Geography 103 A TEST 2 (lecture content from 9/27)
A shared border #2
Supporting that legacy is geographic proximity, shared border from california to texas- length? The US has been an attraction to poor Mexicans for centuries. The shared long border has been permeable because it's hard to monitor and has allowed easy movements back and forth for a very long time.
Trend 2- Anglo-influence : After entradas texas and california grew differently
Texas Hard to get settlers to move to south texas Stephen Austin received permission to move 300 anglos there in the 1800s- grew to be thousands. By 1821- mexico equaled a nation Arguments later ensued over the precise border with Texas- War
New institutional responses:
by 1925 concern for #s and creation of the border patrol. 1930= 'mexican race'
Trend 3: racialization
by 1930-counting "Mexican race"= depression era and halt to encouraging Mexican immigration! Advantage gone. Now the mexicans become a threat
Mexican government tried to retain control of California
by breaking up mission lands and placed them in the hands of wealthy mexican families (zorro) Majority of mexicans became poor ranch hands
Largest 2 states
california and texas, but other states are growing rapidly (indicates density) But major dispersion occurring at same time due to migration and immigration Total latino population is shifting regionally will be in the capstone in your course manual
US economic expansion
despite depression, moved into newly irrigated valleys of colorado, nebraska, wyoming, kansas, and CA (some of these became the dust bowl) More agricultural work (clearing land, planting, harvesting) Peak influx of mexican immigrants in this period was 1920-25
Trend #10
despite increasing ethnic mix of the hispanic/latino population in recent decades mexican dominate the category (hispanic-latino) -In 2000, there were 35.5 million hispanics/latinos 20.6 million were of mexican ancestry (not immigrants) or 58% of the total -In 2010, there were 50.5 M - 31.8 M and 63% were mexican americans -In 2020, 63 M, majority still large but others have increased too. Puerto Ricans increased. Why? Others too later discussion
Hispanics and latinos --->
diversity of people coming from southlands to US Increases complexity of multi-cultural geography
More than ½ of US population growth 2000- 2010
due to growth of Hispanic population: immigration and birth rate
The changing US policy and local leadership
failures spreads over a number of decades and generated investments and big profits that went to industrialise within the continental US Section 936 of the US Tax Code was a driver of P.Rico's economic development, providing tax incentives to US corporations to create more rapid industrialization (80 years) -936 provided these corporations tax empetations for revenues originating in the US territories. Result was extremely positive. Profits could be removed from the island, -Opening industries on the island: corporate subsidiaries taxes exempt in US also were deductible from P.Rican corporate taxes
1920s just end WW1,
feelings of isolation from european entanglements still strong- go it alone, but nativism led to bad feeling about different cultures
A complex period:
impact of 1924 INA important, 1st large wave of mexican labor migrants began in 1920s, then came the depression, the anglo perception of the mexican barrio and repatriation, followed by bracero. Institutional actions are very important in this period too.
Photos in the next slide were taken on the same day
in mixed dominican-puerto rican neighborhoods (barrio obrero) in santurce. Obero has both ethnicities and very high poverty but largely is not in the flood plain
Despite restrictions
industry leaders worked with the state department to allow Mexican entry- wanted a "fluid border." Government attitude: geographic proximity makes it ok- here when needed, go home when we don't need them.
Geography is
interested in the impact of institutional decisions (social institutions) on locational and movements of people, as well as their well- being.
Also a period of Puerto rican
labor migration to the mainland. Forces have some similarity to other groups, both in migration, settlement, and dispersal
Traditional
East LA, but also in allentown- and expanding outward New- multicultural ghettos, poor but greater # of cultures/ethnic groups. Eg san Antonio neighborhood of Oakland, california. Also, the multicultural middle class in miami.
Brazil, Portuguese
Just spanish speaking
Schoen reported that
"During the decade when a corporate tax break- 936 was gradually phased out, Puerto Rico lost nearly 40% of its manufacturing job base." (Schoen 2017) Puerto Rico's debt is nearly 70 billion and has an unemployment rate 2.5 times the US average, a 45% poverty rate, nearly insolvent pension systems and a chronically underfunded medicaid insure program for the poor (schoen, 2017)
Overview of trends period 4 1960 to present
- Its relatively high unemployment rate and employment to population ratio shows that is just under ⅔ (64%) of working age latinos are gainfully employed But latinos 2nd only to african americans (24%) living in poverty by 2006, little change since Disconnected youth #s second to african americans (21%) On the other hand, wealthy neighborhoods in gateways. Also have dominance in some locales, such as construction in miami
Hispanic-latino diaspora
-Hispanics/latinos contributed significantly to the increasing diversity and complexity of multicultural geography of the US
US census est. equals 1 of 2 both between July 1, 2004 and July 1, 2005 is in US
-was Hispanic/Latino -Largest 2 states california and texas Trend #1- population up very dramatically nationally since 1970 White population is dramatically decreasing
