Mariachis

Demographic changes are transforming Texas to an urban state, the population growth in Texas is among the nations highest, and thirty-six percent of the growth is from Latinos. Texas faces thechallenge of accommodating its staggering influx of Latinos while maintaining its traditionalist political sub-culture. In this paper I will identify how the Latino population in Texas affects thepolicies at the congressional level. I will focus on issues regarding the divide between Republicans and Democrats on the issue, and how other minorities such as African Americans are affected. With myextensive research I will attempt to present ample recommendations for a brighter future in Texas.

On February 2, 1848, the United States and Mexico signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which isthe oldest treaty still in force between Mexico and the United States. As a result of that treaty, the Mexican American war was officially ended and Mexico ceded over half of its territory (Texas,California, Nevada, Utah and parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Wyoming) to the United States for a sum of 15 million dollars. At that time, about 100,000 citizens of Mexico lived in the cededterritories. They were given a choice between returning to Mexico, becoming US citizens or remaining Mexican citizens living on the lands, which had become part of the United States. From this point forward,Mexican Americans have had to be incorporated into American Society. Mexicans then, became part of the United States as a result of territorial conquest. Yet they were brought into the Union at theheight of slavery in the Unites States, a period when whiteness was key to exercising the rights of US citizenship. The degree to which Mexicans were able to exercise those citizenship rights dependedon their class status (wealthier Mexicans often were accorded greater rights) and on their phenotype (darker-skinned Mexicans often were categorized as ‘Indian’ which limited their rights). Thus,...