Mirkin’s article, “Aurora Reyes: ataque a la maestra rural,” was about one of the most iconic women in Mexican history. She was a very inspiring woman, she still found time to create her murals and fight for what she believed in all while being a single mother of two and having a job. Reyes was someone who fought for things that were dear to her such as education, children, and equality for women. I found it interesting but not surprising that her murals reflected her beliefs and illustrated the essence of their importance. Unlike the other artists who depicted the revolution, Reyes’ murals showed the unfortunate but somewhat inevitable side of the revolution.…
My overall notion about the book Mexican Labor & World War II: Braceros in the Pacific Northwest, 1942-1947 by Erasmo Gamboa is a sickening feeling. The way that Braceros were treated was horrendous. It was all good when they were bring the Braceros up here from Mexico and had them working under contracts but when they stopped following the term that the contract stated that they were to have clean water, good food, proper housing, and more. But the land owners did not follow the terms of these contracts. They were mistreated and were working extremely long hours and were being overworked when they were working. Then when the Braceros went and looked for better jobs they would force them back. Unfortunately for the Braceros some got the jobs but were forced out when vets came back and were looking for jobs because the Braceros would be let go. The Braceros would try to return home and would use any means necessary to return to Mexico because of the harsh treatment the landowners would put upon the Braceros. Then the Braceros started protesting and would use non violent methods to try and get better working conditions. By just refusing to work hoping to get better working conditions failed because the land owners would call the police and force them to go back or other times some land owners would close down the kitchen so then they couldn’t eat and would just starve them out until they went back to work.…
Out of all the migrant workers, ninety percent of them were Mexican American. Then when small farmers wanted to transport goods on the railroads the migrants built, the companies charged outrageous amount of shipping rates that the small owners either could not afford or could barely afford. If the railroads had not already created enough damage on the backs of minorities, the companies would steal land to put their railroads through and the government was with the big businesses not the undesirables. In response to the poor conditions Los Caballeros de Labor were created. Los Caballeros de Labor denounced the “Mexican rate” for any job. Los Caballeros believed the inequality of pay further divided the Anglo americans from the Mexican Americans. In addition Los Caballeros wanted the land of the people to be protected from the businesses who wanted to take their land. However, Los Caballeros de Labor were not the only groups standing against oppression, another group, called La Mano Negra also denounced the oppression. La Mano Negra against all odds demolished 900 railroad ties in demonstration against the institutions taking advantage of the Mexican…
In “Los de Abajo”, Anzuela provides a powerful description of the revolutionary movement but also, the extreme poverty for the majority of Mexico. Following a part of Demetrio Mancias’ journey, the author explores issues like literacy, community health, substandard housing, machismo and gender roles. One repetitive topic is how much the men in Demetrio’s group really understood about the Revolution, and how the ideologies behind a bigger movement can be reduce to their minimum expression depending…
The indigenous populace of Mexico was abused and seen as a nuisance, where Diaz sought to erase them from Mexican history and took away their land which greatly affected their livelihood and left them in poverty which affected the soldaderas because the majority of them came from mestiza origin. During that time period, the Mexican constitution restricted women’s rights where they were not given the right to vote, women could not own property or allowed to oversee the education of their children – women’s life were virtually limited by gendered laws and constrained by men their entire lives beginning in their childhood by their fathers and during adulthood by her husband. Women were expected to be devoted to their families and be the reproducers of the next Mexican generations serving as their primary caregivers. Joining the revolutionary movement allowed them to escape the oppression that Marianismo represented and seek their independence in a male-orientated…
Kellie Young begins her story "The Undercurrent" right away with rich descriptions, setting the reader's emotions for what she is about to tell. Immedietly you are able to invision Kellie's surroundings and gauge her emotional state; as she plunges through the cold Pasific Ocean, listening to her mother's panicing voice in her head. The tone through the story is candid, as Kellie tells of her mother's overbearing feelings, towards her actions, and Kellie's responses to her mothers concern is apethetic , giving two opposite thoughts to different actions. It is effortless to follow her story, as she gives a balance of detail and truth; putting you in the middle of her intenal…
The whole Mexican problem came up from the boom of the citrus industry in California and because of the civil unrest in Mexico. Southern California eventually segregated agrarian society based on the citrus industry. Mexican American labor eventually became the same as African American labor with cotton. This segregation stayed until World War II when a group of common workers with an uncommon American spirit decided to fight against this unjust system. They fought not for their rights but for their children’s non-segregated and equal lives since many of these workers were parents.…
The Mexican Revolution was a time of change. The conflicts created as the rebels fought the old government because they disagreed with the political situation. Similar conflicts happened in the story. Mama Elena can be seen as an example of the government who imposes old laws. Mama Elena’s family tradition should be that Tita may not marry and must look after her mother, Mama Elena until Mama Elena dies. Tita is like the rebel, she disagrees with mama Elena’s rule, which creates trouble, and death on the ranch which causes a war.…
The novel The Power and the Glory deals with religious persecution in Mexico after the Mexican…
This website helped me find information about the Mexican War. It gave me all the background information of the war and the aftermath of it.…
that refers to the making of hot chocolate: Water is used rather than milk, and…
"Women in the Spanish revolution - Solidarity." . libcom.org, 6 11 2009. Web. 3 Apr 2013.…
The experience of Mexican-Americans in the United States is both similar, yet different from other minority groups. They were treated much like the Irish-American and other newcomers of the ninetieth century. Mexican-Americans also like the Irish, soon made themselves indispensable in the first half of the twentieth century as cheap labor. Later in the last decade, they have felt pride began to make themselves a necessity in far more numerous ways to business, government, popular culture and art.…
Craig, your main points about the challenges facing women all highlight the resilience of women in rural Mexico. These women encountered insurmountable obstacles in pushing for women’s rights. In my opinion, women had a much tougher role in pushing for change compared to men. Women in rural Mexico would not only fight for their own rights, but also confront other social issues effecting their family and overall community. I can only imagine how difficult it must have been to participate in these social movements while taking care of their family at the same time. Moreover, I do agree with you that these women do face challenges in pursuing non-traditional roles in rural Mexico. In my Opinion, the role of women as the primary caregiver of the…
Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata fought alongside Mexico’s peasants who were fighting for the land that they worked. These…