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What
were the main reasons the government chose to create the 800 mile wall? It was
mentioned earlier that property and land was at stake of being taken away from
the people in the early 1900’s. As so what was thought and feared by the
Americans at the time. As of the 1960’s, the governments focus shifted on not
allowing illegal immigrants to come into the United States because of the fear
of jobs being taken way. Just the thought of becoming over populated was a
concern, especially since there wasn’t a full wall built. This means that parts
of the border wall were left undone; however, the areas that were untouched
were in the wilderness or in the middle of the desert in Arizona to which no
wall exits. It was a tactic created by homeland security to force people to
walk through the desert areas or in places people would have to walk for miles
and miles before they finally reached a town. In the video posed to the top, a
reporter demonstrates his concern for illegal immigrants coming into the United
States. He states that border patrol does not give the attention necessary to
patrol or even finish building the border wall. He urges the community of
Arizona to do something about it. This then reinforces the idea that the
government chose to build the wall with gaps on purpose.
With that being said, it is clearly seen that even to this day, many people in places such as Arizona do not accept the fact that “illegal immigrants” are crossing over to the United States. Most think they are taking their space that could be left for someone better with an upper class standing. In the book by Laura Gomez, she states that many people after the Mexican war crossed over into the United States in hope of finding better future. Since the Mexican war left most people without any resources in their home towns. Unfortunately, the government in the United States did not want to grant Mexicans full citizenship because the treaty stated that “the majority [of] Mexican federal citizens whom Congress [did] object to include as state citizens. Although Congress allowed Mexican men to enfranchise themselves as “white” rights-holders, it would not yield to the notion that Mexicans were true Americans, entitled to state citizenship alongside federal citizenship. Instead, Mexican Americans entered the nation as second-class citizens very much identified as racially inferior to white Euro-Americans” (Gomez, 45). So even then, there was the fear of the Mexicans taking over U.S properties. That is why they were never put as equals to the white American; on the other hand, a newspaper clip from the Washington Times shows that the government would pay “1.5 million….[which] is said the fence would protect Yuma from border jumping thieves” (Sinclair, 2). Seeing that this article was made in 1973, the thought of Mexicans invading and taking over American property was still in mind.
In Kelly Hernandez, she discusses a political tactic called operation cloud burst which was created to do three of the following things. The first was to do “an anti-infiltration operation on or near the border [that] would seal the border with the assistance of 2,180 military troops.” Hernandez states that at the point of the creation of the border wall, sealing the area was one of the things added to “clearing up the infested area”. The support of the navy and military was utilized to assist the border patrol with this mission. The second thing that was asked was to build roadblocks that would be used to inspect traffic, including railroad traffic, for the purpose of detecting illegal entrants and to maintain “safety patrols” around check points. The last step Hernandez stated was operation mopping out and cleaning out any illegal immigrant from northern California to be shipped or flown down and back into Mexico. It is evident that the government supported the border patrol in their wishes to “end the nightmare” and no longer be concerned with people crossing over for the betterment of themselves. In result, the operation was successful in stopping the flow of incoming people, but instead figured out a way to take advantage of the situation. That is soon where the bracero program came into existence.
With that being said, it is clearly seen that even to this day, many people in places such as Arizona do not accept the fact that “illegal immigrants” are crossing over to the United States. Most think they are taking their space that could be left for someone better with an upper class standing. In the book by Laura Gomez, she states that many people after the Mexican war crossed over into the United States in hope of finding better future. Since the Mexican war left most people without any resources in their home towns. Unfortunately, the government in the United States did not want to grant Mexicans full citizenship because the treaty stated that “the majority [of] Mexican federal citizens whom Congress [did] object to include as state citizens. Although Congress allowed Mexican men to enfranchise themselves as “white” rights-holders, it would not yield to the notion that Mexicans were true Americans, entitled to state citizenship alongside federal citizenship. Instead, Mexican Americans entered the nation as second-class citizens very much identified as racially inferior to white Euro-Americans” (Gomez, 45). So even then, there was the fear of the Mexicans taking over U.S properties. That is why they were never put as equals to the white American; on the other hand, a newspaper clip from the Washington Times shows that the government would pay “1.5 million….[which] is said the fence would protect Yuma from border jumping thieves” (Sinclair, 2). Seeing that this article was made in 1973, the thought of Mexicans invading and taking over American property was still in mind.
In Kelly Hernandez, she discusses a political tactic called operation cloud burst which was created to do three of the following things. The first was to do “an anti-infiltration operation on or near the border [that] would seal the border with the assistance of 2,180 military troops.” Hernandez states that at the point of the creation of the border wall, sealing the area was one of the things added to “clearing up the infested area”. The support of the navy and military was utilized to assist the border patrol with this mission. The second thing that was asked was to build roadblocks that would be used to inspect traffic, including railroad traffic, for the purpose of detecting illegal entrants and to maintain “safety patrols” around check points. The last step Hernandez stated was operation mopping out and cleaning out any illegal immigrant from northern California to be shipped or flown down and back into Mexico. It is evident that the government supported the border patrol in their wishes to “end the nightmare” and no longer be concerned with people crossing over for the betterment of themselves. In result, the operation was successful in stopping the flow of incoming people, but instead figured out a way to take advantage of the situation. That is soon where the bracero program came into existence.