The relationship between the U.S. and Mexico has been one of hardships, compromise, conflict, racism, and lack of respect. Since the annexation of Texas, Mexico and the U.S. have interacted during many historical events. The overarching sentiments between Mexico and the U.S. appear to become increasingly negative as the years have gone by beginning with the independence of Texas. Through the investigation of media sources, government documents, images and videos links between Mexico and the U.S. can be seen declining into unfairness, racism, and false fear over the two countries’ history. Through the doubts from the United States towards Mexico during the annexation of Texas to the eye-catching headlines of Mexican cartels and crime that filled the media, a societal sentiment of negativity towards Mexico has not only developed but has increasingly spread and become more impactful in politics. But when can the first inklings of a negative relationship be detected between the U.S. and Mexico? What later events in history demonstrate this increasingly negative relationship? To answer these questions, one must look back at the first major interaction between the two countries.
The relationship has existed since the mid 19th century and has continued through present day however the causes of sentiments and negative feelings between the two countries have constantly changed due to historical context surrounding interactions and the time periods that interactions have occurred in. What is crucial to understand is that this relationship is never static. Societal feelings from the U.S. change based on what the media is producing at the time, who is in office, and many other factors. The U.S. and Mexico will always be neighbors and will always be required to communicate in some capacity yet the temperature of society from both sides largely determines how the relationship progresses and exists. To break down the history of the relationship is to begin to understand why the relationship between the U.S. and Mexico is the way it is today. In order to do so we can consider the Annexation of Texas and the loss of Texas from Mexico as the jumping off point for the history of the coexistence of Mexico and the U.S.
Mexico became an independent country in 1821.[1] At the time of Mexico’s newly acquired independence, the country’s border included what is now Texas. Mexico’s strategy for controlling such an expansive piece of land was to give out land grants to encourage settlement in the region.[2] In order to obtain a land grant from the Mexican government, the settlers had to become Roman Catholic and a citizen of Mexico.[3] By 1830 almost 75% of the land grants given out by the Mexican government were given to American settlers. Here is the first evidence of interaction between Mexico and the U.S. In this case of interaction Mexico controlled what is now Texas yet allowed Americans to own land, benefit from tax exemptions, and become citizens of Mexico. Distrust and doubt is a large factor in the relationship between Mexico and the U.S. As more and more settlers moved to what is now Texas the U.S. government doubted the Mexican government would be able to maintain control and organization over the expansive land.
To talk about the independence of Texas and the subsequent annexation of Texas to the United States is to acknowledge the beginning of a relationship between Mexico and the U.S. From the annexation of Texas to the Immigration Act of 1924 to the beginning of the “build a wall” era the a relationship has always existed between Mexico and the U.S. and interaction and communication has always been necessary due to trade yet the sentiments of the relationship have always taken on a negative, untrustworthy tone.
The negative and untrustworthy sentiments can be felt and seen in news story headings, in political campaigns, and even in things like cartography. Studies have been done to chart and record Americans’ feelings towards Mexico. Pew Research Center conducted a poll on how cold or warm Americans feel towards Mexico. This poll was taken around the time the Trump Administration was looking to change the North American Free Trade Agreement.[4] This agreement which has been in play since 1994 allows trade without tariffs to occur between Mexico, Canada, and the United States.[5] The International Trade Administration calls the North American Trade Agreement “the most important feature in the U.S.-Mexico bilateral commercial relationship.”[6] When it comes to such an important agreement, especially one that considers Mexico and benefits both sides, it is important to know how the public of the United States feels when changes are being proposed to change the agreement. As per Pew Research Center’s poll that was conducted in 2018, it was shown that in the sample, 21% of people polled felt very coldly towards Mexico while 13% feel somewhat coldly, 26% feel neutral and 23% feel very warmly towards Mexico.[7]
Looking back to 1998, a journal article was published that stated, “For most of their time in the United States, people of Mexican ancestry have been accused of being disloyal and no assimilable into American society.”[8] The words “disloyal” and “unassimilable” come up when describing Mexicans in the United States in the context of them not conforming to American society. However, if this situation is compared to when settlers from the United States migrated to Mexico-owned Texas before the independence of Texas and did not conform to Mexican citizenship, religion, or acknowledgement of Mexican control then the above quote could be used for Americans as well.
