evs250 analysis

Johnson Reed Act and its effect on the US

 Johnson Reed Act (Immigration act of 1924)

• Established harsh racially biased national origin quotas that were designed to drastically limit immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe and to exclude Asian and immigrants entirely 

• Created the national origins quotes based on the 1890  census which favored Northern and Western Europeans

• Banned all immigration from Asia except the Philippines

• Restricted annual immigration to 2% of the U.S. population 

JRA24 impact on US

Effects on the U.S. 

• The U.S. became more homogeneously Northern/Western European in incoming immigrants for four decades

• There were shortages in some industries like agriculture and railroads which led the government to create  guest-worker programs down the line like the Bracero Program in 1942)

• Encouraged the idea that immigration should preserve only a specific type of American style

JRA24 Impact on the Americas

• While the act restricted Europe and Asia it did not cap immigration from the Western parts of the world which allowed Mexican and Caribbean migrants to become a more central part of the U.S. and the U.S. labor force by extension

• The Bracero Program (1942-1964): Due to restricted EUropean immigration the U.S. turned to Mexico for labor during World War Two

• Political and economic relationships strengthened as the U.S. relied more heavily on Latin America for labor 

Hart celler act 65

•  A civil rights era reform that abolished national origin quotes and replaced them with a system that prioritized family reunification and skilled labor

• Created preference categories based on family ties, skills and refugee status

• Placed a cap on immigration from the Western Hemisphere for the first time 

HCA65 effect on US

• Large increases in immigrants from Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa 

• U.S. immigration levels rose significantly in the late 20th century 

• Once migrants have settled, chain migration expanded communities and accelerated demographic change

• Cities like Los Angeles, Miami, Houston and New York saw dramatic transitions

HCA65 effect on ameriacs

• Latin American migration accelerates, even with the new caps on the Western Hemisphere the demand for labor in the U.S. and political instability in Latin America created larger migration flows

• Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean became major sources of migration 

• New legal restrictions contributed to rising undocumented migration, since previous unrestricted paths were now capped

• Migrant entrances became crucial to economies in Mexico, El Salvador, Dominican Republic and more

• U.S. influence in Latin American politics grew as migration connected families across borders ( R.A.L)

Be able to explain the rise of the Mexican cartels (why they came to power when they did)

Mexican cartels rose when U.S. drug routes shifted through Mexico, Colombia's major cartels fell, and weak corrupt institutions allowed Mexican groups to take control of the drug trade.

Eusebio Kino’s legacy in the SW:

Eusebio Kino’s legacy was basically the education of  catholic religion, agriculture, and development of the society based on the catholic ideals.

Region in the decades immediately preceding becoming part of the US (what was going on politically, economically, socially

• Politically: Mexico was unstable and struggled to control its northern frontier. 

• Economically: the region was poor, rural, and sparsely developed. 

• Socially: Indigenous groups, Mexican settlers, and rising U.S. settlers created cultural tension.

Why US settlement in Texas (Tejas) was important leading up to Texas Revolution

Factors leading up to the Mexican American War

U.S. settlers in Texas ignored Mexican laws and brought slavery, creating tension that led to the Texas Revolution. Also, the Mexican-American War happened because the U.S. annexed Texas, clashed with Mexico over the board, and pushed for westward expansion.

“Order and Progress” under the Porfiriato and how it contributed to revolutionary uprisings + other causes of the Revolution - 

Order and progress” was used to describe the government's goals under president Porfiriato. His policies led to a social unrest and major inequality. Porfiriato focused on industrialization and benefited few. The majority of the population was faced with poverty. His rule suppressed political opposition and was later a major reason for the Mexican Revolution in 1910

1917 Bath Riots – what they were, causes

U.S., Mexicans had to be “bathed”, where they were forced to strip and be inspected in a cruel/humiliating manner, and then be deloused in gasoline, DDT, and other pesticides/toxic chemicals. WW1 stirred deep feelings of paranoia and anti-foreigner patriotism, (particularly being afraid of Germans launching bomb raids from Mexico), causing Mexican border crossers to be deemed as “illegal” in the U.S. when a new law imposed several barriers to enter. On top of that, the dehumanizing rituals occurred due to Americans having a false image that Mexicans are dirty and bring diseases into our country. In January of 1917, 17-year-old Carmelita Torres refused to go through the humiliating, dangerous bathing process, and was later joined by thousands of others at the border bridge. This protest was known as the “Bath Riots.”

WWII – federal investments and how it changed development in the region (during and after)

Increases in industrialization and manufacturing: less

US products being exported, more demand for Mexican imports

Border state economies modernized; large scale agricultural production oriented towards export

Post 9-11 security overhaul and how it affected the border

Because of this tragedy the border security established more security and reinforced the methods to control the border. Everything was more solid and started to control every movement in the border

Maquilas/maquiladoras (what they are, where they’re located, how they affect border economies on both sides

Maquilas and maquiladoras were an important step for the boost of the economic sector in the Mexico border side where the labor was cheaper and benefited the trades and the manufacturing of many products

Debt crisis (1980s) and how it affected Mexico/border region

The 1980s debt crisis had a devastating impact on Mexico and the border region, causing a deep recession, high unemployment, and increased poverty in Mexico. This led to a surge in migration to the U.S. border region, where unemployment peaked in 1982 due to the peso devaluation. The crisis ultimately triggered significant economic reforms and restructuring in Mexico and fueled political efforts in the U.S. to manage the increased flow of immigration

Prevention through deterrence and how the Sonoran Desert was “weaponized

Coyotes (smugglers), drove ATVs, created trails

US government responded with helicopters, trucks, cars, surveillance systems (gouging lines and pathways through the desert)

These disruptions threatened already endangered species – like the pronghorn, the bighorn, jaguars, and the sentinel of the desert – the saguaro cactus

Prevention through deterrence – how it disrupted ecosystems in the borderlands

In the 90s, the Clinton Administration’s immigration policy of PTD pushed people seeking to cross the US-MX border into the desert – some of the country’s most pristine acres of wilderness

Be able to explain the current water “crisis” between the US and Mexico

The crisis between US and Mexico shared the rivers called water “crisis” between the US and Mexico. In the 1944 treaty, because the climate change impacted on the water and rivers, water was carried from both the rivers to America.  Mexico must also send 430 million cubic meters of water from the Rio Grande to the U.S every year