Clay Chastain, Jenny Reyes, and Danielle Schmitt

1. The History of Marginalization of Mexican-Americans Clay Chastain, Jenny Reyes, and Danielle Schmitt

2. What is Marginalization? • “to place in a position of marginal importance, influence, or power” • Can be defined through a number of factors • For Mexican-Americans, marginalization is represented through their history of discrimination.

3. A Class Apart (2009) • Video link • A new documentary featured on PBS talking about Mexican-American discrimination • Focused on Hernandez v. Texas

4. Map of Current Mexican-American Populations

5. The History of Marginalization

6. Early History • In the 1800s, discrimination began as a series of cultural distinctions • Soon turned into biological arguments • Mexican Americans had complete political control of southwestern areas of the United States • The influx of whites stripped this power.

7. The process of marginalizing Mexican-Americans can be divided into four groups: Control of land, leading to subordination Cultural racism, leading to institutionalization of racism Discrimination, leading to a definite location in the racial structure Assimilation, leading to a crystallization of a racialized identity Early History

8. The process of marginalizing Mexican-Americans can be divided into four groups: Control of land, leading to subordination Cultural racism, leading to institutionalization of racism Discrimination, leading to a definite location in the racial structure Assimilation, leading to a crystallization of a racialized identity Early History

9. Political pressures from the US helped ensure that Mexico was a second-class nation and an amply supply of labor. Missions in the 1900’s attempted to “civilize” Mexicans, at the same time, creating the idea that they were an “other”. Identities are created by the white population, reinforcing over time ideas of superiority. Impacts of Early History

10. The Laws and Politics of Marginalization

11. Largely the most influential civil rights movement for Mexican-Americans and other Hispanic populations. The African American civil rights movement was the largest initiator. However, while successful at the time, re-racialization is occurring because of the social outcry of new immigrants. Chicano Movement

12. Marginalization in the Education System

13. The future workforce will be comprised of increasingly more immigrants and minorities. However, their schooling often poorly prepares them for a number of reasons. The largest factor in college dropouts of minorities (28%) is low social integration. Factors in Education

14. Low social integration is often blamed on the idea of “racialized spaces”, the idea that minorities intrude on traditionally white aspects of school involvement. Whiteness is rewarded, while otherness is not accepted; a product of systemic racism. Factors in Education

15. Disproportionate amounts of teachers and principles of Mexican-American backgrounds in the education system. Mexican-Americans are still lagging behind other groups in the system due to the lack of enrolment and the generally poor reading scores they receive. Underrepresentation is blamed as a large factor in developing a proper environment where students can belong to. Underrepresentation

16. Marginalization in the Military System

17. Marginalization of Mexican-Americans is a deeply rooted issue in US society. While much work has been done to correct the wrongs in the past, Mexican-Americans are still being marginalized today. The process of re-racialization may be to blame. Conclusions / Q&A

18. References • Elizondo, Virgil. 1982. "A Report on Racism : a Mexican American in the United States." Pp. 61-65 in Church and Racism. New York: Seabury Press. • Lopez, Ian F. H. 2001. "Protest, Repression, and Race: Legal Violence and the Chicano Movement." University of Pennsylvania Law Review 150(1):205. • Menchaca, Martha. 2008. "The Anti-Miscegenation History of the American Southwest, 1837 to 1970: Transforming Racial Ideology into Law." Cultural Dynamics 20(3):279-318. • Michelson, M. R. 2001. "The Effect of National Mood on Mexican American Political Opinion." Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences 23(1):57-70. • Michelson, Melissa R. 2003. "The Corrosive Effect of Acculturation: How Mexican Americans Lose Political Trust." Social Science Quarterly 84(4):918-933. • Parks, Kate. 2006. "Encountering Racism in the Ivory Towers: A Qualitative Analysis of Mexican American Student Experiences in Higher Education." Conference Papers -- American Sociological Association:1. • Rodríguez Domínguez, Víctor M. 2005. "The Racialization of Mexican Americans and Puerto Ricans:" Centro Journal 17(1):71-105. • Thompson, Ed. 1998. "The Human Face of Economic Issues: A View from 'South of the Border'." Network News 18(4):13. • Vasquez, Jessica M. 2005. "Perceptions of Racism and Consolidation of Identity among Mexican Americans." Conference Papers -- American Sociological Association:1-23. • Weise, Julie M. 2008. "Mexican Nationalisms, Southern Racisms: Mexicans and Mexican Americans in the U.S. South, 1908-1939." American Quarterly 60(3):749-777.