Mexican Migration Facts

Where did they come from?

• Some of the Mexican American population was already living in the California area that was claimed by the United States, and some were transported to the United States from Mexico as cheap labor.

Reasons for Migrating

• At first Mexicans were recruited by Americans who needed laborers to start businesses in the west. Mostly, the Mexican immigrants came to the United States in search of better paying jobs and a more stable life.

Where did they settle?

• They settled mostly in the parts of California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas where there was agricultural jobs.

What happened as a result of their arrival?

• As more Mexicans started coming to the California and western area of the United States, the locals became more prejudiced against them. Eventually legislation was put in place to try and stop the flow of immigrants from Mexico.

• Unfortunately, racism against Mexicans, especially Mexican laborers, is still very present in California and other western states today.

Intersections with Nature

• During the first part of the 1900s many farms, ranches, and farming cities started appearing in the Central Valley of California. Unfortunately, the wetlands in this area were also the habitat of the California Red-Legged Frog. By 1939 most of the frog’s habitat was destroyed and by 1960 the frog was completely gone from the Central Valley.

(Information from: http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=7766)

For More Information About Mexican Migration Visit These Websites:

http://www.farmworkers.org/Welcome.html