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Immigration Disciplines American

Immigration across the Southwestern United States Border: An Interdisciplinary Look at Issues Associated with Illegal Immigration and Solution Possibilities.

Introduction

The issue of immigration across the southwestern United States (US) border is a complex issue involving thorough thought from a variety of applied fields of study and a complete dissection of past, present, and future immigration issues. This matter is becoming more critical every year as Latin Americans, by the millions, continue to pour across the US border illegally. As a result of this mass Latin immigration, a variety of changes, both advantageous and disadvantageous, are impacting American society and citizenry.

There are many disciplines that can be used to analyze immigration across the southwestern US border, but only a few merit further investigations. The complexity of the problem, the involvement of several disciplines, and the pressing social need to address the problem of immigration across the southwestern US border fulfill the requirements to necessitate an interdisciplinary approach (Repko, 2005). Although the following disciplines, sociology, psychology, communication, language, and biology, all pertain to the subject at hand, a deeper view of history, economics and political science better portray the issue of immigration across the southwestern US border.

The intertwining of these three disciplines will create a better comprehension of the discussion of immigration across the southwestern US border. Each of the above mentioned disciplines is specifically integrated into the subject and will provide data to explain the issue of immigration across the southwestern US border. By focusing on specific epistemological viewpoints, phenomena, assumptions, and theories of the disciplines mentioned in relation to the matter, complete understanding of the subject becomes an easier task. This data can be extracted from peer reviewed literature, subject literature, and other various print media. These media will provide the basis of information that will further follow in this paper.

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History is the study of the events that have taken place in the past. Historians study these events, and artifacts associated with them, to gain ideals about those humans in the past who created them (Roark, Johnson, Cohen, Stage, Lawson, & Hartmann, 2007). History relies on primary and secondary sources to gather and process this information (Repko, 2006). By assessing these sources and compiling information about the history of immigration across the southwestern US border, a determination about the completion possibilities of proposed solutions, to the issue today, can be constructed. Complete knowledge and recognition of the history of the subject is essential to the assessment of the matter of immigration across the southwestern US border today.

Epistemological viewpoints of economics explain that it is a science used to explain how societies and individuals in them deal with the problem of limited resources and unlimited wants (Arnold, 2007). This process is viewed through mathematical theories and models focusing on empirical data (Repko, 2006). By researching and interpreting this empirical data and mathematical information found through literature reviews, greater light is shed on the importance of economics in relation to the issue of immigration across the southwestern US border. This relation will be shown through economic models, statistics, and business data about US economics, and specifically, Texas economics.

Political science is considered the study of governments, public policies, and political processes, systems, and political behavior (American Political Science Association, 2008). Also considered a social science, along with other disciplines such as sociology and psychology, political science seeks to understand “‘belief,’ ‘purpose,’ ‘intention,’ and [the] ‘meaning,’” behind actions taken by those in positions of power (Repko, 2006, p. 9).

Similar to economics, political science relies on mathematical models and statistical data found through literature reviews to create better grasp of those beliefs, purposes, intentions, and meanings (p. 16). By determining and assessing political actions taken by those in power, and reviewing the laws and the criminal justice system a system of knowledge about the issue of immigration across the southwestern US border can be achieved.

Utilization of these three disciplines and integration of the information, the history of immigration, the economic models and empirical data about economic effects of immigration, and the political actions in relation to immigration across the southwestern US border, can be thoroughly and systematically assessed.

After being assessed, possible solutions to resolve the problem can be constructed and grouped based on rationality and the ability to realistically complete the solutions. In addition to these possible solutions, differentiating views and conflicts concerning the issue will be presented to provide an overall understanding of the issue of immigration across the southwestern US border.

Background

Currently there are “an estimated 11.6 million unauthorized immigrants living in the United States as of January 2006” (Hoefer, Rytina, & Campbell, 2007). This steady trend has been growing every year. Figure 1 (Department of Homeland Security, 2003), shows a comparison between 2000 and 2006, showing that the unauthorized immigrant population has boomed an additional 3.1 million in 2006, to an already alarming 8.5 million in 2000 (Hoefer, et al., 2007). That is an average rate of about 516,000 unauthorized immigrants a year coming into the US.