The scope of this investigation begins with the independence and subsequent annexation of Texas and continues through Woodrow Wilson’s speech on the state of Mexico in 1913 to the Immigration Act of 1924 and then to yet it is interesting to look at more recent sentiments among Americans towards Mexico, like the Pew Research Center study, to imagine how the sentiments must have been in 1924 when the U.S. went as far as to bar Mexicans from entering the country in a government sanctioned act. To understand the sentiments that exist now in society that are fueled by social media, political agendas, and the news is relevant to understanding the beginning of the relationship between the United States and Mexico, the progression of the relationship through the 20th century.
To ask and question how the negative relationship between the United States and Mexico began, developed, and came to be how it is now holds historical significance because the relationship between Mexico and the U.S. has become more and more present in everyday lives of Americans and Mexicans since the independence and annexation of Texas. The relationship has also become increasingly polarized and political. The media, politics, and societal sentiments have all contributed to the growing negative view of Mexico that has formed within the U.S. as shown by studies and articles. Many people’s perceptions of Mexico however have come from eye-catching headlines and extreme views and statements from political leaders. It is important to understand the origin of the relationship and how it exactly changed throughout history to possibly shifts change in the relationship towards a more positive light.
When choosing primary sources, it is important to keep in mind voice, tone, possible biases, perspective, and medium. For this investigation it was useful to provide an array of sources that range from videos, speeches, newspaper articles, and photographs to cover a diverse selection of voices, medias, and representations of the relationship between the United States and Mexico. When looking at sources it is important to keep in mind their historical context (time period and surrounding events), author, and subject matter to understand and identify biases, outside influences, and how the subject matter was the vehicle for negative sentiments from both Mexico and the United States. If these things are kept in mind a well-rounded and comprehensive awareness for the history of the relationship between the United States and Mexico can be achieved.
[1] Schroeder, John H. “Annexation or Independence: The Texas Issue in American Politics, 1836- 1845.” (The Southwestern Historical Quarterly 89, no. 2 1985): 137–64. http://www.jstor.org/stable/30239906.
[2] Schroeder, “Annexation or Independence: The Texas Issue in American Politics, 1836- 1845.” 137–64.
[3] Schroeder, “Annexation or Independence: The Texas Issue in American Politics, 1836- 1845.” 137–64.
[4] Laloggia, John. “Americans have mixed views of Mexico, ‘warmer’ feelings towards Canada” (Pew Research Center, August 28, 2018). https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/08/28/americans-have-mixed-views-of-mexico-warmer-feelings-toward-canada/
[5] International Trade Administration. “North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)” (Department of Commerce United States of America). https://www.trade.gov/north-american-free-trade-agreement-nafta
[6] International Trade Administration. “North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)”
[7] Laloggia. “Americans have mixed views of Mexico, ‘warmer feelings towards Canada”
[8] Acuña, 1982; Gutiérrez, 1995, “Interests not Passions: Mexican-American Attitudes toward Mexico, Immigration from Mexico, and Other Issues Shaping U.S.-Mexico Relations.” The International Migration Review. Sage Publications Vol. 32, No. 2 (1998) 402.
Sources
Schroeder, John H. “Annexation or Independence: The Texas Issue in American Politics, 1836- 1845.” The Southwestern Historical Quarterly 89, no. 2 (1985): 137–64. http://www.jstor.org/stable/30239906.
Laloggia, John. “Americans have mixed views of Mexico, ‘warmer’ feelings towards Canada” (Pew Research Center, August 28, 2018). https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/08/28/americans-have-mixed-views-of-mexico-warmer-feelings-toward-canada/
International Trade Administration. “North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)” (Department of Commerce United States of America). https://www.trade.gov/north-american-free-trade-agreement-nafta
Acuña, 1982; Gutiérrez, 1995, “Interests not Passions: Mexican-American Attitudes toward Mexico, Immigration from Mexico, and Other Issues Shaping U.S.-Mexico Relations.” The International Migration Review. Sage Publications Vol. 32, No. 2 (1998) 402.