After spending chapter 8 discussing assimilation patters in America, Huntington turns in chapter 9 to discussing Mexican Immigration. Mexican immigration is different than almost any other ethnic group in many ways. America and Mexico have a special relationship because of their 2000 mile long contiguous border, as well as the fact that they are the only instance where a first world country borders a third world country. Mexican immigration by numbers vastly exceeds those of any other groups by far, with the number in 2000 being almost 6 million higher than the next highest. (Mexico: 7,841,000 China: 1,291,000) Mexican immigration happens illegally at higher rates than other groups. Immigrants concentrate regionally in a way that other groups of immigrants have not, especially as they lived in the country for a couple of generations. Mexican immigration has been persistent in a way that no other major period of immigration from a specific area has been, with the civil war and the great depression having stopped previous waves of immense migration. Perhaps most importantly, no group except for Mexicans is migrating into territory that used to be theirs. Many of the southwestern states were Mexican territory until Texas independence and the Mexican American war. A combination of these factors is hindering the assimilation of Mexican immigrants, and Huntington postulates that this could have disastrous consequences for American identity. He fears that the country might be split into two, with two dominant languages and cultures. Traditionally, nations with that kind of political and cultural organization have had trouble staying together.
One reply on “Huntington Ch 9 ERA”
Mexican immigration is happening at a much higher rate than any other group and Huntington’s comments on the issues with a lack of assimilation help connect his ideas about immigration and American identity together. I think that assimilation is not necessary but does help in the transition of people from one country to another.