Lesson 20: Brief History of US-Mexico Relations

April 9, 2019

Review:

• Nicaragua
• Exam 4 on Thu, Apr 18
• Final on Thu, Apr 25

Presentation:

• Intro to Harvest of Empire (03:00-4:10)
  • Premise: US interventions in Latin America have resulted in immigration
• Activity:
  • Form groups to investigate
    • Cuba
    • Dominican Republic
    • Puerto Rico
    • Guatemala
    • El Salvador
  • Investigate timeline of key events in relations with US
  • Prepare to discuss immigration dynamics between your group/country and the US
• Mexico
  • Timeline of US-Mexico Relations (Council on Foreign Relations)
  • Mexican-American War (1846-1848)

  • 

  • Over 350,000 Mexican Americans served in the military during WWII
  • Bracero Program
    • Started with the Mexican Farm Labor Act of 1942
    • Extended by Migrant Labor Act of 1951
    • Program terminated in 1964
    • 5 million employment contracts offered in 24 states over 22 years (1942-1964)
    • Migrant workers continue to work on farms in the US
      • The Harvest (La Cosecha)
      • Farm workers and immigration
      • ICE crackdown in California’s Central Valley (LA Times)
      • Migrant farm workers in Pueblo County (Centro de los Pobres – Avondale)
  • Mexicans recruited to work in factories in the Industrial Midwest (1950s-1960s)
    • Mexicans in Chicago
    • Chicago has the 2nd largest Mexican immigrant population

    • 

      

  • Recession in the US and devaluation of Mexican Peso in 1982
  • Mexico’s Drug War (Council on Foreign Relations)
    • US War on Drugs
    • Cartel Land (2015 Documentary)
  • North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
    • Mexican farmers can’t compete with govt subsidized US corn industry
    • Millions forced to find new livelihood
  • Approx 35 million Mexicans living in US today

Assignment:

• Watch Cartel Land