US passed new immigration law in 1965: 1965 INA, Hart-Celler Act to law
1. Abolished the quota 2. Kept preference systems 3. But did not count family reunification in the annual limits.
#12 and the mexicans How do we explain the continuing dominance of mexican immigrants, both as the largest hispanic ancestry and as the #1 immigrant class in the US
4 interrelated factors
1990-2000, rate of growth
58% (22 M to 35 M)
P.Rico unemployment and movement to US
A shrinking economy and high employment created significantly to Puerto rican out migration to the US mainland, an aging population, and record poverty for the island. The hurricanes of 2017 exacerbated this movement The reduction of the islands fertility rate and increased out-migration have contributed to an aging population in Puerto Rico and its capital city that strained social services The PEW research center stated prior to maria: Puerto Rico's nearly decade-long economic recession has led to people leaving the island for the mainland in numbers not seen in more than 50 years.. It is apparent that Puerto Rico's economic crisis that hit San Juan hard had lingered for more than a decade, before hurricane Irma and Maria brought physical and human devastation to an island in economic crisis. Many Americans were unaware of the impacts of section 936, but saw the hurricanes, especially maria, that became media foci. Despite this, americans on the mainland had to wait nearly a year to learn that nearly 3,000 american citizens perished on the island Perhaps, the most media attention focused on the lack of energy well into 2018 and the behavior of the executive branch of the US government.
Puerto ricans are americans BUT
ARE TREATED AS A colony Some americans even think that puerto ricans are not citizens
Operation Bootstrap
After Operation Bootstrap took full effect during the 1950s, the urban population replaced the rural population in just a matter of a few years, as declining agriculture became obvious and new manufacturing opportunities appeared in the cities.
Additional context:
After WW1, cheap labor still required for industrial growth and for US west agricultural business and other industries expanding- W economy need labor This had been an era of blatant discrimination against chinese, japense, and philippines eliminating asian labor (yellow peril). New labor source required.
Late 1500s- 1853
American Expansion- Manifest Destiny - Land Acquisition- Anglicization PRE US settlements by Hispanics through a period of land acquisition in the American Southwest and California, ending in 1853 Trend 1 : early hispanic influence Entadas equals settlement strategy Spain created a deliberate settlement strategy that combined power and religious zeal to prevent expansion of French and Russians into what is now southwest US and California.
Demand for cheap labor #3- this demand although variable with economic conditions, has been relatively consistent since the early 1900s to present
American corporations and individuals have wanted continuous cheap, affordable labor for most economic sectors (agriculture, dirty and or labor intensive industry (construction, food processing, etc), services (restaurants, hotels, landscaping), AND domestics (house cleaning) Other than times of economic stressors The pull is matched by Mexican push. What are they? Lack of jobs, natural disasters,
By 2017, huge job losses and debt
As manufacturing corporations fled the island, energy prices soared and the Puerto Rico economy went into a nosedive, especially with a large increases in unemployment and poverty
Trend continued 4: the importance of gateways
Attraction: jobs, co-ethnics, and highly diverse metros
Key:
Available cheap mexican labor mixed with anglo capitalism to build the agricultural sector of american west Cheap labor needs matched the push factors that drove thousands of mexicans to leave their homeland Thousands of additional Mexicans entered the US in this period but their numbers were dwarfed by the anglo migration from the eastern US.
Outlying ethnic enclaves
Barriors- barrios originally were segregated and some distance from town center- but urban expansion engulfed them and then filtering down of housing allowed expansion. Meaning of barrio? Colonias refer to Spanish speaking towns within 150 miles of the Mexican border. Very poor and are contemporary spanish-speaking communities. Most are very small.
Period 2: 1854-1920s US westward expansion and development also anglo migration
By 1869 transcontinental railroad completed- had given jobs to mexican and chinese But spanish speaking population was growing slowly compared to the anglo population-hispanic minority Recall the rapid growth of the US europeans population in the late 1800s and early 1900s 50 million immigrants and very rapid growth of the US and its cities equals a need for agricultural products that were supplied from the west.
The 1849 gold rush was the stimulus for
California's transition to american california.
Operation Bootstrap
Changed the puerto rican economy from agricultural to industrial economy based on US policy that created incentivized investments from the mainland- very large tax breaks for opening an industrial plant in puerto rico
Trend #9
Class distinctions and related issues This is a class based economic population "Haves and have-nots"
Period closes with the
Cuban revolution.
