Part Two A Radical View of the .

20th Century Chicano J20

Chapter Six Greasers Go Home 123

Background to the Mexican's Importation -The Importation of the
Mexican - Mexican Migration Patterns - Public Opinion Toward
Mexican Immigration - Debate on the 1924 Act - Box Bill The
/nftoducfion
1928 Hearings -The 1930 Hearings -The Restrictionist Victory-
Institutional Neglect and Abandonment -Anglo-American Labor -
History can either oppress or liberate a people. Generalizations and
Anglo-American Public Education Religion's Role in
stereotypes about the Mexican have been circulated in the United States for
Americanization - Conclusion
over 124 years. Adjectives such as "treacherous," "lazy," "adulterous," and
terms such as "meskin," or "greaser," have become synonymous with "Mexi-
Chapter Seven The Road to Delano 153 can" in the minds of many Anglo-Americans. Little has been done to expose
A Voice of Dissent The Cantaloupe Strike - The Berry Strike of the false premises on which such cultural and racial slurs have been based.
1933 The San Antonio Pecan Shellers' Strike The Struggle Incomplete or biased analyses by historians have perpetuated factual errors
Continues The Di Giorgio Strike at Arvin, California - The and created myths. The Anglo-American public has believed and encouraged
Beginning of the Crusade - Conclusion the historian's and social commentator's portrayal of the Mexican as "the
enemy." The tragedy is that the myths have degraded the Mexican people-
Chapter Eight An Era of Repression 187 not only in the eyes of those who feel superior, but also in their own eyes.
Many of these myths have their foundation in the nineteenth century,
Early Organizations - The Deportation of the Chicano - The Case
when Anglo-Americans began infiltrating into the Mexican territory of Texas.
of Jesus Pallares- The 1930s - World War II - Los Angeles:
They were nurtured by the accounts these Anglos gave of their Mexican
Confrontation of the Early 1940s - The Sleepy Lagoon Case - The
neighbors, by the clash between Anglos and Mexicans in the Texas revolt of
So-Called Pachuco Riots Toward the 1960s - The Breaking of a
1836, and by the Mexican-American War that erupted in 1846. Anglo-Ameri-
Movement - Reactions of the 1950s - Conclusion
can historians glorified and justified the deeds of the "heroic" men who "won
the West"-at the expense of the Mexicans, who were fighting to preserve their
Chapter Nine Goodbye America, I 222
homeland. The Mexican became the outsider, and his subordinate status in the
The Catalysts - The Brown Berets - Jose Angel Gutierrez - Reies United States after 1848 was explained as the inevitable result of a clash
Lopez Tijerina - Corky Gonzales: Barrio Leader Conclusion between dynamic, industrious Anglo-Americans and apathetic, culturally de-
prived Mexicans.
Chapter Ten Goodbye America, U 246 These are myths that must be challenged-not only for the sake of histori-
cal accuracy, but for another, and even more crucial, reason. Mexicans-
The Political Realities - The California Story- The Texas Story-
Chicanos-in the United States today are an oppressed people. They are
The Story of the Catholic Church The Chicano National
citizens, but their citizenship is second-class at best. They are exploited and
Moratorium-September 16, 1970-January 9, 1971-January 31,
manipulated by those with more power. And, sadly, many believe that the only
1971 - Subversion and the Provocateurs - Justice in the Southwest
way to get along in Anglo-America is to become "Americanized" themselves.
- Attitude of Law Enforcement Agents Trial by One's Peers -
Awareness of their history-of their contributions and struggles, of the fact
Conclusion
that they were not the "treacherous enemy" that Anglo-American histories
have said they were-can restore pride and a sense of heritage to a people who
Index 279 have been oppressed for so long. In short, awareness can help them to liberate
themselves.
It would be impossible in the space of one volume to refute the assump-
tions and historical inaccuracies of 124 years of Southwest history. This text,
then, is not an attempt at a definitive history of the Chicano and his struggle
toward liberation. Rather, I have attempted to underscore my thesis that
vi Chicanos are a colonized people in the United States through the use of both

