Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Enrique Arias Personal Reflective Essay on Mexican Americans

These hard times that we are facing right now has affected many important people thru out the US. The people who keep this country running, the ones that take the jobs that other lazy people don’t want to do, the jobs that require a lot of work to be done but at the same time pay very little. That’s right Immigrants, but mostly Mexican Immigrants. But does American Society value them?

They produce most of the food, and build most of the buildings here in the US. Even though they contribute so much to this Country, they live in some of the worst houses with the worst living conditions. Some of the houses were they live are made out of literally whatever they can find. They stay here though, because they figure that even though they get paid very little they will still make more here than what they would make back in their homeland of Mexico. But does American Society value them?

In my opinion I think they are the ones that are struggling the most during these hard times we are facing right now. They are struggling so much that the dad is not the only one that works in the family, the wife and the kid’s work right besides the dad because of the low wages these people are getting paid for their hard work. These kid’s are not getting an education like every other kid, instead they have to work with their parents in order to make enough money to support their family. But there is nothing they can do about it. Some young men express their feelings and what they see in these days of their lives by writing and singing songs. Like this young man I meet in Coachella Valley, California his song went like this; “In these unhappy times depression still pursues us; lots of prickly pear is eaten for lack of other food. No light is seen in the houses nor does water flow from the tap; the people are in tatters and in a deplorable state.”

They are the group of people who have been targeted during these hard times we are facing. Ever heard of the Mexican Repatriation. This is what the government has decided to do with them. US citizens have started to complain about how it is possible that these people, that are not even US Citizens, are taking all the jobs away from all the real US Citizens. So they decided to give free train rides to these people to go back to Mexico. Some people are going voluntarily but some are being tricked out of the US. Now it turns out that some of the people being tricked out of the country are actual Mexican American US Citizens. So does American Society value Mexican Americans.

In my opinion, No American Society does not value Mexican Americans. They don’t care about all the contributions they make to this Country. They are trying to get rid of them by tricking them out of the country. So that they can get their jobs back but they are the same jobs that they did not want in the first place because they required a lot of work for very little pay. So no I don’t believe that American Society values Mexican Americans.

New Deal Programs That Helped Mexican Americans

Civilian Conservation Corps

Hired over 250,00 young men to work in national parks and forest and were one of the few programs that did not discriminate.

(Notes from Ms. Rinehart)

Civil Works Administration

It provided temporary jobs to millions of people who were unemployed at the time. Provided public works jobs at $15/week.

http://www.spiritus-temporis.com/new-deal/a-list-of-new-deal-programs.html

Works Projects Administration

Employed millions to carry out public works projects, including the construction of roads, bridges, schools, post offices and other public buildings. They also operated large arts, drama, media and literacy projects.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Works_Progress_Administration

Joey benitez picture on mexcian americans

Joey benitez picture on mexcian americans

Joey benitez picture on mexcian americans

Joey benitez picture on mexcian americans

Joey benitez picture on mexcian americans