People of Mexican Heritage Chapter 18
People of Mexican Heritage Chapter 18
People of Mexican heritage are a very diverse group geo- graphically, historically, and culturally and are not easy to describe. Although no specific set of characteristics can fully describe people of Mexican heritage, some common- alities distinguish them as an ethnic group, with many regional variations that reflect subcultures in Mexico and in the United States. A common term used to describe Spanish-speaking populations in the United States, including people of Mexican heritage, is Hispanic. However, the term can be misleading and can encompass many different people clustered together owing to a com- mon heritage and lineage from Spain. Many Hispanic people prefer to be identified by descriptors more specific to their cultural heritage, such as Mexican, Mexican American, Latin American, Spanish American, Chicano, Latino, or Ladino. Therefore, when referring to Mexican Americans, use that phrase instead of Hispanic or Latino (Vázquez, 2001). As a broad ethnic group, people of Mexican heritage often refer to themselves as la raza, which means “the race.” The Spanish word for race has a different meaning than the American interpretation of race. The concept of la raza has brought people together from separate worlds to make families and is about inclu- sion (Vázquez, 2000).
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HERITAGE AND RESIDENCE
Mexico, with a population of 107,449,525 (CIA, 2007), is a blend of Spanish white and Indian, Native American,
Middle Eastern, and African. Mexican Americans are descendants of Spanish and other European whites; Aztec, Mayan, and other Central American Indians; and Inca and other South American Indians as well as people from Africa (Schmal & Madrer, 2007). Some individuals can trace their heritage to North American Indian tribes in the southwestern part of the United States.
Mexico City, one of the largest cities in the world, has a population of over 20 million. Mexico is undergoing rapid changes in business and health-care practices. Undoubtedly, these changes have accelerated and will continue to accelerate with the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement as people are more able to move across the border to seek employment and edu- cational opportunities.
Historically, people of Mexican heritage lived on the land that is now known as the southwestern United States for generations, long before the first white settlers came to the territory. By 1853, approximately 80,000 Spanish-speaking settlers lived in the area lost by Mexico during the Texas Rebellion, the Mexican War, and the Gadsden Purchase. After the northern part of Mexico was annexed to the United States, the settlers were not offi- cially considered immigrants but were often viewed as foreigners by incoming white Americans. By 1900, Mexican Americans numbered approximately 200,000. However, during the “Great Migration” between 1900 and 1930, an additional 1 million Mexicans entered the United States. This may have been the greatest immigra- tion of people in the history of humanity (Library of Congress, 2005).
Hispanics, the fastest growing ethnic population in the United States, include over 35.3 million people, or 13.2 percent of the population. Fifty-eight percent are of Mexican heritage, with an increase from 13.5 million in
People of Mexican Heritage Chapter 18
