Lecture 8 - History of Americas Flashcards
(25 cards)
What is meant by the “Latin Americanization” of the US?
Refers to the growing demographic, cultural, and political influence of Latinos in the US. From 7% (1980) to 19% (2021); now the largest minority group
What are the short PUSH term factors for Latin Americans to migrate to the US?
- Precarious and unstable economic situation
- Demographic shifts
- Violence: Civil and political-military conflict
- Corruption
- Natural hazards
What are the short PULL term factors for Latin Americans to migrate to the US?
- demographic shifts
- economic opportunities & labour demands
- ‘welcoming’ policies and social welfare policies
- family relations and immigrant networks
- American Dream discourse
What are the long term factors for migration?
- Imperialism
- The border
- Economic system based on cheap labour
What 4 key aspects established/continued the notion of illegal migration
- Colonial migration policies
= Forced resettlement of
Indigenous peoples
̶= Restriction against impoverished
people (> England)
̶= Restrictions on further
colonization - US Independence: colonial bases kept in place
= 1790, first Naturalization Act
̶= 1840-50s: colonial anti-poor laws
against Irish immigrants
̶= Mid-19th century onwards:
restrictions against Mexicans
̶= Late 19th century: expansion of “prohibited” immigrant category
̶= 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act - 1924-1943: quotas & repatriation
= 1924: start of policing the border, most restrictive regime
̶= quota system to strongly reduce immigration (unless from Northern and
Western Europe)
̶= Great Depression 1930s: “= American jobs for real Americans” (H. Hoover)
= “Mexican repatriation campaigns” & large-scale self-deportation
4.1942-1964: post-WWII Bracero programme & Operation “Wetback
- 1960s: “post-racial” migration system
= Abandoning of openly racist immigration system: origins of the United States as a “nation of immigrants” myth, backed by new legal rationale
̶= 1963, J.F. Kennedy ‘pro-immigration’ policies: “Americans are all immigrants”
̶= 1965: end of quota system
̶= Chomsky: “illegality” was designed to continue the same discriminatory and racist policies, but with a ‘civil’ veneer
̶= 1960s onward: boom Latin American migration to the US (Mexico, also Cuba) - Neoliberal policies, 80s-90s
= acceleration of inflows in the 1980s & reemerging opposition to “illegal” immigration
̶= more migrants from Central America and South America
̶= 1986, Immigration Reform and Control Act: legalization of Mexicans + start of militarization and control of the border
̶= 1994 (Clinton administration): Prevention Through Deterrence program – PTD - Post 9/11
= 2005; operation streamline
= ICE, Office of homeland security
What is “Prevention through Deterrence”?
1994 Clinton policy to deter illegal crossings by making the border more dangerous — it failed, creating a deadly smuggling industry
What was the Bracero Program (1942–1964)?
US-Mexico labor program that brought temporary farm workers to the US during and after WWII.
What was Operation Wetback (1954)?
A mass deportation campaign targeting Mexican immigrants, often carried out with little due process
What changes did the 1965 Immigration Act bring?
Ended race-based quotas; opened legal migration for Latin Americans, but Chomsky argues it continued discrimination under a civil façade
What did the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act do?
Legalized many undocumented Mexicans but also introduced stricter border control and employer sanctions.
What happened after 9/11 to US immigration policy?
Creation of DHS and ICE, mass deportation programs (e.g., Operation Streamline), and criminalization of unauthorized migrants
What is the “Northern Triangle” and its role in migration?
El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras – major sources of asylum seekers due to extreme violence and poverty
What is the role of “Coyotes” in US migration?
Human smugglers that facilitate illegal border crossings — part of a dangerous and often violent economy
What are the 2006 protests in the US known for?
Mass mobilization of Latino communities against anti-immigration reforms — a turning point in Latino political visibility
What role does Spanish-language media play in the US?
Key in mobilizing Latino communities, especially 2nd and 3rd generations, increasing civic and political engagement.
What are the overall results?
= Migration does not stop
̶= Precarious labour
̶= Criminalization
̶= Militarization of the border: “crackdown” / “pushbacks”
̶= Shifting (to more dangerous) routes
̶= Death
̶= Chicano / Latinx US
Latino voting trends: What shift occurred from 2016 to 2024?
Increasing support for Republicans:
2016 → 28% voted R
2020 → 32%
2024 → 42%
Reasons vary: religious values, economic concerns, disillusionment with Democrat
What are the consequences of US migration policy?
Migration continues despite deterrents. Leads to:
Precarious labor
Criminalization of migrants
Deaths at the border
Militarization and route shifts
What was Operation Streamline (2005)?
A zero-tolerance border program that criminalized all unauthorized crossings — expanded under Obama
Why is migration from Latin America often seen as “forced”?
Root causes (violence, poverty, instability) are tied to historical US policies and global inequalities — not simply voluntary choice
What is Latinx?
A person of Latin-American origin or descent including all
variations possibly excluded from the traditional term
Latino/Latina, such as people of Afro-Latino descent,
queer people, younger people who do not speak
Spanish, ..
Whats the latin vote?
Often used to refer to entire Latin community as one,
but it’s misleading. Because of various (geographic and
historical) reasons, the Latin community isn’t a
completely unified one. Historically it was Democrat leaning, now more and more Republican leaning. The share of Latin community in the electorate also keeps on growing
Whats Tribalism?
Tribalism is the tendency to see people like yourself as
being right and good, and people who are not like yourself
as offensive, evil, or unworthy of trust. The more
assimilated Latin-American people perceive themselves as
part of the “in-group”, the more they will reject new
immigrants, especially because this “out-group” could
jeopardize their assimilation that they already had to work
so hard for
Whats a Mega prison?
New model of mass incarceration in Latin
America, where the state replaces gang control with
state control, through extreme measures.
Example: El Salvador, Cecot, a facility built to hold 40000
inmates, symbolizes the shift from criminal violence to
state-led violence. Concerns about human rights
violations and decline of democratic institutions
