Historically, there have been ongoing clashes among cultural perspectives of the Anglo-American settlers and the Mexican-Americans which have roots in the racist and prejudice feelings toward those of a not Anglo-Saxon background. For many of the settlers in the New World, Mexicans were considered “abhorrent.” Many of them, even after naturalization in the U.S faced social rejection, and their culture was seen as incompatible.
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The mistreatment of Mexican-Americans by the Anglo-American settlers in the West consisted many aspects. It is important to take note that the treaties after the Mexican-American war were often violated; such was the “Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.” The discrimination, abuse, and violence of the Mexican population after the war continued and became a heartbreaking experience for those who sought opportunities in the new U.S. territory after the treaty took power.
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Mexicans immigrants and Chicanos were often subjected to unequal treatment, they were seen as non-equal citizens and denied citizenship often and ongoing discrimination. The clashes between the Anglo-American settlers moving westward and the Mexican-Americans in the U.S. occurred in many levels, among which the “hunger” for land was one of many conflicts the native Californians of Mexican heritage experienced. Pillage, property robbing, and squatting in vacant lands by the Anglos were considered racist acts and were not dealt properly in the court of law or the appropriate legal system at that time. The unequal treatment of Californians of Mexican heritage was considered bigotry since litigations over land lasted for years even after the passing of the California Land Act by Congress in 1851.
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The one-sided Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was never honored, and it only served the purpose of expanding the southern borders without respecting the rights of the Mexican nationals on the newly acquired lands of California, New Mexico, and Arizona.
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The Civil Rights Movement was very complex and took by storm various social groups. The moving force behind the Civil Right movement was the issue of inequality reflected in the public policies. Although some of these efforts were overshadowed by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Chicano Movement began to identify itself as a quest for social equity, equal opportunities to education, especially higher education for the Mexican-American population. The Chicano movement early efforts for social equity were led by Ernesto Galarza, a well-educated Mexican-American, and the first to earn a Ph.D. in political science from Columbia University. Galarza became an activist and took a leadership position defending the rights of farm workers not only of Hispanic origin, but also that of African-American decent. The politics of defending the rights of farm workers at the time were seen from a socialist perspective and “communist” inspired. Together with H. L. Mitchell (the founder of Sothern Tenant Farm Union), Galarza founded the National Farm Labor Union. The 1950s mark the beginning of the Cold War, the separation of East and West, and the war on communism. Meanwhile, in the U.S. the rise of right-wing ideologies led to tougher policies on immigration, such as the deportation of Mexican immigrants.
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The beginning of the Civil Rights Movement for the Mexican-American population emerged as a necessity for the Mexican-American middle class fighting for issues of inequality and the lack of opportunities. Unlike the unions, whose primary goal was to reassure that the Mexican American workers held on to their jobs, the beginning of the Civil Rights era marked a series of efforts to change the racist and prejudice practices, especially in the workplace and not as much as the “bread and butter” objectives held by the unions. Growing discontent with other organizations, such as League of Latin American Citizens (LULAC), had an influence on Chicano youth and their sense of urgency to change the status quo.
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During the 1920s, racism was still such a widespread phenomenon and many Mexican workers faced racism and prejudice within the unions as well. They were seen as a threat and as competitors by both, white and black union workers. This led to clashes between Mexican workers and white workers during the recessions of 1921 when Mexican hires in Texas were expelled and victimized by white chauvinist workers or used as strikebreakers in many occasions. The backlash rocked the oil industry.
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