El Norte

In Chapter 12: “El Norte” Takaki concludes that America was a country of dreams and great hopes for Mexican Americans, but it became a disappointment to many.

Mexicans saw relatives that had gone to America and returned successful and happy. They also were encouraged by others to come to America because it was good there. An advantage of Mexicans that other immigrants did not have was the capability to enter and leave America without passports whenever they wished (312). Dreams pulled Mexicans to the north, and starvation pushed them out of Mexico (312). Also, a civil war in Mexico led to tens of thousands of Mexicans to flee to the north for safety (314). These Mexicans intended to return, but war led to poverty in Mexico and the end of the war could not be predicted. More Mexicans were therefore pushed from Mexico because of poverty and a bad economy, and were pulled to America because of a better economy and available jobs. America encouraged Mexicans to cross the border because “their labor was needed,” (316). Most of these immigrants became laborers, and had the worst and lowest paying jobs. Some even became servants for the whites. Placed in the same group as the Chinese, “oriental and Mexican” were viewed as being “physically unable to adapt,” (321). They were excluded socially and were “isolated by the borders of racial segregation,” (326). Anglos or whites dominated over Mexicans. In schools Mexicans were taught how to be good workers, or laborers. As more and more Mexicans came to America, whites began viewing their immigration as problematic and a “race problem.” They only wanted Mexicans for their cheap labor, but not to be an actual part of America. Whites believed that the country should be all white, or homogeneous, based only on skin color though (“race”). Mexicans represented cheap labor and also were regarded as “incapable of becoming fully American,” (331). Once the Great Depression occurred in America, Mexicans were not needed as much and many were forced to go back to Mexico. After much disappointment, Mexicans stayed together and were bound by ethnicity and class because they were all poor (335). They were all going through similar situations and they had to help each other out. They did so in Mexican neighborhoods called barrios. Mexicans did not have a great experience in America and their dreams did not come true. A Mexican father said that his son was “American by nationality, but Mexicano by blood,” (338).

How could Americans encourage Mexicans to cross the border for labor and then force these Mexicans to go back to Mexico? Capitalism, money, greed, and laziness all could have contributed to these actions. Americans “imported Mexicans for labor, and just for that purpose,” (318). They wanted to provide Mexicans with the feeling of being in a community, but only the feeling. This feeling would then make Mexicans happier and like the Japanese they would work well and more profit would be made. With Mexicans, Americans could get “more for their money,” (321). They had to settle for cheap labor because that is all they could get. Once a Mexican finished their job such as harvesting a crop they were kicked out on the street.

“Much was different in El Norte,” (339). To say the least. It is all about politics and money. An example is “School policy was influenced by the needs of the local growers,” (327). Mexicans wanted what was good for them, and they wanted equality. However, Mexicans thought that sitting with blacks would humiliate them. This may have been based on the white views of the blacks, but Mexicans still also viewed blacks as inferior. Even though class divisions were increasing, the major division was still race. Some whites were poor and in the lowest class division, yet were still above all of other races.