Mexicans In Alaska

State and local immigration issues and policies for all 50 states are thoroughly examined in this unique, up-to-date, and accessibly written encyclopedia. Immigration continues to be a timely and often-controversial subject, particularly regarding legislation at the state level. While many books cover U.S. immigration, both historical and contemporary, few if any reference works examine the role of contemporary immigration in individual states. This two-volume encyclopedia fills that gap. Chapters address legal, social, political, and cultural issues of immigrant groups on a state-by-state basis and explore immigration trends and issues faced by individual ethnic populations. The encyclopedia will enable students to research the impact, contributions, and issues of immigration for each state to make comparisons between states and regions of the United States and to understand state versus national policies. By combining the history of immigration policy with current information, the work shows readers that many of the issues making news today are the same as those the nation dealt with in past decades. Studying state and local dynamics provide a unique perspective on this history.

A Hispanic and Latino presence in what is now the United States goes back to Spanish settlement in the sixteenth century in Florida and the progressive U.S. conquest of the Spanish-controlled territory of California and the Southwest by 1853 and the Gadsden Purchase. Mexicans in this newly American territory had to struggle to hold on to their land. The overlooked history and the debates over new immigration from Mexico and Central America are illuminated by this first state-by-state history of people termed Latinos or Hispanics. Much of this information is hard to find and has never been researched before. Students and other readers will be able to trace the Latino presence through time per state through a chronology and historical overview and read about noteworthy Latinos in the state and the cultural contributions Latinos have made to communities in that state. Taken together, a more complete picture of Latinos emerges. The information allows understanding of the current status-where the Latino presence is now, what types of work they are doing, and how they are faring in places with only a small Latino presence. All 50 states and the District of Columbia are covered in individual chapters. A chronology starts the chapter, giving the main dates of Latino presence and important events and population figures. The historical overview is the core of the chapter. The cast of Latino presence and how they have made their livelihood along with relations with non-Latinos are discussed. A Notable Latinos section then provides a number of short biographical profiles. Cultural contributions are showcased in the final section, followed by a bibliography. A selected bibliography and photos complement the chapters.

Examines the social and economic effects on the migrant Mexican families subjected to forced relocation by the United States during the 1930s.

This book traces the shifts in the ethnic and gender composition of the cannery labor market from its origins through its decline and examines the workers' creation of work cultures and social communities. Resisting the label of cheap laborer, these Asian American workers established formal and informal codes of workplace behavior, negotiated with contractors and recruiters, and formed alliances to organize the workforce.

In Latinos and the Liberal City, Eduardo Contreras offers a bold, textured, and inclusive interpretation of the nature of Latino politics. Using twentieth-century San Francisco as a case study, Contreras examines Latinos' involvement in unionization efforts, civil rights organizing, electoral politics, feminist and gay activism, and more.

"They stole 15 years of my life." A native of Monterrey, Mexico, Ricardo Aldape Guerra was sentenced to death in 1982 for the first-degree murder of a Houston Police Officer that took place three months earlier. He spent 15 years in a maximum security prison in Huntsville, Texas, before his death sentence was overturned and he was set free. Ricardo Ampudia, former Consul General of Mexico in Houston, Texas, explores the history and ethics of the death penalty in this fascinating look at its impact on Mexicans sentenced to death in the United States. A fervent opponent of capital punishment, Ampudia came to his beliefs because of his involvement in defending Aldape. The author offers a brief introduction about the death penalty, both in the U.S. and around the world, and notes that in 2001, 90% of all known executions occurred in China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United States. Most of the countries that apply the death penalty have dictatorial regimes or repressive governments, with the U.S. being the notable exception. Subsequent chapters focus on the phenomenon of the death penalty in the U.S. and the work done by the Mexican government to protect its citizens abroad. The final chapters focus on the Ricardo Aldape Guerra case. In this section written by Scott Atlas, the attorney who handled his defense, and Michael Mucchetti, both from the Vinson & Elkins law firm, it's revealed that the reopened investigation of the crime uncovered evidence that the jury never heard when Aldape was convicted. And in fact, a shocking pattern of police and prosecutorial intimidation, misconduct, and abuse came to light. Originally published in Mexico as Mexicanos al grito de muerte, this absorbing account of the history, use, and flaws of the death penalty is a must-read for anyone interested in the criminal justice system in the United States.