Mexicans in the Making of America

361 Pages·2014·3.047 MB·English

by  Neil Foley

MEXICANS
IN THE
MAKING
OF
AMERICA

M E X I C A N S
I N T H E
M A K I N G
O F
A M E R I C A
NEIL FOLE Y
The Belknap Press of
Harvard University Press
Cambridge, Massachusetts, and London, England
2014
Copyright © 2014 by Neil Foley
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
First printing
Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data
Foley, Neil.
Mexicans in the making of America / Neil Foley.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-674-04848-5
1. Mexican Americans—History. 2. Mexicans—United States—
History. 3. Immigrants—United States—History. 4. United States—
Relations—Mexico. 5. Mexico—Relations—United States. 6. National
characteristics, American. 7. United States—Ethnic relations.
8. Transnationalism—History. 9. United States—Emigration and
immigration—Social aspects. 10. Mexico—Emigration and
immigration—Social aspects. I. Title.
E184.M5F65 2014
973'.046872—dc23
2014010425
For Angela, querida madre de nuestras hijas Sabina, Bianca, and Sophia
And for Latin@s— Past, Present, and Future

CONTENTS
Preface ix
Prologue: “America’s Changing Colors” 1
1 Th e Genesis of Mexican America 13
2 No Estás en Tu Casa 39
3 Becoming Good Neighbors 64
4 Defending the Hemisphere 96
5 Braceros and the “Wetback” Invasion 123
6 Th e Chicano Movement 148
7 Brave New Mundo 179
8 Fortress America 200
Epilogue: “We Are America” 225
Abbreviations 241
Notes 243
Acknowledgments 320
Index 323