Latino Experience Flashcards
What does master status mean?
Master status is a sociological term used to denote the social position, which is the primary identifying characteristic of an individual. It is defined as “a status that has exceptional importance for social identity, often shaping a person’s entire life”
Problems with the term Hispanic
- coined by the government, widely used to designate persons of Mexican, Puerto Ricans, Dominican, Cubans, & Central & South American heritage
- emphasizes the spanish heritage of these groups while ignoring other backgrounds
- masks diversity
Mexican American cultural characteristics
- Language
- Religion
- Machismo
- Family Relations
five different types of latino immigrants
Individuals with official visas (legals)
Undocumented immigrants (illegals)
Braceros (seasonal farm workers on contract)
Commuters (individuals with official visas who live in Mexico but work in the US)
Border crossers (individuals with short-term permits, many of who become domestics)
Maquiladoras
- manufacturing operations exempt from paying in Mexican money
- Mexican taxes/not required to pay tax insurance
Unlike African Americans, why were Mexican Americans able to maintain their culture?
Unlike African Americans, Hispanic Americans were not stripped of their native cultures on entering society
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo-
residents had the choice of remaining or moving to Mexico (assured their legal rights and their language and cultural heritage would be protected)
War of 1848
The Mexican government was forced to cede the Southwest area for $15 million dollars.
Which model is appropriate to use when explaining the Mexican American experience (Cycle of Race Relations versus Internal Colonialism (aka Blauner Hypothesis) / Make sure to know the assumptions behind each model
Blauner’s Hypothesis- Internal colonialism: involuntary entry, intense and immediate prejudice and discrimination, perpetual disadvantaged status
This is a better model to describe the Mexican American experience because the contact was conflict→ although they have been here for a long time (which is like the race relation) the initial contact was in conflict
Be familiar with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
Residents had choice of remaining in southwestern states or moving to Mexico where their rights, cultural heritage, and language would be protected
Mexican immigration in relation to the Minority Group Threat Model
Immigrants entered into social system in which colonized status for Mexicans had already been established
US policy changed as the dominant group’s sense of threat changed
Came voluntarily but were not wanted
The pattern of Mexican immigration: know the events and the order in which they occurred and the consequences of these events (e.g., increased immigration, deportation, etc.)
WWI (Increased)→ Great Depression (Decreased)→ WWII (both increased and deported) → 1965 Immigration Act (Increased)
Pattern of Immigration: WWI
- Movement across border was informal and unrestricted, earlier restriction on immigration reduced flow from Asia and Europe, US employers recruited workers from Mexico→ for farming, machinist, merchants, painters and plumbers, 1924 US boarder patrol created (illegal aliens increase)
- Increased immigration
Pattern of Immigration: Great Depression
- Decreased demand for labor, recruiting of Mexican American labor workers stopped, US gov instituted a reparation campaign (deportation), Mexican population decreased by 40%
- Repatriation campaign→ deportation of Mexican Americans
- Decrease of immigration
Pattern of Immigration: WWII
Employers recruit Mexican workers again (increase immigration), bracero program→contract laborers;
workers to take the labor that the Japanese American were doing but couldn’t continue to do because of internment (gave Mexican Americans place to stay, decent food, insurance and free transportation), split labor market→contract laborers vs. undocumented laborers,
Operation Wetback: 1950s,
initiated to deport undocumented and illegal immigrants, more than 4 million deported (decrease)
Pattern of Immigration: Immigration Act 1965
- Policy gave high priority to immigrants who were family and kin of US citizens
- imposed limit of 20,000 immigrants a year allowed to enter US, economic crisis in Mexico led to Mexican immigrants continuing to immigrate to US by jumping the border, fake immigration papers, illegal means
Repatriation
- Mass migration that took place from 1929 to 1939
- 500,000 Mexicans forced to leave US
- deportation
Bracero Program
Contract laborers
Operation Wetback
- 1950s
- Initiated deporation of undocumented and illegal immigrants
- More than 4 million deported
Immigration Reform and Control Act
US allowed illegal immigrants who had lived in US since 1982 to legalize status
Reimbursement of government for added costs of legalization
Zoot Suit Riots
- Attacks on Mexican Americans
* Series of riots in LA during WW2 - attacks on Mexican teenagers by soldiers
Cesar Chavez (key contribution[s])
- Joined the community service organization
- Voter registration drives, battled racial and economic discrimination against Chicanos
- Founded the United Farm Workers 1962
- Led strikes against grape growth in California
- Hunger strike/march (340 mile march form Sacramento to Delano)
- Collective bargaining rights for farm workers
- Advocated nonviolent direct action
In regards to cultural, secondary, primary, and marital assimilation, what are the general patterns for Mexicans
- Cultural: language usage: lower assimilation, as Hispanics move to second and third generations English becomes primary language, proximity to country (ethnic enclave)
- Secondary: Hispanics are far behind whites in income, occupation, education (puerto Ricans lowest rates), political power
- Primary: Hispanics advanced further than African Americans, disperse in terms of residential mobility and integration
What were some push and pull factors for Cuban immigration?
- Push: Marxist revolution, Fidel Castro
* Pull: economic opportunity, proximity to Florida
How did the first wave of Cuban immigrants differ from the second wave?
• First wave: 1960s, middle upper or upper class people, political refuge rather than economic betterment o Freedom fights (Havana to Miami
• Second wave: 1980s, Dubbed Marielitos, lower social class, criminal element tainted entire group
What are some characteristics of an ethnic enclave?
- Based on idea that immigrant workers may be part of special type of economy that provides unusual routes of upward mobility
- Concentrated geographically
- Community solidarity, pool of disadvantaged ethnic workers
- Social/economic/cultural sub-society is controlled by the ethnic group themselves
- Political dominance
How did Cubans and Puerto Ricans differ in regards to prejudice and discrimination
- Cubans: lighter skin, higher class status, political immigrants rather than economic, occupational skills and higher education levels, institutionally complete ethnic enclaves
- Puerto Ricans: Puerto rico became US territory in 1898, not clear whether voluntary immigration of conquest, US citizens, dark skinned - experience racial prejudice like blacks
What were some push and pull factors for Puerto Rican immigration?
- Push: became citizens of US in 1917, transportation, unemployment is major problem on island,
- Pull: labor shortages in US
What dilemma do Puerto Ricans often face when migrating to the United States?
• Experience same racial discrimination and prejudice as blacks because they have dark skin
In terms of cultural assimilation, secondary structural assimilation, primary assimilation, and marital assimilation, how have Cubans and Puerto Ricans fared?
- Primary: higher assimilation than African American
- Secondary: highest of all Hispanics
o Cubans have the greatest economic success
• Kept culture better than other minorities
