The Progressive Era generally applies to various responses to the economic and social problems associated with the rapid industrialization introduced to America. Although the era can be narrowed down to focus on the history of Mexican American women living in the Southwest and Midwest of the United States between 1890 and 1919. Some of the events involved in the Mexican community during this era were a variety of processes, including restriction, expulsion, or Americanization of immigrants from Mexico. Women and their children were particularly involved in some American groups that attempted to assimilate much of the Mexican community. The history of Mexican American women in the Southwest and Midwest is mentioned in detail in Vicki L. Ruiz's book From Out of the Shadows and also covers the historical context of the author's relatives. Much of the Americanization of Mexican American women is marked by how they were affected by Houchen's attempts to assimilate them and their families in positive and negative ways as well as by social pressures leading to resistance. Some examples that cover the details of Mexican women's integration into American society are how Houchen helped their families and themselves. However, some negative aspects are addressed, such as the idealization of American life which finds itself confronted only with problems of racial and sexual discrimination. Some reasons why women and children were often the targets of colony houses and primarily the Rose Gregory Houchen Colony located in El Paso, Texas, due to the idea that women were the foundation of the family. The colonies also served as the community's Methodist church, and the majority of Mexican communities were primarily Catholic. So most of their reasons for being in the middle of paper......their space outside the home by participating in groups such as Dolores Huerta within the United Farm Workers (UFW) due to the possible adoption of notions such as individual achievement and equality. Works Cited Adelante Mujeres! : History of Mexican American Women. Real. The National Women's History Project. 1992. DVD. Teresa Palomo Acosta, María-Cristina García and Cynthia E. Orozco, "SETTLEMENT HOUSES", Handbook of Texas Online (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/pwsgr), accessed March 07, 2011. Published by the Texas State Historical Association. Wollin, Patricia “Houchen Settlement House Helped Newcomers. » Borderlands 21 (2002-2003): 15. Borderlands. EPCC Libraries.Ruiz, Vicki L. Out of the Shadows: Mexican Women in Twentieth-Century America. New York: Oxford UP, 1999. Print.