after the Mexican-American War. “The estimated 80,000-100,000 Mexicans living in the American southwest never crossed any border. Instead the border crossed them”. Mexican immigrants and Mexican Americans are among the oldest inhabitants of the U.S. It is an often forgotten and/or ignored fact that Spanish-speaking people have lived in North America since the colonization of Mexico by Spain, and well before the United States existed.
Since the Treaty of Guadalupe to the present day issues of immigration reform, the United States has periodically throughout its history exploited and discriminated against Mexican Americans for their own gain. When it was most convenient for them, the U.S. government would roll out the “welcome mat”, encouraging Mexican migration, only to later shut the door, sometimes forcefully removing Mexicans and Mexican Americans. For centuries, Mexicans have endured abuse and betrayal at the hands of American employers and politicians. Below, is a historical review of such events and