Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-03-26
MEXICAN IMMIGRATION.

may be a surprise TO most Amer
leans as to the source of the great
est immigration. Where hereto
fore the inflow of aliens has been |
mainly from across oceans last /
year Mexico sent $4,000 across the
border and these constituted a
number than contributed by
any other nation.
,i This month it is announced that
entire villages in disturbed regions
of Mexico are being depopulated
by industrious men migrating to
this side of the line with intention
TO remain, bringing their families
for security. where life is safer
and any property acquired will not
be confiscated or destroyed. An
edict and discouraging stories to
check such movement have been
sent out by President Carranza.
This migration is doubtless bring
ing some of the best of Mexico Citi
cents to the United states. The
idlers and lawless who revel in pill
lage are less apt to come, where
conditions do not permit of such
practice.
Mexican immigrant lahorers are
an important factor in cotton and
fruit picking, onion culture and
other seasonal work requiring large
numbers of persons for certain
stages of special industries, Ari-
iona, California, Texas and New
Mexico have obtained relaxation of
immigration laws at various times
from our government, to secure
such necessary labor to avoid de-
struction of crops and nonproduc-
ton.
Agricultural laborers thus adj
mitted in mass are bonded to be
returned to Mexico, but many of
them evade the agreement As a
rule the immigrants cause little
trouble in this country, but acquir-
ing different ideas of life and the
blessings of independence they are
said to be a cause of unrest after
getting back into their own land,
and become revolutionists against
the old established order there.
Practically all of the construc-
ton forces of the railways of the
southwest, and even in areas ada
cent arc of the class that leak in
from Mexico. They have succeed
cd Chinese, Italians and Japanese
as section hands and track build
4,,,.t i- la ~
the supply is ever equal TO the de-
mand. Any requisition for such
labor is easily met from FL Paso
and other points of distribution.
Beyond doubt many of the men
and their families are residents OF
Up Mexico who come and go across
the border at frequent intervals
without such labor available the
railway companies would be hard
put to secure enough help at times
Many gradually become permanent
residents of this country and ge
into other lines of industry. They
are slow to acquire more than
working vocabulary Of English, bu
are quite as desirable as men o.
ga certain other races who flock ovel
for employment and herd together
following their own methods o
social life and advancing little &C
cording to American standards
saThe Mexican immigrants, while no
~ such strenuous workers as natives
of other lands who come to labo
fields, are not aggressive agains
the ways of the country of thel
f5 adoption. They do not turn dyna
j .lmiters, preachers of disorder o.
plot against government.
pas4 When Madero and Villa were II
t-the north encouraged by thu
country in a revolution to over
throw the Diaz government, hun
9npAYlreds Of Mexicans employed upol
American railways arrived at +
-~.~@Paso daily for many weeks, witt
funds earned here and went owe
with guns bought to assist in tn
revolution because the ideal o
tMadero Of a government like tina
ssof the United states met VIII
approval While this class OF I'm
migrants do not quickly assimllat
,ae here or become as American a
igh Americans, measured by our stan
M dards. they are leavened and sue
ceeding generations among thei
here and across the border mus
become in time factors in the ad
.6.,t vance of the people of the mort
,5a norton of Mexico. 1t should b
remembered, in judging of the FAN
ings of aliens, that if large mum
Der of the uneducated and poofe
af sort of Americans were massed /
any Latin or other land, they woul
be at disadvantage and receiv
no more hearty approval or fellow
ship socially than aliens here Wh
A. so slowly attain equality.
Despite the raids of lawless me
from across the Mexican border
cattle thieves, robbers and men c
reckless habits-the people of Tex
as have recently organized move
ment for the admission of 1000
Mexicans to work on farms IN
year, owing to the scarcity OF lape
a making it impossible in many II
s. stances to maintain normal agricul
tural operations. The natives wh
come over to work on farms az
usually peaceable in their hapiu
geenrally bring families and are q
dependable and industrious 2
much Of the negro element in tina
state, where the black race sur
piled the demand for field labe
until high wages there and else
where drew them away or int
other work.