Introduction
Mexican immigrants, along with their Mexican
American descendants, occupy a unique place in the story of U.S.
immigration. They are known by many different names, come from
divergent origins, and took widely different paths to becoming
part of the United States.
Millions of people in the United States today
identify themselves as Mexican immigrants or Mexican Americans.
They are among both the oldest and newest inhabitants of the
nation. Some Mexicans were already living in the Southern and
Western regions of the North American continent centuries before
the United States existed. Many more Mexicans came to the country
during the 20th century, and Mexican immigrants continue to arrive
today.
The multicultural inheritance of Mexican Americans
is rich and complex. It reflects the influences of Spain, Mexico,
and indigenous cultures, and has been shaped by hundreds of years
of survival and adaptation in the crucible of North American
history. Their history was also shaped by wars and depressions,
by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and the Gadsden Purchase,
and by shifting attitudes toward immigration. |