Trend #4- US expansion and hispanic-america
Following war, 1853 purchased additional lands important to SW. GADSDEN purchase- on the borderlands of arizona, etc - $10 million for 29K square miles. Idea was a southern route for the transcontinental railroad. Avoid the rocky mountains section Thus Manifest density and spoils of war yield major new US territory, Mexico lost ½ of its territory! Plus all the mexicans living in the territory became US citizens- estimated at 80 K to 100 K at the time (1800s) No naturalization at the time but the children born in the Us. They maintained their culture in new home- USA
Allentown
Formerly european ancestry and now 40%+ (perhaps 50% by 2020) Spanish speaking Also increasing growth and impact on small selected towns. Attracted by agricultural work and food processing plants Impact on small towns= dispropriate: young families and school taxes 1980 - predominately white people.
The development of the US- latino population and geographic patterns can be understood through examination of 4 time periods that are characterized by changes in this group and their human geography
Historical geography brings understanding to contemporary hispanic/latino settlement structures in the US We have covered the contemporary geography of period (4), now we explore the other 3 periods.
Economic and political crisis continues
However, the US (federal) nearly 5 years later, allocated 40 billion for recovery,
From 5 cultures to ethnic diversity
In 1959, Batista left Cuba and Castro into power. Cubans flee to South Florida as Refugees. Third largest hispanic speaking group.
Pre-Maria poverty in puerto rico
It is apparent that puerto rico's economic crisis that hit san juan had lingered for more than a decade before hurricanes irma and maria brought physical devastation to an island in economic crisis The number of people living below poverty increased for puerto ricans and for dominicans Poverty by ethnicity on the island
Trend 5: Another geographic settlement trend
Many hispanic/latino people in new places Immigrants are by-passing gateways and are going directly to smaller cities (SE Pennsylvania) and to small towns and rural areas- following employ and family ties
Order was
Mexicans, than Puerto Ricians, then Cubans
During US expansion of 1800s to mid 1900s
Mexicans= overwhelming majority of Hispanic geography
Recent hurricanes made a very bad crisis worse
Migration after Irma and Maria: estimated that 114,000 to 213,000 residents will depart annually between 2017 and 2019, and may result in a 14% loss in population that could surpass the # of out migrants during the long recession
Population loss prior to irma and maria
PEW research center reported in 2016 Population of san juan dropped by 10% between 2010-2015 Approximately 40,000 left the municipo and the population fell to 355,000 Reported causes 40% stated job-related reasons 39% stated family-related causes
california
Missions and settlements grew more quickly than those of Texas Attracted more anglo settlers
6 traditional gateway states- who are they?
NY, NJ, Illinois, Florida, Texas, and California Also changes in the types of gateway cities: traditional: NYC, San fran, chicago Newer gateways in the development of US (vs former including LA and Miami for example. Recent emerging gateways- Orlando, charlotte, Washington DC Immigrants attracted to gateways
Repair of the energy grid lingered: some examples
Night time satellite imagery from jan 31, 2018 indicates that some of the dark areas ( w/out electricity) corresponded to poor areas in largely poor p.rican and dominican residential areas Prof Guilbe supplemented this satellite imagery with street level photographs taken in the same dominican areas in the late jan 2018. The photos show people putting clothes to dry on the porch area.
Spanish/mexican influence was well-established in southern california by then but
Northern california developed very differently due to gold rush Gold mining Became corporate driven due to large investments in technology that allowed very large scale mining operations (few became rich) Boom town atmosphere created need for other commercial and industrial capital and development- it came Point: gold created an economic and political revolution.
Trend 8
Not only changing the geography but also the face of america Now political and economic force forces in the transition of the US 2nd largest diaspora/group in labor force Political influence is increasing on local and national basis In 2012, for the first time, revenue generated by US latino businesses caught attention, noted to have exceeded 250 billion and this continues to grow.
Map of the Entradas: A Spanish Spatial STrategy
Note the first settlements are in the Borderlands Period #1: Early Hispanic Influence Created settlements in what are now in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and California.- to become the BORDERLANDS. Based on 3 components equals 1st towns. Missions to Christianize Native Americans Commercial and administrative centers Period #1: American Expansion
Alienated urban clusters
Old shopping centers and inexpensive housing = the new settlement is in settlements around these things, often linear developments along major highways
Trend 6 # Increasingly ethnically diverse and young population
Origins in Latin America have become increasingly diverse since 1970- 21 national origins
Puerto rico continued
Overlapping these events, but beginning in the 1930s, San juans growth included growing numbers of immigrants, especially from the Dominican republic. Although the early wave of these immigrants were light skinned and had assets, later many poor Dominicans came and settled in the San Juan slums. This too contributed to a growing population density and increasing poverty rates in San Juan and the entire island.
