By: Emily Gonzalez

To understand the topic of anti-immigration sentiment, it is first necessary to explore the history of Mexicans in America. One of the most significant events was the Mexican-American War of 1846. This is when Mexico lost one-third of its territory, including what is today California, Texas, and other southwest states. Flash forward to the year 1942 when the Bracero Program was implemented. It allowed Mexican citizens to do temporary agricultural labor in America during an extreme lack of laborers following World War II. In fact, the USDA Census of Agriculture states that the number of hired workers in Oregon fell from 8,325 to 3,946 between the years of 1940 and 1945. With the Bracero Program implemented in 1942, the number of hired farm workers in Oregon rose to 8,140. The labor of Mexican immigrants has been key to agricultural success in the United States. Also mentioned in the USDA Census is the number of white and non-white farm operators. Recently, the number of Latino farm operators has increased. According to The Daily Astorian, the number has increased by 20.9% since 2007 alone. In an interview with Dan Wheat, one of these Latino farm operators from the Northwest, Jesus Limon, mentioned that the current system for guest work in America has made it difficult get workers which in turn has made it difficult to meet budget. This is relevant today following the election of Donald J. Trump. The analysis of this data can aid in predicting how his immigration policy may affect various areas of American life. It is equally important to understand how his use of the social construction theory as explained by The Journal of Social Psychology has already stigmatized the lives of Mexican immigrants. Stories told by children of immigrants such as Mario Jimenez Sifuentez in his book, “Of Forests and Fields” can spark these conversations.