Hispanic / Latino Americans—Lecture Outline
Issues for Consideration during group discussion:
1. Panethnicity & labels & Identity: What groups make-up Hispanics/ Latinos? What label(s) do people prefer? Any
differences among groups (foreign born vs, US born)? (Ch.9)
2. What is the Economic Status of Hispanics / Latinos overall? Compared to whites and blacks? (Ch 9)
3. What is the SES of Hispanics sub-groups -- Cuban Americans and South Americans Vs. Mexican
Americans, Puerto Ricans, & Central Americans (Chs. 9 &10)
4.What are Latinos, political tendencies (parties, voter turnout)? (ch 9)
5. Maquiladoras on border, remittances & home town clubs – what are they & how much have they helped Mexicans &
related to immigration? (ch. 9)
6. How long does it take for Latinos to lose Spanish language ability (speak English only) -- & compared to other
immigrant groups? (ch. 9)
7. Immigration / Migration to US History -- Reasons for & How immigrants were Treated
Compare: Cuban Americans, Central Americans, Mexicans, Puerto Ricans (Chs. 9 &10)
Mexican Americans-Ch. 10, unless noted otherwise:
8. How did Mexican Americans become outsiders in the own land? (conquest…)
Tejanos in South Texas – what is their relationship to the land? How are Tejanos a complex mix of outsider and
American? Why is new border wall offensive to some? (Garcia web rdg.)
9. What is the history of Mexican immigration to the US? –laborers, repatriation, braceros, mojados / “Operation
Wetback,” illegal immigration – Immig. enforcement affect Mexican Americans?
10. Who is Cesar Chavez & what did he do?
11. Political movements --Chicanismo (what is it?), & what is MALDEF
Puerto Ricans—ch. 10:
12. Puerto Rico Colonial Status & history -- & now commonwealth vs. statehood vs. independence
13. Puerto Rican Racial categories (Color Gradient) – how do they differ from mainland US?
14. What is Ed status of Mexican Americans and Puerto Ricans, & what is the role of Family & Religion for these
groups?
Lecture:
Size and origin of largest Hispanic sub-groups (Schaefer ch 9)
Key role of contemporary immigration in make-up of Hispanic population
Pan-ethnicity identity of Hispanic / Latino label Vs. Country of Origin & American identity
(Schaefer ch 9)
Video clip from “Faces of America” – on Eva Longoria’s family history – Mexican American, family
absorbed into US via conquest (not immigration), long history of conflict of Anglo ranchers and
authorities, family survival [Her example fits well with Garcia Web rdg. on Teajnos].
How various Hispanic sub-groups came to be part of the US? (drawing together info. from Schaefer)
War/Conquest & Immigration [“Harvest of empire”]
Mexicans – Conquest , plus later immigration (long, cyclical contradictory history of immgn. &
US response) (Schaefer ch. 10)
-- US immigration policy & Mexican immigrants (contradictory – welcoming & hostile)
1848-1924 (open),, 1930s deportations, 1942-64 Bracero program / laborrecruitment,
1953-54 “Op. “wetbackl”, 1965-present, including 1986—88 Amnesty for
undocumented immgs. (Schaefer ch. 10 & a little extra from me)
Puerto Ricans – Conquest / colonial status, plus citizenship & later migration to mainland.
(Schaefer ch. 10)
Cubans – More for political reasons – US Response more welcoming “Wet Foot/Dry Foot”
policy. (Schaefer ch. 9)
Central Americans -- More for political reasons (US role)– US Response not welcoming generally
(Schaefer, ch. 9)
Dominicans (from the Dominican Republic) -- More for political reasons (US role)– US
Response not welcoming generally
Key role of US policy in these cases “Harvest of Empire” – both foreign policy & immigration
policy domestically (how immigrants from different countries treated once here).
“Plan de San Diego” plot & 1915 uprising of Texas Mexicans / Tejanos, & brutal repression of it.
Reasons for uprising? Land dispossession…(Garcia web rdg.)
Latino Vote increasing, but Latino issues largely ignored in non-election years
Immigration policy – contrast how Cubans are treated vs. Mexicans and all other Latino immigrants
Puerto Ricans citizens, but those on Island cannot vote in US elections – commonwealth status, legacy
of colonialism
“Culture of Poverty” theory and critique of it. (Schaefer, ch. 10)
“Color gradient” as way of seeing /categorizing races, esp. in Puerto Rico (Schaefer, ch. 10)
Mixed Status families / Households (Schaefer ch. 10)
Immigration – Latino portion of US immgrants
Undocumented / Illegal immigration as a portion of overall immigration, make-up of
undocumented / illegal immigrants
Latino Population and Immigrant portion of it, and undocumented / illegal portion of
immigrant pop.
Socio-Economic Status (SES) data (from Schaefer Ch. 9 & 10) on Hispanics and key sub-groups.
Note patterns in data (not exact #’s) –some of similarities and differences between main subgroups -- Cuban Ams. & South Americans, compared to Mexican Ams., Puerto Ricans,
& Central Ams.
Not lecture on, but know from Schaefer:
Central Americans—El Salvadorans – why come to US and how many (Schaefer ch. 9)
Puerto Ricans (Schaefer ch. 10)
-- A little on PR colonial history & acquisition by the US
-- Migration to mainland and SES status & general experience on mainland
Mexican Americans (Schaefer ch. 10)
Chicano movement
Cesar Chavez—key Mexican American hero & leader. Why? What did he do?
The importance of family life and religion to Hispanics, in general. (Schaefer ch. 10)