What Was the Purpose of the Bear Flag Rebellion - Assignment Example

History What was life like for the wealthy Mexican families who lived in California before it became part of United States? Life for the wealthy Mexican families that lived in California before it became part of U.S lavish. These families had large chunks of land which they had been left for by their original colonizers of the place. Furthermore, they enjoyed trade and profits gained as they were not expected to pay taxes to the Mexican government. These families enjoyed a lot of good things like getting cheap labour, access to an already existing market and less wars from the citizens of that country. They lived a lavish life. The Mexican families got support from the Mexican government and had slaves at their disposal. 2. What was the purpose of the bear flag rebellion? In 1846, 14th June, when the Americans seized Sonoma’s administrative capital, word arrived of the outbreak of hostilities emanating between United States and Mexico. That is when the Bear Flag Republic became born. A flag having a grizzly bear’s appearance was raised in Sonoma’s public square. At that time, the Republic of California changed its name to be called Bear Flag Republic, and got a new leader called William B. Ide. The main purpose of the government was to remove the United States people living in Sonoma and other California places since they were mistreating the Mexicans that worked for them. The revolution ended up before a given government was established, when the U.S Navy came to Sonoma under the command of person named John D. Sloat. 3. What was the Mexican government’s attitude towards slavery and immigration in Texas? Texas, was part of Mexico, by 1840s, had quite a lot of Anglo settlers that had come from the U.S, and these settlers owned slaves. The Mexican government was trying to abolish slavery, but the settlers resisted. Eventually, they revolted. At one battle, in San Antonio, a rebel force holdup in an old Spanish mission, called the Alamo, where the Mexican army surrounded and killed them all. The remaining rebels, who had not been there got mad and continued fighting, firing themselves up with the cry ‘remember the Alamo’ (avenge our guys who were killed by the soldiers), and eventually Texan won and became independent. Then it joined the USA in the confederacy that continued to enslave fellow humans for 20yrs or so. 4. What is the history behind the cry, “Remember the Alamo? What happened afterwards? After battle of the Alamo, the survivors were killed, except for some slaves. The Mexican army, then travelled to san Jacinto near present day Houston. The Mexican army was attacked by an army under Sam Houston, and the Mexican president was captured. Eventually, the Mexican president was removed from power. The state legislature was able to elect a president from a supreme court, write a constitution and a declaration of independence to establish itself as an independent republic. 5. Briefly explain the doctrine of “Manifest Destiny” Manifest destiny was the territorial expansion of the U.S westwards towards the Pacific Ocean. The phrase was coined by an editor in 1845, who described the U.S annexation of Texas and by extension the occupation of the rest of the continent as a right of the available American people. The given term was used to mainly to justify the given U.S annexation of the Oregon, New Mexico California plus later its involvement in Philippines and Alaska Hawaii. 6. What was the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo? This treaty was signed by Mexico and United States, on 1848, 2nd February, ending the existing Mexican war at that time and extending the U.S boundaries by over 525, 000 mi2. It hence established the Rio Grande as the given border between the two given countries. The U.S territory acquired, and included in its territory in the treaty included California, States of Texas, most of New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, Wyoming and some parts of Colorado. In the exchange, Mexico received 15 million dollars compensation for the given territory. The results of the treaty emanated in U.S getting land known as Mexican cession, which they later compensated Mexico. Furthermore, a border was set at Rio Grenade. After the treaty, the foreigners later became the foreigners in their original land as the U.S government made attempts to even compensate private property owners. 7. What changes did WWII bring to the Mexican American workforce to both men and women? During the WWII, the roles played by Mexican women changed. More Mexican American women joined the workforce in order to feign for their families. Since there men had gone to war, there levels of stress increased and needs to an extent that they had to look for day jobs. Furthermore, increase in wages turned also to be a motivating factor for women to enter to do jobs which the male counterparts had regarded as men jobs. As their men at that time were busy fighting for the U.S country, the women left their traditional role of being stay home women and ended up looking for job in industries and farms just to make extra and cater for their needs of their families. 8. What happened to the original Mexican landowners in the Southwest? In the Southwest, American took the land belonging to the original Mexican landowners. It hence displaced the Mexican landowners, and subjugating them to turn to become foreigners in their own land. The U.S bought out the Mexican land owners after the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo 9. Who were the Vaqueros and why did they vanish? The vaqueros were the Mexican horse men who at that time were called cow-boys. These people took charge of their livestock while riding on horses. The culture of riding horses to herd livestock emanated from Mexico and took its name to areas where the Mexican population had settled in Ranchos. The Vaqueros with time vanished after the American government acquired the Ranchos and later making the original Mexicans to become foreigners. The Mexican people lost huge chunks of their Ranchos and animals to the Americans, hence rendering the Vaqueros vanish. 10. How did these Mexican workers react to the low wages and poor conditions that were offered? In the work place, the Mexican workers were paid low wages and worked under poor working conditions. The Mexicans just continued to work on the poor working environment and low wages because they did not have an option. At that time, the Mexican population had just been alienated as foreigners and getting jobs was what they desired in order to cope with their living conditions. 