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Summary Of The Making Of A Mexican American Dream

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The article “The making of a Mexican American Dream” mentions that Americans have this notions that immigrants ultimately need to assimilate in order to fit the mold of the “American dream”. Sarah Menkedick, the author of this article, cites Milton Gordon’s book, Assimilation in American life: The Role of Race, Religion and National Origins, to offer an example of this idea and how immigrants are expected to adapt to the American way of life. Mekedick states, “according to Gordon, assimilation depended first upon acculturation: the immigrant group’s willingness and ability to learn English, and to adopt white, Protestant, Anglo-Saxon, middle-class customs, after which point its members would ultimately identify with and marry into the dominant …show more content…

Even though the immigrant experience of all Latinos is essentially different due to different circumstances, it is clear to see that many Latino communities keep their traditions and cultural values are deep ingrained in their communities. This, defines the Latino experience in the United States because it allows them to create a new life in the US while at the same time keeping bits of their cultures. Two Latino communities that are a good example of this are the Mexican and Puerto Rican communities in the US. What’s makes these two communities different from other Latino communities is the fact that these two countries have a long history with the United States. Thus, it is no surprise that there were many Mexicans and Puerto Ricans living in the US long before any other Latinos decided to establish as communities in this country. Of course both of this communities experienced different things throughout their history in the United States and I’d like to explore in which ways their experiences were similar and in which ways they were …show more content…

They are not only the largest Latino group in this country, but they have also deep ties to this countries. The inhabitants of the annexed territory that now form part of the United States were Mexican, thus demonstrating that not all Mexicans migrated to this country in the beginning. In fact, Mexicans are the only Latino group that can claim to have been here way before any other Latino groups. According to Menkedick, “The first sizable population of Mexicans was here when the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed, requiring Mexico to cede more than half of its territory to the U.S”. However, that doesn’t stop Anglo-saxon America from ignoring this fact whenever they talk about Mexican migration. Menkedick further states, “The concept of an American culture defined by middle- and upper-class white people demands and perpetuates cultural amnesia” (Mekedick, 2017). This demonstrates not only that many Mexicans have been inhabiting the US for a very long time, but also that Americans often forget or choose to ignore the history of this country and how Mexican migration is not a new concept. This “cultural amnesia” has enabled Anglo-saxon Americans to discriminate against Mexicans without realizing that Mexicans have been part of this country for a very long time; even if they’re newcomers as many of

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