Landmarks In The Latino Community
According to the Dictionary, a landmark can be defined as “a building or other place that is of outstanding historical, aesthetic, or cultural importance, often declared as such and given special status.” Landmarks in the Latino community have utmost importance because they can give Latinos a connection to their original homelands within their own communities. The store, La Sirena, in the East Village of Manhattan, is a Mexican folk art store that exposes Latinos/as to Mexican history and culture. It also fosters a connection between Mexican-Americans and their homeland of Mexico.
It is imperative that a Latino/a landmark such as La Sirena exists to help cultivate and maintain a connection between Mexican-Americans and Mexico. This is important so that Mexican-Americans remember their culture and continue to have ties back to Mexico. This Mexican folk art store also serves as a reminder that Mexican culture is strong and present, despite the adverse history and relationship between the U.S. and Mexicans. We can view this culture of erasure the U.S. has attempted to create throughout history through the conflicting relationship between the U.S. and Mexicans, and the history of discrimination and violence towards Mexicans.
Despite being one of the most long-lasting groups of Latino/as, Mexicans faced many years of discrimination and prejudiced treatment following the annexation of 1/3 of the Mexican territory by the U.S. Even today, Mexicans still encounter this discriminatory treatment. Succeeding the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848, Mexicans inhabiting the new U.S. territory were immobilized in a place of uncertainty regarding their citizenship status. Following the annexation of Mexico’s former territories, “the ethnic Mexican population of the region was slowly but surely relegated to an inferior, caste-like status in the region’s evolving social system (Gutièrrez, 13).”
The growing American immigrant population in this area quickly outnumbered Mexicans. Mexicans faced “pervasive ethnocentrism and racial prejudice in their own homelands, they were gradually divested of both political and economic influence in all areas” except in few areas where they held large majorities such as New Mexico and south Texas (Gutièrrez, 14). Under the terms of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Mexicans remaining in the newly acquired U.S. territory were given three options regarding their citizenship. Section IX of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo states Mexicans “could “remove” themselves south of the new international border, they could retain their Mexican citizenship in the U.S. with the status of permanent resident aliens by publicly announcing their intention, or, if they chose neither option within one year of the treaty’s effective date, they would be considered to have “elected” to become citizens of the U.S. (Gutièrrez, 17).”
However, “the wording of the treaty actually left the decision as to the timing and conditions conferring citizenship to the U.S. Congress (Gutièrrez, 18).” Mexicans electing to become U.S. citizens were put under the control of the U.S. Congress as to what aspects of American citizenship applied to Mexicans and when these new citizenship privileges would be put into effect. Although the treaty offered nominal protection of Mexican-American’s rights, it could do little to diminish the biased views Americans coninued to hold against Mexicans. Americans already held views that Mexicans were inferior follwing their loss in the Mexican-American War.
Their loss further proved their original judgements of Mexicans true. Additionally, the attempt to assimilate into the American society only infuriated and further developed the hostility towards Mexicans in general. These negative attitudes were strongly felt by Mexican-Americans following the end of the Mexican-American War (Gutièrrez, 18). In the wake of the discovery of gold in California, the attitudes Americans expressed towards Mexicans lost its conjecture. Large numbers of immigrants migrated to California and a number of them were Mexicans. The Mexicans were at first welcomed by American prospectors, because of their advanced knowledge on metal-mining.
Once the Americans learned the Mexican techniques, Mexicans were considered unwanted “foreign” competition. Mexican, Mexican-Americans, and other Latin American miners were forcefully removed from the goldfields. The pressures employed by American miners forced California Legislature in 1850 to pass the Foreign Miners Tax. This was created to discourage foreign prospects from gold mining, especially Mexicans. Those who remained in the fields or dismissed the tax were initimidated, beaten, or killed (Gutièrrez, 18-19). “Throughout the 1850s violent crimes against Mexicans in California increased dramatically (Gutièrrez, 19).” This relationship between Americans and Mexicans during the discovery of gold in California strengthens the idea that the U.S. attempted to erase the Mexican race from its territory.
The Texas Rangers are another example of how the U.S. attempted to create a culture of erasure of Mexicans. The establishment of the Texas Rangers was designed to protect Anglo-Americans. In the 1910s, there was an exponential growth of Texas Rangers and a large number of Mexicans migrating to the U.S., both caused by the Mexican Revolution. The Texas Rangers murdered thousands of residents of Mexican descent. Often times, the bodies were left in the open to rot, other bodies revealed forms of torture and violence. This created a “culture of impunity;” the Texas Rangers faced no repercussions for the murders they committed. These killings also normalized the violence in society against Mexicans. This violence sent the message of dehumanizing Mexicans, that white supremacy would be protected at all costs, and that no place in Texas was safe for Mexicans.
Another event that sought to erase Mexican culture was the Repatriation Waves beginning in 1929. Mexicans were largely blamed for worsening the economic deterioration during the Great Depression. This created major compeition for jobs and pressure by Anglos to hire only “citizens” for work. Hence, Mexicans were forced to repatriate by the U.S. Government regardless of citizenship status. Consequences of the Repatriation Waves exposed the limitations of being a citizen of Mexican descent, and fused the concept of being a citizen and being white. It also fused the association between Mexicans and illegal immigrants.
Throughout history, the conflicting relationship between the U.S. and Mexicans has showed us how these adverse events have attempted to create a culture of erasure of the Mexican community within the U.S.. The U.S. has often overlooked what Mexicans living through these events had to endure. One example of this is how Latin American history in not taught in high school history classes. This exemplies the history of the U.S. continuously discounting the Mexican narrative, in order to put it in the past and erase history. This is one of the many reasons why a store such as La Sirena is so essential. La Sirena emphasizes the Mexican culture and stresses its existence.
Many of the customers of this folk art store are regulars, and Mexicans themselves. Many of the customers have said that the folk art is incredibly authentic and it’s difficult to find art so original other than in Mexico. The authentic nature of La Sirena is what ties Mexicans back to Mexico. It exhibits that Mexican culture is alive and it’s prominent. It shows Mexicans that, although the unfavorable history of what Mexicans had to endure in the U.S., we have not conceded into the culture of erasure the U.S. has tried to construct. Dina Leor, owner of La Sirena, stated that the artwork has extreme historical and familial meaning. She explained that in Mexico, art and life are not separated. Often times artistic works are familial efforts. Children often return from school and help create artistic works with family members. This is another example of why La Sirena fosters ties back to Mexico. It can serve as a remembrance to Mexicans of their heritage and how artwork is so central to life in Mexico.
In conclusion, Latino/a landmarks are important because they can cultivate connections back to homelands for Latino/as. La Sirena is an important landmark because it connects Mexican-Americans back to Mexico. It also constructs this culture of remembrance. It shows although the U.S. and Mexico have had a conflicting relationship, Mexican culture is still prominent in U.S. society today. It shows that we as Latino/as, and some as Mexicans, have not forgotten the history of Mexico, and we have not forgotten Mexican culture.
