Papa Malick Diatta
Critical issue
Leading Discussion about the Takaki Book
“All you have to do if you are Mexican and trying to come to the U.S. is to recall Cleofas who came with his family in the early 1900s.”
1.    What is the attention of this person about this immigration system? Is he trying to reach the success of his people or he’s just trying to make money out of it without concern?
2.    Since he is the only one that the author stated to call when someone wants to come, do you think that he was the only one doing the job?

Jesus Garza stated “as I heard a lot about the U.S.  it was my dream to come here.” “Such dreams created a tremendous pull to the North.”
1.    What kind of dreams do you believe this immigrant is referring to?
2.    Do you believe that coming to the U.S would change all the immigrants’ lives?
3.    What are consequences of immigrating illegally to the U.S?

“Mexicans were also pulled from their homeland.”
1.    What are the causes of this issue?
2.    Who were the people in Mexico that being targeted to move out of the country?
“It’s up to the white population to keep the Mexican on his knees in an onion patch”
1.    Do you agree with this statement or not?
2.    Support your answer!!
3.    What power does the white have that can control the Mexican?






Samuel van der Swaagh
03/05/13
Notes for CI Panel Presentation – Week 2

Takaki: El Norte: Up from Mexico (pp. 292-310)
    Notes:
1.    Good-bye beloved country. I don’t want to become a US citizen!
2.    “Repatriated”(307).t
    Questions:
1.    For the Jewish exiles, the US was the promisedland. What about the Mexican immigrants?
a.    Think about the term asylum. Why did the Mexicans urge other Mexicans to come over?
b.    Why were the Mexicans enticed by the US workforce? Why are they willing to work in place that they were “forced to cross into” (i.e. push > pull)?
2.    The Mexican: “He’s a natural farm laborer” (298). What are your thoughts on that based on the reading?
b.    Indispensability? Exploitation?
    US Farmer: “They have finished harvesting my crops, I will kick them out on the country road. My obligation is ended” (299).
3.    Marriage and families:
4.    Ignorance is bliss, in terms of earning an education, for the Mexicans. Only educated to sustain and create a desirable Mexican workforce. Did people want the Mexicans to assimilate to the culture?
5.    Mexicanization: Is this term fair even if the Mexicans did threat the white demographic? Possibly relate it to the current European immigration issues
    America consists, persists, and arose out of all the world’s immigration
    Avoid white American fascism
6.    American race: Does that term scare you a bit (have any of you heard of Steve McQueen?)?
7.    Colonia Mexicana: Would you call it semi-assimilation. Are these people more American than Mexican? What are the implications for the meaning of homeland and citizenship?
    Immigrants viewed themselves as Mex > American, racism, bigotry, jealousy
    Support your answer with Takaki or other factual resources