Mexican Americans: History, Identity, and Civil Rights 1900–1960s
This paper examines the historical experiences of Mexican Americans from the early 1900s through the 1960s. It explores the surge in immigration following the Mexican Revolution of 1910, the restrictive legislative responses such as the Immigration Act of 1917, and the social pressure on Latino communities to assimilate — a phenomenon described as "running toward whiteness." The paper also analyzes how Mexican Americans resisted political and social inequality through civic organizations, labor unions, and voting blocs, culminating in the Chicano movement of the 1960s. Key figures such as Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta, and López Tijerina are discussed alongside landmark organizations including LULAC and the United Farm Workers union.
- Introduction: Overview of Mexican American demographics and heritage
- Running Toward Whiteness: Immigration, Restriction, and Assimilation: Post-1910 immigration surge and legislative backlash
- Resistance Through Civic and Political Organizing: Early 20th-century Latino civic and labor mobilization
- Running Away From Whiteness: Reclaiming Latino Identity: Embracing and preserving Latin American cultural identity
- The Chicano Movement: Goals, Accomplishments, and Challenges: 1960s Chicano activism, Chavez, Huerta, and land rights
- References: Cited historical sources supporting the paper
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What makes this paper effective
- It organizes a complex historical narrative around two contrasting conceptual frameworks — "running toward whiteness" and "running away from whiteness" — giving the argument a clear analytical spine.
- It connects broad legislative history (Immigration Act of 1917, Labor Appropriation Act of 1924) to lived community responses, showing cause and effect across decades.
- It grounds abstract concepts in specific historical actors — Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta, Octaviano Larrazolo, and López Tijerina — making the narrative concrete and credible.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper uses framing through oppositional concepts: by contrasting "running toward whiteness" with "running away from whiteness," the author creates a dialectical structure that organizes decades of history into a coherent interpretive arc. This technique allows the reader to understand both accommodation and resistance as rational, historically situated responses to systemic discrimination.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with demographic and cultural context before narrowing into the post-1910 immigration wave and its legislative backlash. It then traces Mexican American community-building strategies in the early twentieth century, introduces the ideological concept of reclaiming Latino identity, and closes with the Chicano movement of the 1960s as the culmination of decades of activism. The references section cites two peer-reviewed historical sources to support key claims.
Introduction
The history of Mexican Americans within the United States is rich and diverse. Mexican American heritage has long been synonymous with hard work and family-oriented values — both of which strongly align with the broader culture of the United States. The influence of Latin America continues to grow faster than the country overall. Currently, 61 million Latin Americans live in the United States, accounting for roughly 18 percent of the population. Through this population growth, the Mexican American community has been woven into American society through Spanish colonialism, workers' rights movements, and, most recently, immigration.
Running Toward Whiteness: Immigration, Restriction, and Assimilation
The Mexican Revolution of 1910 caused a near tripling of Mexican immigration to the United States. From 1910 to 1930, the U.S. Census found that nearly 600,000 Mexicans immigrated to the country to flee the violence of the revolution. In response, Woodrow Wilson signed the Immigration Act of 1917, which severely limited immigration from Mexico and other countries. The act imposed strict standards that all immigrants were required to meet. One such requirement was the ability to pass a literacy test for immigrants over the age of 16. The act also refused entry to convicted criminals, known alcoholics, and those who might carry contagious diseases. By 1924, Congress created the Border Patrol through the Labor Appropriation Act of 1924, establishing a dedicated enforcement force at both the Canadian and Mexican borders to regulate immigration.
Due in part to the anti-immigration rhetoric spreading throughout the nation, many Latin Americans began to "run toward whiteness." Many chose not to embrace their Latin heritage as openly as they might otherwise, in an effort to appease white citizens who were fearful of Mexican immigrants. This period was also marked by widespread discrimination against minorities. Both Latin Americans and African Americans faced heavy discrimination in economic and political life. The Ku Klux Klan sought to discourage Mexican Americans and other minorities from voting, and many politicians enacted laws designed to segregate society and provide privileges to one demographic while excluding others. Economic prosperity and legal protections were heavily skewed toward white Americans, making the "American Dream" considerably harder for Mexican Americans to attain. All of these forces combined to give Mexican Americans reason to "run toward whiteness" and adopt certain mainstream ideals in the hope of social survival (Arizpe, 1979).
Resistance Through Civic and Political Organizing
In the early twentieth century, Mexican Americans began to mobilize and create economic and political pools to exercise their rights. This included the formation of insurance pools, voting blocs, and end-of-life financial organizations. Mexican Americans established civic organizations designed to improve working conditions for Latin Americans, and it was during this period that the first national Latino political movement emerged. This movement proved so successful that by 1928, Octaviano Ambrosio Larrazolo became the first Hispanic U.S. senator. By banding together, Mexican Americans were first able to control their financial outcomes by pooling funds to protect against economic uncertainty and discrimination. They invested heavily in job training programs to advance English literacy and knowledge of the citizenship process, and they leveraged their numbers to improve political power by voting in large blocs.
By the end of World War II, these initiatives continued to gain momentum. This momentum led to the establishment of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and El Congreso de Pueblos que Hablan Español, otherwise known as the Congress of Spanish-Speaking Peoples. Both organizations were charged with limiting discrimination, empowering Latin American communities, and improving the quality of life for minorities in the United States. Both organizations grew rapidly throughout the country, working to end anti-Latino discrimination and break down the economic barriers that had historically constrained the community.
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