End period 1 and move to period 2: 1854- 1920s
Part 1 is the forerunner of the mexican legacy This period represents the continued influence of manifest destiny and economic expansion of western US characterized by several trends Trend #1 Hispanic slow growth relative to anglos but significant increase in Mexican settlement for agricultural development. Period of anglo migration (E-W) that resulted in Anglo-california Numbers overwhelmed Hispanic/mexican minority Political and economical control established during the gold rush.
Period of US westward expansion and development
Period of US westward expansion and development- also Anglo migration
Also, growing vegetables for growing town/city markets.
Period of growing Anglo capitalism.
Trends for 4th period of latino diaspora
Population- growth has been tremendous especially after 1970 1940 = < 2M 1980= 15 M 2000= 35 M 2010= 50.5 M (16.4% of US) 2020= 62 million (up 23%) Whites (8.6%)
Industrialization
Provided employment and considerably improved the island's standard of living for many years.
Cotton belt was moving too- into texas and the agricultural lands of california prospering
Pt: Tx, Ca become increasingly important following RR expansion, as in chicago. SO: Period of agricultural expansion required hard, cheap labor supply Land clearing and creation of canalas equals back-breaking work: RR, mining, farm labor, etc. need for cheap labor continued
By the mid 20th century (1900s),
Puerto Ricians had emerged with rapidly increasing numbers . A group with their own proud cultural history. Although separated from contiguous states- US Citizens
Period 3: 1920s-1950s
Racialization, US policy (controlling Mexican immigration and labor) and Puerto Rico migration to US mainland. A complex period: policy impact of 1924 INA important Don't want people that are different Immigration annual quotas : national origins Great britain/N.Ireland - 65, 721 Germany- 25,927 Ireland- 17,853 Poland- 6,524 Hungary, Yugoslavia, Turkey, Lithuania, Romania, Greece - less than 1,000 Most others-less than 100
#1- US - Mexican legacy
Refers to the long-term ties between two nations. It begins with the pre-mexican content (spanish crown) and the nation of texas, followed by US-Mexico land claim arguments over border Spain was vying for territorial claims in the 1500s - 1700s colonization of the western world= 1500 settlements in what is now Florida and the US southwest. After a series of confrontations between the US and Mexico, the US acquired considerable territory and inherited the Spanish speaking people of the borderlands region. Later more connections and closer relationships followed. Today, NAFTA and its replacement are examples. The point is along relationship between the 2 nations
Trend #11 The special case of puerto rico
Rise and fall of the puerto rico economy The significance of operation bootstrap US government wanted Puerto Ricans to be more anglo, including adopting english
Trend #3
Role of social institutions in western agricultural expansion Congress passed legislation in 1902 encouraging western irrigation projects that encouraged Expansion of citrus and cotton production through hard, cheap mexican labor in texas and arizona Beet sugar industry in colorado, kansas, and nebraska Truck farming in Ca.
However, after 1965, the hispanic-latino diaspora became highly diversified. Why?
The Hispanic-Latino Diaspora became highly diversified after the 1965 Hart cellar immigration and naturalization Act passed by congress and signed into law by president Lyndon Johnson
The Undocumented Hispanic Population
The growth and impact of growing undocumented mexican and latino population, trend #2 Prior to 2008 meltdown, the undocumented annually totalled the population of a city such as Syracuse or Akron Undocumented estimated at 12 M, but we do not really know. Some estimates are higher. Disproportionate impacts on Borderland states and other areas, particularly, the South Florida, the northern Gulf Coast, Spanish Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, present-day Arizona, and California, More deportations under President Obama than the administration of G. Bush. Large #'s continue under Biden 10,000
Puerto rico continued
The mass rural to urban migration with the implementation of operation bootstrap reshaped puerto rico in important ways, including rapid urbanization followed by urban sprawl and suburbanization around its primate city, san juan. Push and pull factors.