Residents from Mexico account approximately for 6.6 million of the 11.6 million unauthorized immigrants (Hoefer, et al., 2007). This immigration from Mexico and surrounding areas affects every state in the US. Areas most affected include land locked geographies such as Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas, and other geographical areas that are separated by water such as Florida (Durand, Massy, & Charvet, 2000, p. 1). These statistics are shown in Table 1 (Guzman, 2001).

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While these areas are important when discussing immigration, the main focus of this paper includes issues associated with immigration into Texas. As seen in Figure 2 (Guzman, 2001), Hispanic residents in Texas accounted for approximately 32 percent of the total population of 20,851,820 million people, in 2000 (Guzman, 2001). Steve Murdock, a state demographer claims that if net immigration continues such as it has in “the twentieth century, Hispanics will constitute 59.2 percent of the state’s population in 2040” (Burka, 2007, p. 10). This exceptional percentage merits further investigation into the effects that Mexican immigration has on Texas. This investigation will exclude immigration from other Latin American areas other than Mexico.

To begin, a brief history about Mexico, the US and Texas will be discussed here and further in the History section of this paper. Until approximately the early 16^th century, the US and Mexico border region we know now, was largely inhabited by local natives and Indian groups. In 1519, Spanish explorer Hernan Cortes landed in Veracruz who upon his arrival met ruling Mayan lord Moctezuma Xocoyotzin II.

Moctezuma immediately bowed to the Spaniards superiority and relinquished control of Tenochtitlan. Here Cortes colonized, maintaining strict immigration policies. These policies allowed Indians and natives, but rejected heretics, thus populating the southwest region with mainly Spanish and Indian cultures (1519-1512 Hernan Cortes Arrives in Mexico, n.d.).

Following Cortes’ arrival in Mexico, Spain establishes a colonial government in 1535. Mexico remained under Spanish rule for another three hundred years. Within this time, the United States had begun to form. With this growth, the US created the Adams-Onis Treaty to help define and clarify the US – Mexico border.

Also know as the Transcontinental Treaty of 1819, the treaty provided that Spain retain holdings of Texas, California, and vast regions of New Mexico, present day Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and sections of Colorado and Wyoming. All other areas west of the Sabine River were given to the US (1819 The Adams-Onis Treaty, n.d.).

After winning independence from Spain in 1821, Mexico allowed for Stephen F. Austin to start settlement of Texas. As US immigration to Texas increased, Mexican president Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna made an attempt to stop the steady flow (Interactive Timeline, n.d.). Settlers of Texas, Texans, revolted and under the command of General Sam Houston declared their independence from Mexico in 1836. This event marked the beginning of the Republic of Texas (1835-1836 Texan Independence from Mexico, n.d.). The following history from the conception of the Republic of Texas to present day will be addressed later in the paper.

As mentioned, this paper will fuse the three disciplines through integration in an effort to address the issue of immigration across the southwestern US border. This will be done through use of the Comprehensive Perspectives Model. This model focuses on two basic goals, educational goals and synthesis, to help process information throughout the paper.

Educational goals are used to stress the fact that multiple disciplines are necessary to present the problem. As mentioned, for immigration this includes the three disciplines of history, economics, and political science. The combination of these three disciplines will provide a more informed understanding about the issue of immigration across the southwestern US border.

The second goal is synthesis or integration of the problem, completed through an interdisciplinary approach. A requirement for this goal is that the matter be considered a real-world problem. Evidence of this fact was mentioned earlier, stating that immigration affects every state, all economies, and the political aspects of many lives.

The use of synthesis will provide a basis to construct solution possibilities capable of easing and eventually solving the issue of immigration across the southwestern US border. The combination of both goals, educational and synthesis will create a more heuristic understanding and view of immigration. This view will also be helpful in generating solutions to the problem.

The following paper will proceed through the historical perspectives, economic perspectives, and political science perspectives of the US and Texas, regarding immigration of persons of Mexican origin. Providing the background of immigration is necessary to provide a context in which to compare and understand current immigration.

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Completion of this step is done through the use of historical perspectives. Knowledge of the processes and procedures taken to shift what is now Texas, from what was then a Mexican providence is required to create full insight into the subject of immigration. For this insight, a more through look at history must be addressed first in this paper.

With a complete understanding of history, comprehension about current economic polices including business, the work force, employment and wages, education, health care, and the use of natural resources can be analyzed. For this reason economics is the second discipline to be focused on. Here economics provides a bridge between the history of Texas and Mexico, and the political processes used today to tackle the problem of immigration across the southwestern US border.