I
 United States, Chicano is used to distinguish Mexicans living north of the
public records and secondary sources. The result, I hope, is a clear alternative border from those residing in Mexico.
to traditional explanations offered by historians. But even more, I hope that Central to the thesis of this monograph is my contention that the conquest
the story of occupied America, and its thematic approach to Anglo imperial- of the Southwest created a colonial situation in the traditional sense-with the
ism, will spur Third World historians to take on the monumental task of Mexican land and population being controlled by an imperialistic United
primary research that still needs to be done in relation to the Southwest and States. Further, I contend that this colonization-with variations-is still with
the Chicano. Then, and perhaps much more effectively than I have done, they us today. Thus, I refer to the colony, initially, in the traditional definition of
can challenge the conclusions of other historians. the term, and later (taking into account the variations) as an internal colony.
Before focusing on my thesis of the colonization of the Chicano, I would From the Chicano perspective, it is obvious that these two types of colo-
like to cl~rify several points. First, the title of this monograph might appear nies are a reality. In discussions with non-Chicano friends, however, I have
to be a misnomer. Many readers will argue that Occupied Mexico would have encountered considerable resistance. In fact, even colleagues sympathetic to
been more appropriate since the monograph is about the occupation of an area the Chicano cause vehemently deny that Chicanos are-or have been-colo-
formerly belonging to Mexico. While this argument is valid, I feel that Occu- nized. They admit the exploitation and discrimination, but they add that this
pied America is more precise, for "America" is the identification that Eu-
has been the experience of most "Americans"--especially European and Asian
ro~eans gave ~o two con_tinents. When the name was later appropriated by immigrants and Black Americans. While I agree that exploitation and racism
~h1rteen colomes, t~e designation "America" was deemed the exclusive prov- have victimized most out-groups in the United States, this does not preclude
mce of the new nation, and United States citizens considered themselves the the reality of the colonial relationship between the Anglo-American privileged
"Americans." Chicanos, as well as other peoples, however, refute this ex-
and the Chicano.
clusivity and correctly maintain that all inhabitants-on both north and south I feel that the parallels between the Chicanos' experience in the United
continents-are Americans and that the whole hemisphere is indeed America. States and the colonization of other Third World peoples are too sim1lar to
~hus, I hold that Anglo control of Mexico's northwest territory is an occupa- dismiss. Attendant to the definition of colonization are the following condi-
tion of a part of the American hemisphere .
tions:
.A_ltho~gh some readers might consider it a trivial matter, I feel compelled 1. The land of one people is invaded by people from another country, who
to d1stmgmsh between United States Americans and other Americans. Thus
later use military force to gain and maintain control.
in ref~rring to _people of the United States, I have used the term Anglo~ 2. The original inhabitants become subjects of the conquerors involun-
Amencan, or simply Anglo (derived from Anglo-Saxon), to underline the
tarily.
distinction. S!milarly, I refer to U.S. settlers in Texas as Anglo-Tejanos (An- 3. The conquered have an alien culture and government imposed upon
glo-Texans), m contrast to the native Texan population, which was Indian and
them.
Mexican. 4. The conquered become the victims of racism and cultural genocide and
. ~econ_d, some U.S. citizens of Mexican extraction might object to the
are relegated to a submerged status.
1dent1ficat1on o~ "Chicano" in the title, for many call themselves simply Mexi- 5. The conquered are rendered politically and economically powerless.
canos_ or Mex1ca~s. Moreover, a minority refer to themselves as Spanish- 6. The conquerors feel they have a "mission" in occupying the area in
Amencans or Latin Americans. Recently, the label Mexican-American has
question and believe that they have undeniable privileges by virtue of their
become pop~lar, following the hyphenization tradition of other ethnic groups.
conquest.
Anglo-Amencans have promoted the use of this label, and for a time it seemed These points also apply to the relationship between Chicanos and Anglos
as if it would be universally accepted. But within the last four years, activists
in Mexico's northwest territory.
have begun to question this identification. At first, some just dropped the In the traditional historian's viewpoint, however, there are two differences
hyphen and symbolically broke with the Americanization tradition. Others that impede universal acceptance of the reality of Anglo-American colonialism
sought to id~ntify the~selves with a name of their own choice. They selected
in this area.
the term Chicano, which had often been used to designate lower-class Mexi-
1. Geographically the land taken from Mexico bordered the United
cans. Even though it had negative connotations for the middle class activists
States rather than being an area distant from the "mother country."
considered that it was a symbol of resistance as well as a demand for self- Too many historians have accepted-subconsciously, if not conveniently
determination. Such self-identification is, I believe, a necessary step in the -the myth that the area was always intended to be an integral part of the
process o~ awareness by which Chicanos can liberate themselves collectively. United States. Instead of conceptualizing the conquered territory as northern
_In th~s work, I ofte~ use the terms Mexican and Chicano interchangeably. Mexico, they perceive it in terms of the "American" Southwest. Further, the
Mex1~an 1s used more m the first part of the book in recognition of the fact stereotype of the colonialist pictures him wearing Wellington boots and carry-
tha~ mneteenth~century Mexicans were a conquered people. In the second part, ing a swagger stick, and that stereotype is usually associated with overseas
which deals with the twentieth century and the changing situation in the