Federal policies #4- including immigration law and labor programs
These are the actions of american social institutions These actions include creation of the 1920 INAS, including the quota system, the bracero program, the post WWI INAS and other actions that have impacts on Hispanic-latino population in both nations What are the following? 1920 INAS and quota system Keep jobs for people who live there already Keep mostly white, european area Didn't want eastern europeans or asians Only wanted western and northern europeans wanted to . 1952 INA (Walter McCarran Act 1965 INA (Hart-Celler Act)
Results
This event was crucial in initiating the final decline of the sugar cane, tobacco, and coffee industries. However, today the government of Puerto Rico and local groups are attempting to revive these three agricultural activities to help develop today's crumbling economy. Industrial employment gained dramatically between 1940 and 1970s
Other lecture points
This was the period of arreolas two migration waves 1st- 1900-1930 distinct labor migration wave influenced by mexican immigration and social institutions
Results of war
Treaty of Guadalupe hidalgo- 1848 award US the disputed territory and.. Added additional lands along the border (parts of arizona, new mexico, and california) and territory in what are now Utah, nevada, colorado, and wyoming This is now the Mexican cession (MAP)
Population trends continued
Tremendous growth over last half-century but especially since 1970 More than ½ of US POP growth 2000-10 due to growth of Hispanic population: immigration
California was admitted to the union in 1850 as a slavery compromise
Trend 3 Return to texas story: border conflict and the spoils of the war Case of US expansion and manifest destiny 1821= mexican independence from spain Soon thereafter- US annexed Republic of tEXAS IN 1845 Conflict: contested space: texas had claimed land south of the rio grande river Mexico disagreed and the Mexican War of 1846 occured. Land acquisition and spoils of war
Trend 2:
US isolation and institutional restrictions: institutional actions and mexican migration
Western European Bias
US: an anglo-american and western european population base for nearly a half-century Nearly 90% of US population was of european ancestry by 1950
The Puerto Rican tax code
also provided a path to economic crisis
At the same time, 1830s-1840s
anglo migrants exceeded number of hispanic/mexican migrants to california
Post WW1 experiences
led to US isolation and restriction Immigration laws significant throughout this period
In the first decade of the 21st century
mass influx and relocations from the Borderlands and entry directly to new and existing gateways upon entry led to contested space and anger over a variety of issues Peak immigration decade and rise of undocumented.
Youth Trend
matches typical human migration pattern- movers tend to be young. US Census: average age is 27 and many will marry and have children.
Trend 1:
mexico's unstable economy and political situation left millions in poverty Push factors in exodus to US
Additional trends in Puerto rico
occurred within the context of changing US policy, particularly tax laws that had created prosperity and then a severe negative impact on Puerto rico, san juan, and its people. The behaviors of Puerto rican leadership also contributed to the trends that led to the island's insolvency.
Operation bootstrap-
rural-urban migration and the continuing influx of poor dominicans, contributed to population growth and urbanization trends that continued to 2000.
By the 1990s,
section 936 became a target of american critics- criticized as a tax dodge for large, non-taxed US corporations and It was repealed by the congress and by the Clinton administration in 1996 (with a ten year grace period.) Little consideration of impact in PR Result was explosive for Puerto Rico with the departure of foreign investment and the decline of Puerto rican manufacturing employment. No financial base to invest This amounted to a decade plus of economic crisis and rising debt (2006-18)
Trend 3-
shifting hispanic-latino populations nationally and certain ethnic groups are attracted to particular areas/locations
TREND 7
should be obvious that american regional geography is changing and so are urban forms and ethnic settlement structures Internal structures of cities have become increasingly complex, rendering straight-light assimilation obsolete. Replaced by segmented assimilation that is reflected in geography. Form of metro structure. metro structure. Still have barrios, ghettos, and colonias, but different types too.
Suburban ethnic settlements of varying densities-
some heterolocal ie: disbursed yet tied together by culture especially wealthy S. Americans and also some middle class. Segmented assimilation Bolivians in DC= example
Greenberg and Atkins (2015) argued
that the Puerto Rico constant effort "to incentivize economic growth by carving out tax breaks for specific industries." They quoted the Krueger report that indicated "Puerto Rico lost out on 250-500 million a year in revenue due to these tax breaks Puerto Rico also became dependent on their "triple tax-exempt bond" which are exempt to taxes in the US and their territories. Became very popular but encouraged increasing debt that became 100% of Puerto Rico's GNP in 2015 Thus, a crisis emerged, back to section TAX 936.
Within the first 6 months after maria
the san juan media raised issues regarding irregularities in the restoration of electrical power El vocero front page headline read "new scandals spatters the AEE" "Irregularities uncovered when recovering power." Suggestions of preferential treatment for san juan business and for residents w status
Trend #2-
this need was a migration "pull" factor but also a "pull factor" needed. Period coincided with Mexico's international and domestic crises, culminating in: 1910 Mexican revolution: political and economic turmoil in Mexico equals poverty, fear, and desire to leave. PUSH FACTORS Results Mass migration of mexican poor to US mines, RR, factories, and agricultural sector
We returned to san juan
to view the general recovery underway and specifically to visit barrio obrero Videoed at street level
