Question 1
The conflict between Mexico and the United States was sparked by Mexico annexing parts of the United States in war. The annexation of parts of Texas, while the United States contested the border, was the Rio Grande (Hirschman & Mogford, 2009). The war paved the way for Mexicans to cross American borders, settle in America, and work in the growing industries for cheap labor. In addition, it led to massive opportunities for immigrants to start their lives in America.
Question 2
Mexicans living in Califonia had established settlements, and generations had existed long before the industrial revolution. However, the continued influx of Mexicans from the porous borders allowed the industries to lay off their workers and pay the new immigrants less to work for the same job (Hirschman & Mogford, 2009). This exploitation angered the Mexicans already established in the city, leading to anger towards immigrants.
Question 3a
Mexicans were remnants who remained in the United States. It leads to them losing employment to immigrants from other Spanish-speaking countries (Locke & Wright, 2019). In addition, they found that neighboring countries such as Colombia identified with the Spanish language but were not Mexicans.
b.
The agricultural expansion in the West and South enabled the textile expansion to the North during the industrial revolution. Population growth increased the demand for clothing. Demand for laborers forced farmers to source cheap labor elsewhere (Hirschman & Mogford, 2009). Slavery was the cheapest alternative that angered Mexicans who hoped for employment in raising the agricultural industry.
Question 4
The 1848 treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed on February 2, 1848, stopping the battle between the USA and Mexico (Luna, 2016). However, the terms favor the USA as Mexico yielded 55 % of their land, including California, Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada, to the United States (Luna, 2016). These were among the territories annexed by Mexico during the war.
Question 4a.
Americans acquired half of the Mexican territories and expanded more places to settle their citizens and reducing the potent neighboring threat. Moreover, it significantly increased their credibility and dominance in the Americas continent.
Question 5
The Manifest Destiny is an expression created by the white anglo Saxons in 1845. The United States was ordained by God and advocated intensifying its territory and spread capitalism and democracy across North America (Craig, 2016). It played to its advantage by convincing Its soldiers and citizens that conquering and spreading democracy and capitalism was necessary to liberate others.
Part 2
Question 1
Limited access to political power and representation created desperation from the Mexicans as lack of poorly resourced national and local institutions to channel their grievances into being controlled easily (Peters, 2019). In addition, the unequal contribution in community matters from the Mexicans created powerlessness to challenge the authority.
Part 3
Question 1
Proletariats are a laboring class, specifically the industrial employees that lack production means but have to sell their efforts to live. They depend on the owners of the means of production.
Question 2
A caste system exists in communities that identify to the class structure determined from birth. The hierarchy upholds intrinsic features that remain stable throughout an individual’s life (Selvin, 2018). Mexicans and some Asian communities believe in the caste system that determines individual life purpose.
Question 3
Anti-Mexican stereotypes have significantly affected how Mexicans are viewed in society, by associating their drugs, violence, and exploitation damages their relations with others. Allowing stereotypes is harsh and demeaning as men are depicted as uneducated convicts while women are portrayed as hypersexual (Peters, 2019). In addition, the perception makes Mexican adults are depicted as lazy, dirty, physically unattractive menaces.
Question 4
Mexican Americans have championed for human rights of workers since the 1850s. By organizing planned demonstrations and strikes, which led to better working environments and wages in industries in the US, planned labor strikes forced companies to register losses and productivity (Gandhi, 2018). In addition, it led to industries accepting to provide safer working conditions better wages.