Реферат: The History Of Mexican Immigration Essay Research

economic conditions in Mexico. “It was devised so that Mexicans could be sent to work in selected agricultural areas of

the United States under a series of bilateral agreements between the two countries” (Miller 29).

Each Mexican state was given a quota for the number of those to be contracted from their state. Workers were then

brought to recruitment centers. The Mexicans who were accepted at these centers were turned over to the U.S.

Department of Labor, who placed the workers in U.S. farms.

The number of contracts issued was far less than that of Mexicans wanting to come over. “For example, in 1945 the

number of permits given by the Mexican government totaled 104,541 but only 49,454 contracts were issued by the U.S.

Department of Labor” (Miller 30).

After World War II the U.S. demand for Mexican immigrants increased. “Of a total of 4.6 million contracts issued during

the life of the program around 72 percent were printed between 1955 and 1964″ (Miller 30).

Two related controversies created opposition to the program. In 1948 the United States opened its border to several

thousand Mexicans because of a labor shortage. “The Mexican government was upset over this and considered taking

action for damages inflected along its Northern border due to an uncontrollable exodus of border resident laborers”

(Miller 30). The United States apologized and the two sides were at peace.

On January 15, 1954, the United States said all Braceros were to be contracted until the U.S. and Mexican governments

came to a new agreement on the program. Mexico responded by not letting laborers be contracted legally by the United

States. Large groups of Mexicans did not take the demands seriously and gathered at border cities, wanting to enter the

United States. The Mexicans brought troops to the cities trying to disband the crowds. When Mexican President Ruiz

Cortinez heard the event was leading to domestic crises he withdrew his troops. The United States and Mexico came to

agreement with no harm done.

Between 1949 and 1959 the number of Bracero’s increased from 8,500 to 84,000. During the later stage of this

increase opposition to the program also greatly increased. Farm workers union’s greatly opposed the program and

demanded its termination. In 1960 opposition rose in Congress. The Kennedy Administration openly opposed the program.

The program was ended in 1964. Mexico made last ditch efforts to restore the program, but in 1975 the Mexican

government finally realized the Bracero program was not its answer to its unemployment problems.

The Third Phase of Mexican Immigration to the United States- Illegal Immigration

The last stage of Mexican immigration starts right after the Bracero program. This stage is most notable for the mind

boggling number of illegal Mexicans who cross the United States-Mexican border. “The most heavily traveled border in

the world is a strip of scrubby California desert [la frontera] that runs 15 miles between the United States and