Next political science will be used to comprehend the issue of immigration currently in Texas. Associated issues will include how to deal with illegal immigrants, current immigration legislations, and economic focused legislations due in-part to immigration. In addition will be the effect of immigrant voters on political platforms and the outcome of the upcoming 2008 Presidential elections. Because all of the mentioned issues associated with the matter of immigration are current, political science is the last discipline to be discussed.

Interdisciplinary Insights

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History. As mentioned, immigration has been an issue in the southwest since the time of Spanish rule in Mexico. This struggle is emphasized through the process of Texas becoming a state of the United States. During this process, Texas shifted from being a republic to a state, with the assistance of the US in this transition. From here, the paper will discuss the Republic of Texas and the events that followed in relationship to immigration. Actions taken by the US connected with immigration will also be included.

Although a self proclaimed independent republic, Texas still had many battles to fight before it was actually recognized as, bias free from Mexican rule. After adopting the Texas Declaration of Independence, on March 2, 1836, Texas became the Republic of Texas (The Texas State Historical Association, 1997-2002).

A map of the area in which the Republic of Texas covered is shown in Figure 3 (Institute of Texas Culture, 2008). The Republic of Texas extended from the Rio Grande in the south to Louisiana in the East, the Red River, and portions of Oklahoma, Wyoming, and Colorado in the North, and finally the Rio Grande and portions of New Mexico to the West.

Angered by the rebellion of the Texans, Santa Anna continued in his battle to reclaim Texas for Mexican rule. Many battles ensued, most notable and commonly know are the Battle at the Alamo, where Texas received a grueling defeat, and the Battle of San Jacinto, where Santa Anna was captured and the Mexican army defeated (The Republic of Texas). After this defeat Santa Anna was released back to Mexico and treaties were signed as a gesture that Mexico would acknowledge the independence of Texas.

Not long after Santa Anna was reestablished as president of Mexico again he reopened hostilities with Texas, claiming that the previous treaties were void. Now pitying Texas for the struggles with Mexico the US agreed to accept annexation of the state. With an overwhelming vote of 4,245 to 257 in the US Congress, Texas was adopted as a state on December 29, 1845. The Republic of Texas lasted nine years, eleven months, and seventeen days (The Texas State Historical Association- Republic of Texas, 1997-2002).

“During the time of the republic, the population of Texas increase about 7,000 per year, primarily from immigration. By 1847 the white population, including Mexican immigrants, had risen to 102,961” (The Texas State Historical Association- Republic of Texas, 1997-2002). The growth was due to liberal immigration policies to promote growth in the new republic. This spurred debates about immigration between Federalists and Centralists.

Federalists encouraged any and all immigration for growth, but “Centralists feared the Americanization of Texas and consistently clashed with the Federalists’ policy and the fractious Anglo-Texans” (The Texas State Historical Association, 1997-2002). Due to tensions between the Anglos and Mexicans, Anglos subordinated Mexicans and gave the region “Anglo-American characteristics” (The Texas State Historical Association- Mexican Texans, 1997-2002).

After the annexation of Texas, current US president James Polk looked to expand the fledgling nation, by purchasing New Mexico and California from Mexico. Still upset over the incidents with Texas, Santa Anna, still president of Mexico, refused the offer, claiming that Texas was still apart of Mexico. Angered by Santa Anna’s obstinance, Polk sent troops to the Rio Grande. Here fighting broke out and war was declared on Mexico.

From the end of 1845 to early 1848, the US Mexican war continued. Eventually, after seizing Mexico City, the US claimed New Mexico and California (1846 The U.S. Mexican War, n.d.). The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, the result of the US Mexican War, called for “Mexico to give up almost half of its territory, which included modern-day California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and parts of Colorado, Nevada, and Utah” (1821 The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, n.d.). The treaty also provided that the southern border between the US and Mexico be the Rio Grande River (ibid)

Info on Chinese Exclusion Act- beginning of border patrol.

The Mexican Revolution began in 1910, causing a great uproar in immigration from Mexico to the US. Between 1910 and 1920 more than 890,000 (PBS) legal Mexican immigrants fled from their homeland. During this time more than half of the immigrants were in Texas (Durand, Massey, & Charvet, 2000, p. 3)

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