11. What were the mutualistas? Who belonged to them? The mutualistas were the mutual aid groups. These were mostly owned by Mexican Americans. 12. What did El Norte symbolize to the immigrants from Mexico in the early twentieth century? 13. What were the results of the Mexican Revolution for the average Mexican? The Mexican Revolution took place from 1910-1920 and it entailed a number of reasons. At that point in time, the Mexicans were passing through rough times. First of all, the Mexican people were fed up with the dictatorship rule under President Porfino Diaz. The whole Mexican population was against the reign and they revolted starting from the upper class people to the lower class people. The upper and middle class people annoyed with the president’s reign. The lower class people and those working revolted due to poor working and living conditions, high inflation rates, inferior housing, deficient social services and low wages. 14. What did the train come to symbolize? The train majorly symbolized freedom or immigration of the Mexican people. 15. What kinds of work did most Mexicans find when they came to the United States? Give some examples for both men and women in different parts of the country? The Mexicans moved to U.S in search of better opportunities. In U.S, they mostly got low pay jobs just to sustain themselves as they were regarded as foreigners in that country plus such job did not require one to have education. Hence they were able to engage in jobs like babysitting, house cleaners, gardeners, dishwashers, sometimes temporal construction workers. Men looked for jobs like painting, mechanic and plumbing. Women took softer jobs while their men harder job just to feign for their families. 16. What were the conditions like in the migrant labor groups? The conditions in the migrant labor groups were bad. The Mexicans lived in area where there was poor housing, poor sanitation, increased rates of crime and violence. Furthermore, the labourers used to be paid low wages and worked at poor working condition posing them to risks of getting diseases. Sometimes, some workers worked for long without getting paid while other workers simply mistreated them in their areas of work. 17. What was education like for the migrant children and why? It was hard at that time for migrant children to get education. Due to racial discrimination existing at that given time, most Mexican children did not find going to school good, in fact some of them dropped out of schools before going far since they could not bear the discrimination. Coping into the American education system is another problem which the migrant children faced as they were forced to start learning to speak English, which to them was really difficult. 18. What was the result of the great depression for the Mexican worker? With the great depression, employment opportunities for the Mexican workers became scarce. Jobs which were dependent on the rich and middle class people became scarce as the people saved money during those harsh economic times for other purpose. Mexican workers suffered a great deal of economic loss too as rate of unemployment increased among them leading to increased poverty. Wages even further became lower and the workers were forced to look for more than 1 jobs so as to get their ends meet. 19. What were barrios and what purpose did they serve? With increased rural urban migration to Mexico City, the given government was unable to cope up in meeting the services plus the housing requirements of its ever expanding population. Hence, it came up with the development of shantytowns that were placed on the outskirts of the given Mexico city and called them barrios. 20. Who are the Avavares people and how do they fit into the narrative of Cabeza de Vaca? Avavares people were a former tribe found in Texas of Texas. These are the people to which Cabeza de Vaca fled to as he ran from the Mariames. In their stay at the Avavares people, both Cabeza de Vaca plus his companion became noticed to successfully treat the sick. 21. In the story “Rosa in Televisionland”, why did Rosa not want to collect her social security benefits? Why was that a decision informed by her cultural perspective? In the story, Rosa did not want to collect her social security benefits since she was a Mexican migrant and believed that she will be deported when she got to pick the social security funds. The Mexican people are often scarred of matters dealing with coming to contact with the government. 22. Give two example of the creole dialect with English translation from Posson Jone? "Personne," replies a shopkeeper; “Je dis," said St.-Ange 23. Describe, through example samples in your reading, some similarities in the forced assimilation of the “Latino” as in the forced assimilation of the Native Americans in Unit 1. The Latino somehow forced its assimilation of the Native Americans. It is evident from the way the Native Americans speak. The Native Americans somehow incorporated some words and cultures practiced by the Latinos into theirs. 24. Who do you feel is responsible for the conflict in the story written by Buloson? Explain The conflict in the story written y Buloson dates back to poverty. His father lost battle that could have secured their small piece of land. It is the poverty that drove him to look for pastures in foreign land. 25. What is the hierarchy and why is important to the story line in “El Patron”? Hierarchy is important in the story as it denotes the level of powers that exist in a given society. In the Mexican society, there are various groups based on their hierarchy and management. 26. Have you met someone like Rosa in your real life? If so, what makes you say that? If not might you encounter a similar person in your life someday? I have met someone like Rosa in real life. Such individuals are often interesting and stick to beliefs that they carry on the basis of how people perceive there cultural perspective. For instance, I have a Mexican friend who even fears going to the hospital for treatment for fear of being caught by officials and getting deported to Mexico. 27. What is the main point of the story “Mariah”? The main point behind the story is to depict the difference that existed in the relationship between the whites and The Mexicans. Mariah is a white who lives a lavish life while Lucy is a surrogate for Mariah. It is evident that Mexicans here undertake odd jobs to get money. 28. In Candelaria’s El Patron, Senor Martinez’s son rebels against the values instilled by his father. What choices did the son make and what was a factor that led to this new way of thinking? The son made a choice to become assimilated to the American society and leave his culture behind. This went against the values instilled by his father. Read More