THE 2000 CENSUS AND LATINO ASSIMILATION IN THE U.S.
The 2000 census reveled a dramatic
increase in the Latino population within seven of the ten largest cities in the
United States. Two of them include New York and Los Angels. The Latino population surpassed Blacks in New
York and Blacks and non-Hispanic whites in Los Angeles. Now that the Latino
population has become the minority-majority in these major cities, it is said
that the Latino population will be 25 percent of the U.S. population by 2050. I
think it’s safe to say that the migration of Latinos originates from pull
factors from their home country. With this I will pose a question, how is the
Puerto Rican migration to New York similar to the Mexican migration to Southern
California? In this blog post I will argue that the pull factors in both Puerto
Rico and Mexico were similar and with that these populations along with other
Latino populations refuse to assimilate to mainstream U.S. culture.
The migration of Puerto Ricans in the
early 20th century was primarily due to economic issues on the
island. Puerto Ricans saw New York City as the jackpot for employment as the
unemployment rate rose to alarming levels. After the U.S. annexation of Utah,
New Mexico, Texas, and California, Mexican citizens left these new U.S. areas
and moved to Mexican territory. New mining and agriculture industries attracted
Mexican migrant laborers. The Mexican revolution later increased the flow of
migrants, many of which left rural areas to seek employment. Today, Los Angeles
and New York are ranked metro areas with the largest Latino population between
2000 and 2010.
The change in the Latino population
in the United States is not chiefly due to migration. Mexican and Puerto Rican
migrants being in the United States for decades definitely calls for cultural
diffusion. Mexican, Puerto Rican, and other Latino groups were concentrated in
areas of the United States (Mexicans to Southern California and Puerto Ricans
to New York City) and established barrios similar to the ones their homeland.
According to Samuel P. Huntington, fertility rates are the highest among
Latinos in the United States. Latinos start families in these areas for decades
and therefore prevents the total assimilation to U.S. culture for generations.
Work Cited
1. Davis, Mike. 2001. Magical Urbanism:
Latinos Reinvent the US Big City. Ch. 1
2. Steinhauer,
Jason. 2015, March 11. The
History of Mexican Immigration to the U.S. in the Early 20th Century [Web log
post]. Retrieved from https://blogs.loc.gov/kluge/2015/03/the-history-of-mexican-immigration-to-the-u-s-in-the-early-20th-century/
3. Sanchez Korrol, Virginia E. 1994.
From Colonia to Community: The History of Puerto Ricans in New York City. Ch. 2
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I agree with your last paragraph that the change in Latino population is not chiefly due to migration. While a large part of the increase in Latino youth may be because of high fertility rates among Latinos, I think there is more to it than that. Latinos have been pulled to this country for decades through various worker programs and through the idea and dream of making money for families back home while working abroad in the U.S. And also, as you mentioned, in the Southwestern U.S., specifically Mexican populations have thrived and lived in those areas for centuries and exemplify the phrase "We didn't cross the border, the border crossed us". But, in the case of Puerto Rico, a territory claimed by the U.S. after the Spanish-American War, emigration is particularly different and complex. I find it interesting but also quite disheartening that Puerto Ricans struggled to truly assimilate as U.S. citizens. These are people that have legal rights and claim to U.S. citizenship on paper, but in practice they are considered basically second-class citizens. I think it is important to remember that American intervention in Latin American affairs have attributed to multiple economic, political, and social struggles that have led to the migration of many Latin American populations to the U.S. The U.S. has caused its own "immigrant problem" through direct policy implementation and intervention in Latin America.
ReplyDeleteI.V:
ReplyDeleteI agree with your second paragraph about the issues of economic instability, being a major pull factor in the migration of Puerto Ricans and Mexican to the U.S. Though by different forms of circumstances both immigrant/migrant groups were in search of a better life. Lets not forget that Mexicans lost there land in the Mexican revolution giving them the brand of immigrants/undocumented while the Puerto-Ricans were giving citizenship giving them the brand of migrants.
I agree with majority of your last paragraph. I had never thought of cultural diffusion to be apart of the increase of latinos. I always just assumed it to be migration; which is also apart of the increase which you had also mentioned in your first two paragraphs. I also agree with your opinion of how much of americas economic instability is causing a major pull factor for Puerto Ricans to the US.
ReplyDeleteYou are completely right about how pull factors such as economic stability in the U.S. played a huge role in migration from Puerto Rico and Mexico. In my paper i actually wrote about that and how they were in search for this new way of life for themselves and their families. Great post!
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed reading this post and I liked the fact that your posed that reproduction is a large contributor to the increase in the Latina/o population. It is completely true, growing up in a Latina/o household, we are raised to have pride in our nationality so that definitely influences the stance that Latina/os refusing to assimilate to mainstream US culture.
ReplyDeleteI am writing about Puerto Ricans in the South Bronx and why they came there in the first place and I agree that there were many "pull factors" involved. Job opportunities have always been a pull factor for people, specifically
ReplyDeleteLatinos, to want to come to the United States. You mentioned that Latinos come here due to poor economic issues, so what do you think will happen to the economy of both our country and the different countries of Latinos who try to migrate here? Do you think making immigrant policies more strict will damage economies worldwide?