Major Problems In Mexican American History

Not only were Mexicans such as Benavides accused and punished without being tried in court, they were also driven into poverty and their places of worship were often burned down. The Mexicans in the 1800s had their fortunes in places like California where the land was rich with gold. Mexicans and white settlers alike built cabins and prospered from the land, mining and fishing for gold in the rivers. In one famous account of Joaquin Murrieta in “Major Problems in Mexican American History”, white bandits came to Murrieta’s cabin and told him that they would not allow any Mexicans to prosper from the lands. They told him to get up and leave his land. When Murrieta refused they butted him in the head with their pistols and killed his wife. Before this, angry white mobs had also lynched his brother Carlos when he was accused of stealing a horse which he had honestly purchased some time ago. But with angry screams and outcries of white mobs, Mexicans could not explain their situations. Too often their side of the story was not heard even when they were later proved innocent. In vengeance, Murrieta famously created an organized group of bandidos (bandits) and set out to kill the people who had
in 1928, the violence is still very much alive today in all aspects of the lives of Mexicans within the U.S. Today racism against Mexicans and latinos alike can be seen in the midst of the 2016 election of Donald Trump who claims that the answer to problems in the U.S. is building a wall to keep illegal immigrants out. On June 16th, 2015 during his announcement of presidential bid Trump said, “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best … they’re rapists”(Washington Post 2015). Today he is the elected president of the U.S., commencing in the year of 2017. It is clear that racist sentiments against Mexicans are still alive today especially when the leaders of this country are promoting racist