Holly Tyler

Mequette Sorensen
Eths2430-001-SU14
6/10/2014
Reflective Outcome

Course outcome # 1:
The Mexican influence on the development of this country is undeniable and yet these people
are still treated as second-class citizens, never mind the fact that a huge portion of this country was
once part of Mexico, they just moved the border lines after the Mexican-American War 1846-48. What
is important now is to remember the past in order to shape the future.
After the war many Mexicans remained in the United States and many more entered. Because
of anti-Mexican sentiments many people were lynched just because they weren't born here. In 1917
Mexican-Americans were not allowed to enter in the military. Men were considered weak or un-
American if they did not enlist and these men were ostracized for not being allowed to serve. During
WWII the Zoot Suit Riots occurred because G.I.'s felt they were not being sympathetic to the war effort.
These are just a few examples not forgetting all the labor/civil rights movements past and present.
Even in the past decade Mexicans have been treated as lower class. Horrifying cases in Arizona
portrayed such discrimination; police officers were allowed to "indiscriminately" check for papers and
allowed to detain and then deport people without the proper documentation. This is racial profiling.
This simply cannot be! Americans need to put a foot down and stand up for basic human rights. We
should all feel comfortable crossing the street no matter the color of our skin.
However, Mexican-Americans are proud people and will not go down without a fight, some
heroic figures in their community stood up about unfair treatment when no one else would. The United
Farm Workers went on strike that lasted for years; lead by Cesar Chavez created a labor union which
helped farm workers acquire better wages and fair treatment. The Chicano movement helped bring
college students together in high-school walk outs for better schooling for the school system. These
people are strong citizens in the Mexican-American culture and with champions such as these
individuals, they will be herd.
Course Outcome # 3:
Graphing and data is very helpful in any demographic because we can make associations that
affect the community. These types of tools can help find viable solutions that may not be readily
apparent. Although not totally accurate, these statistics provide guidelines.
Some ways that I have found these tools to be useful in this class was in my research paper. By
looking at data, graphs and statistics I was able to establish needs in the Mexican-American Community.
I was able to find how many organizations were provided for ESL programs, which ages they catered to
so that I would be able to present problems that were looked over but still much needed. These types of
tools have also helped us find out that Hispanics have a high pregnancy rate and therefore we have
found that it is associated with the Catholic religion and its views on sexual education and birth control.

Course Outcome # 5:
In this course our class studied many aspects of the Mexican American life, some great
characteristics reflected well with the Mexican culture in the U.S. and unfortunately some reflected
poorly. Throughout the history of the United States immigrants of every ethnicity have been shunned,
strict of their rights, stolen from, and downright treated badly. The Mexican culture has been
discriminated against in so many ways that many American born citizens don't take into account.
Some examples specifically that the Mexican American culture has been wrongfully oppressed,
was in the early 1900's to the 1950's. Americans unlawfully took land away from Mexican immigrants,
sold to other Americans and then were forced to work for low wages, barley enough to feed their
families. Mexican immigrants have been continually deported throughout history even when they were
legally citizens and even when they were they were considered a part of this nation, Americans
discriminated against them and made them eat, drink, use the restroom and even go to school in
separate places.
Just thinking about such things is horrifying! The fact that even today people are still
discriminated against. We as Americans talk about people being treated equally and yet depending on
where you are from, everyone treats someone bad at one point. Having this class has made me more
aware on how I judge people and why. Is it because I am profiling people in some ways I know I have
done this and I probably still will in some ways. I just hope that after this class I think about why I am
criticizing them, if I have learned anything from this class it is that.