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situations-certainly not in territory contiguous to an "expanding" country. lished a bureaucracy to control the political life of the Mexican settlements-
2. Historians also believe that the Southwest was won in fair and just for the benefit of the Anglo privileged.
warfare, as opposed to unjust imperialism. Further, Anglos controlled the educational system-they administered
The rationale has been that the land came to the United States as the the schools and taught in the classrooms, and designed the curriculum not to
result of competition, and in winning the game, the country was generous in meet the needs of Chicano students but to Americanize them. The police
paying for its prize. In the case of Texas, they believe Mexico attacked the patrolling the colonia lived, for the most part, outside the area. Their main
"freedom-loving" Anglo-Americans. It is difficult for citizens of the United purpose was to protect Anglo property. Anglos owned the business and indus-
States to accept the fact that their nation has been and is imperialistic. Imperi- try in the colonias, and capital that could have been used to improve the
alism, to them, is an affliction of other countries. economic situation within the colonias was taken into Anglo-American sec-
While I acknowledge the geographical proximity of the area-and the fact tors, in much the same way that capital is drained from underdeveloped
that this is a modification of the strict definition of colonialism-I refute the countries by foreign economic imperialists. In addition, the colonias became
conclusion that the Texan and Mexican-American wars were just or that employment centers for industrialists, who were assured of a ready supply of
Mexico provoked them. Further, I illustrate in this monograph that the condi- cheap labor.
tions attendant to colonialism, listed above, accompanied the U.S. take-over This pattern is one that emerged in most Chicano communities, and one
of the Southwest. For these reasons, I maintain that colonialism in the tradi- that contradicts the belief in Anglo-American equality. In sum, even though
tional sense did exist in the Southwest, and that the conquerors dominated and the 1960 census documented that 85 percent of Chicanos are native-born U.S.
exploited the conquered. citizens, most Anglo-Americans still considered them Mexicans and outsiders.
The colonization still exists today, but as I mentioned before, there are In discussing the traditional and internal colonization of the Chicano, it
variations. Anglo-Americans still exploit and manipulate Mexicans and still is not my intention to rekindle hatreds, nor to condemn all Anglo-Americans
relegate them to a submerged caste. Mexicans are still denied political and collectively for the ignominies that the Mexican in the United States has
economic determination and are still the victims of racial stereotypes and suffered. Rather, my purpose is to bring about an awareness-among both
racial slurs promulgated by those who feel they are superior. Thus, I contend Anglo-Americans and Chicanos-of the forces that control and manipulate
that Mexicans in the United States are still a colonized people, but now the seven million people in this country and keep them colonized. If Chicanos can
colonization is internal-it is occurring within the country rather than being become aware of why they are oppressed and how the exploitation is perpetu-
imposed by an external power. The territories of the Southwest are states ated, they can work more effectively toward ending their colonization.
within the United States, and theoretically permanent residents of Mexican I realize that the initial stages of such awareness might result in intoler-
extraction are U.S. citizens. Yet the rights of citizenship are too often circum- ance among some Chicanos. However, I caution the reader that this work does
vented or denied outright. not create a rationale for brown power just because it condemns the injustices
In reality, there is little difference between the Chicano's status in the of Anglo power. Extended visits in Mexico have taught me that Chicano power
traditional colony of the nineteenth century and in the internal colony of the is no better than any other power. Those who seek power are deprived of their
twentieth century. The relationship between Anglos and Chicanos remains the humanity to the point that they themselves become the oppressors. Paulo
same-that of master-servant. The principal difference is that Mexicans in the Freire has written:
traditional colony were indigenous to the conquered land. Now, while some
are descendants of Mexicans living in the area before the conquest, large The great humanistic and historical task of the oppressed [is]: to liberate them-
numbers are technically descendants of immigrants. After 1910, in fact, almost selves and their oppressors as well. The oppressors, who oppress, exploit, and
one-eighth of Mexico's population migrated to the United States, largely as a rape by virtue of their power, cannot find in this power the strength to liberate
result of the push-and-pull of economic necessity. Southwest agribusinessmen either the oppressed or themselves. Only the power that springs from the weak-
ness of the oppressed will be sufficiently strong to free you. 1
"imported" Mexican workers to fill the need for cheap labor, and this influx
signaled the beginning of even greater Anglo manipulation of Mexican settle-
ments or colonias. It is my hope that Occupied America can help us perceive the social,
The original colonias expanded in size with the increased immigration political, and economic contradictions of the power that has enabled Anglo-
and new settlements sprang up. They became nations within a nation, in effect, American colonizers to dominate Chicanos-and that has too often made
for psychologically, socially, and culturally they remained Mexican. But the Chicanos accept and, in some instances, support the domination. Awareness
colonias had little or no control over their political, economic, or educational will help us take action against the forces that oppress not only Chicanos but
destinies. In almost every case, they re,nained separate and unequal to Anglo- the oppressor himself.
American communities. The elected representatives within the colonias were
usually Anglo-Americans or Mexicans under their control, and they estab- 'Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed (New York: Herder and Herder, 1972), p. 28.

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