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Manuel Gonzalez
Chicano/a 10A
Prof. Ramirez
08/01/2016
The Effects of Mexican Immigrants
on the U.S. Labor Force
The action of large migrations of Mexican people heading toward American soil,
has been in effect for hundreds of years. This migration dates back to the late 1840’s, during the
time when the United States believed they had a “manifest destiny” to spread west across the
continent. It was throughout this time that the Mexican-American war arose and ultimately
resulted in Mexico’s loss of what is todays south west region in America. The Mexican people’s
belief in the Americans unjustifiably taking their land resulted in their actions of immigrating
back to their homes, no longer under Mexican supervision. As years went by, the population of
Mexican immigrants in America increased rapidly, every person heading north for a variety of
reasons, some of which being for a better education or better jobs but overall for better lives.
Leaving their place of origin to follow a life they could only dream of, to work and create
change, for themselves and for others. The impact that Mexican immigrants have had on the
American economy as a result of their migration is quite significant, but what’s an even more
specific and substantially positive impact is the one they had on the United States Labor Force.
The migration from Mexico to the United States has been in existence for the majority of
America’s time as a unified country but the toll Mexicans had on America did not begin to shine
until the early 1960’s. Beginning in the 1920’s, the share of Mexican immigrants in the U.S.
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workforce declined steadily. This decline could rely on a variety of events that happened during
this time. One major event that could conceivably be the cause of decrease in Mexican
immigrants is the amount of security installed by the U.S. around the 1920’s. Up until the
1920’s, there was little to no reinforcement around the border. All were free to come in and go,
nearly as they pleased. It wasn’t until the U.S. placed security measures on immigration that a
decrease in Mexican immigrants began to arise. Quickly after security protocols were placed
around the border, the “immigration quotas of 1921 and 1924 that radically reduced immigration
from southern and eastern Europe excluded Mexicans” (John Box, 1928) showing that Congress
was fully aware of America having an immigration problem but equally knew that the labor they
received from the Mexican immigrants was indispensable. In the case of the United States, they
