The Integration of Americans of Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Oriental Descent

• Author: J. Milton Yinger,George E. Simpson
• Published date: 01 March 1956
• DOI: 10.1177/000271625630400116
• Date: 01 March 1956
• Subject Matter: Articles

The Integration of Americans of Mexican, Puerto
Rican, and Oriental Descent
CURRENT studies of desegregation group, in the length of time they have
are making clear the extent
t to
been in the United States, language
which discrimination is a system of
factors, economic status, and other vari-
interdependent parts, each affecting and
ables. The situation is quite different,
being affected by the others. Steps to-
for example, for a small Japanese-
ward the integration of all racial groups
American group, with a relatively high
in the schools put strain on other pat-
proportion of urban and middle-class
terns of discrimination-in transporta-
members, than for the much larger
tion, in public recreational facilities, in
group of Mexican Americans, who are
job training, and the like. On the other
largely rural and lower class.
hand, failure to reduce discrimination in
For each of the groups we shall dis-
housing, in economic opportunities, and
cuss, the situation is highly dynamic.
elsewhere strongly inhibits the achieve-
Patterns of segregation in schools, job
ment of integration in the schools in any
opportunities, labor unions, housing, the
but a formal sense. If residential seg-
armed services, transportation, recrea-
regation, poverty, and a class subculture
tion, churches, political groups, inter-
that gives education a low valuation
marriage laws have all, in some meas-
continue to affect minority groups, the
ure, been challenged and changed. In
achievement of legal integration in the
this brief paper, we can only suggest
schools loses much of its significance.
some of the aspects of desegregation
This interdependence of the various
and integration as they affect a few
patterns of discrimination is clearly re-
selected groups.
vealed in the study of the smaller mi-
AMERICANS OF MEXICAN DESCENT
nority groups in the United States as
well as in the analysis of the changing
There are about two and a half mil-
status of the Negro. Most of the papers
lion persons of Mexican descent now
in this volume refer primarily to Ne-
residing in the United States, half of
groes, the largest and probably the most
them in Texas, and most of the others
disprivileged minority. Yet there are
in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and
vastly important problems and lessons
Colorado. In addition, there are about
to be learned from the study of other
two hundred and fifty thousand His-
groups as well.
panos, descendants of Spanish colonials,
The process of integration varies, of
who have maintained a distinctive sub-
course, from group to group, because of
culture for over three thundred years.
differences in the degree of cultural
Although they face serious economic
contrast, in size and location of the
problems and some social isolation in
New
* The authors wish to thank the
Mexico, where most of them live,
many per-
sons who kindly responded to our requests for
the difficulties of the Hispanos are of a
information by sending helpful letters and ma-
different order from those of the Mexi-
terials relevant to the topic. Discussion of the
can Americans with whom we shall be
American Indian, which was originally pro-
jected
concerned.
as part of this article, will appear in a
later publication.
In 1946-47, the courts ruled in the
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125
Mendez case in California that segre-
easily spilled over into segregation on
gation of Spanish-speaking children in
the basis of Spanish name and nation-
the schools was illegal. The ruling of
ality background. With the destruction
Judge McCormick anticipated some of
of any legal basis for the segregation
the arguments of the 1954 Supreme
of Mexican-American children in the
Court decision in its emphasis on the
schools, the process of integration has
harm wrought by segregation, with its
been accelerated. Yet one must note the
inevitable implication of inferiority.
continuing presence of segregation as a
The Delgado case in Texas, in 1948,
result of gerrymandering and the &dquo;free
also established the illegality of segre-
choice of school&dquo; principle.3 It is also
gation of Mexican-American children in
necessary to stress the barriers to school
the schools.
There followed a state-
integration imposed by the economic
ment of policy by the Texas State Board
status of most Mexican Americans. The
of Education in harmony with the court
children of migrant workers are often
decision, and instructions were sent to
not in school during the winter. With
the local school districts to eliminate
only a few months of schooling in the
segregation of Mexican-American chil-
fall and spring, they continually fall be-
dren.’
The court permitted separate
hind their classmates and often drop
classes at the first-grade level only,
out of school at an early date. Legal
after scientific tests of language pro-
desegregation does not eliminate bar-
ficiency, for those who do not know
riers to full integration that rest on
English, whatever the national back-
economic disprivilege.
ground.
Judgments differ somewhat
Temporary migrant workers
on the de-
gree to which these court decisions, and
Among the migrant workers, it is the
other influences, have brought about
temporary residents, both the legal entry
the desegregation of Mexican-American
and the illegal &dquo;wetback,&dquo; who are in
children in the schools of the South-
the most difficult circumstances. Infla-
west. There is virtual unanimity on the
tion in Mexico, rapid population growth,
observation that long steps in the direc-
especially in border areas, and the low
tion of desegregation have been made.
wages &dquo;south of the border&dquo; have sent
There is a growing conviction on the
a stream of migrants into the United
part of educators that the best way to
States. Desire for cheap labor for the
teach English to a Spanish-speaking
seasonal jobs involved in picking crops
child is to place him in a class where
has been the basis of their admission.
many of his fellow pupils speak Eng-
Their status has been very uncertain,
lish natively.2
This conviction has
however, because of conflicting inter-
eliminated one of the rationalizations
ests in the United States. Present im-
for segregation on a language basis that
migration procedures, operating under
the McCarran-Walter
1
See
Act, enhance the
George I. Sanchez, Concerning Segrega-
tion of Spanish-speaking Children in the Pub-
insecurity of the noncitizen Mexican.
lic Schools, Austin: University of Texas, 1951.
He is deported or allowed to stay de-
2
This is not inconsistent with the increas-
ing attention to the...