans, known to be victims of raids. There was also peace, which had long eluded the region; the Mexicans knew that if they didn't have to fight all the time, they could settle down and generate wealth. However, things didn't go as well as they seemed at first. Even though the treaty contained provisions ensuring that landowners would be able to retain their properties, the United States government failed to fulfill its commitments. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was amended in Congress to remove protection for Mexicans. Article 10 of the original treaty, which specified that the U.S. government was required to honor land grants made to Mexicans living in areas ceded to the government, was removed. The other article that was amended was Article Eight, which stated that Mexicans who remained in America for one year after cession could choose to become full U.S. citizens or retain their Mexican citizenship. However, this period was replaced by an indefinite period for obtaining U.S. citizenship, with Congress determining the duration. Thousands of other Mexicans lost their property as a result of these changes when they took their claims to state and federal courts. These landowners, usually uneducated or semi-literate, were powerless against the legal system. Many of these people lost their land due to the legal fees they had to pay tofight for their right to keep their property. The U.S. Government's Role in Exacerbating Bigotry Against Mexican Americans The Mexican people were left without a source of income and no way to support themselves after losing their property. In their own country, the Mexicans had become fugitives. The United States government has failed to intervene to stop the abuses against the Mexican people. As more and more Anglo-Americans took over the ceded lands, the government stood idly by, buying back territories that rightfully belonged to the Mexicans and putting them for their own use. In the American West, social classes began to be reorganized based on who was richest and held the most power. Landowners constituted the elite; they owned ranches and worked in the cattle trade. Then there were people who owned smaller plots of land, called “rancheros.” They had modest herds of cattle and horses on which they depended for their survival. The landless, also known as “peons,” “vaqueros,” and “cart men,” were at the bottom of the social structure. This lowest group in the hierarchy appeared to be nothing more than slaves. They had no property of their own and were frequently employed by ranchers. They resided in cabins located within the same compound as the main hacienda where they worked, but far enough away. They didn't even have access to building materials, so they had to make do with mud for the walls and whatever thatching material they could find for the roofs. It was an extremely degrading existence. The legal system has completely failed the Mexican American population, not only in terms of loss of land, but also in terms of its failure to protect their basic human rights. In addition to the continued segregation of Mexican Americans, which eventually turned into blatant racism, there have been hundreds of cases of unjustified violence against members of these communities. There was never any reparation for the victims and their cases were never heard in court. In most parts of the American West, Mexican Americans were denied this privilege, even though they were citizens like everyone else at the time. The factors that contributed to the segregation of Mexican Americans and were to blame for the lives of Mexican workers were literally not their own. Jose Alamillo remembers his childhood in Southern California, where he lived with his parents, who worked on a limoneira farm. The farm, which was and continues to be the largest lemon ranch in the country, relied primarily on Mexican immigrants for its labor. According to Alamillo, his family lived in a house owned by the same company as the lemon plantation. The omnipresent corporation owned the grocery store where they purchased their products as well as the entertainment venues they visited. Working in the lemon groves was not easy. The work was seasonal and there were periods during the year when the author's mother had to carry out additional tasks in people's homes in order to meet their financial obligations. The author claims that during the fruit season, when packing had to be done, his mother had to work day and night with only short breaks in between. His father had to get up on the coldest nights so that they could continue to burn the dirt pots so that the fruit would not be damaged by the cold. The working conditions of the workers were.

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