The Mexican Repatriation (AKA Repatriation Movement) refers to a forced return to Mexico of people of Mexican descent from the United States between 1929 and 1936. What happened to those considered to be US citizens (per the current interpretation of the 14th amendment)?
A) If they had the proper documentation, did they just come back to the US?
B) For those who didn't, did they have to stay in Mexico?
I've been writing a paper on the mass violation of constitutional boundaries by law authorities due to their impervious racism and anti-alien sentiments, rooted in the disparity of the Great Depression and a lack of "white labor" blamed on the Mexican community stealing the jobs. The "American Federation of Labor" (AFL) actually pressured the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) to interrogate Mexicans wherever they found them, with the aim of getting rid of unwanted competition, or, as they preferred, “...to give American jobs to Americans.”
Anyways, here's a link to the paper. Interesting how easily Constitutional Rights can be violated.
work in progress, nice to have an example of the unethical treatment of a race that still isn't officially recognized by the U.S.
I came across the Mexican Repatriation and was fascinated that many of the arguments for it are similar across all immigration debates until today - but they actually followed through with the plans over a century. I know there have been other mass deportation efforts - it just seems to me like one of the most specific and large-scale efforts (that doesn't also include Nazi-level atrocities). I kind of understand the political reasons, the ethical problems, and even the economic justification beforehand (Great Depression and all). What I couldn't find anything about was if the economic goals used to justify the Repatriation (simplified: "The Mexicans are taking our jobs or on welfare, and we can't afford that") actually were fulfilled. It seems like a perfect historical case study to look at the economic effects of deportation, but going through my university's journal database didn't produce any results. Wikipedia cites one book on the cost of deportation preventing local economic benefits of deportation, but that doesn't seem like the full picture.
Any economic/North American historians that could provide more details?
