State Records Shed Light on Texas' Early "Illegals"
The undocumented immigrants had crossed the river in defiance of the law, then escaped capture by sneaking past armed patrols in the dark. They did not have the required paperwork and were ordered to leave, but the authorities suspected the immigrants would probably defy them.
It is a scenario that happens every day on the Texas-Mexico border. But in this particular incident, the immigrants were white, English-speaking Americans who were looking for a better life in Texas. And the authorities who were trying to keep them out were Mexican.
This is one those historical ironies that offers some modern lessons ...
Comments (25)
wiggl wagon
“We have a long tradition of immigration and illegal immigration, and the first illegals were folks who look a lot more like me than they did some native Tejano,” Patterson said."
We have a long tradition of organized crime perpetuated by very old families with strong family values who are just looking for a better life for themselves and their families. Why do we break up these families and leave other criminal families intact?
All of them get that better life for themselves by preying on the law abiding families of America.
Jerry Patterson is just another spineless politician pandering for votes. It is time for the American government to start living up to it's responsibilities to American citizens and legal immigrants.
Donald Dickson
And just what is this "responsibility" of which you speak? Does the federal government have a "responsibility" to "seal" our borders? And if so, for what purpose? If we were to eradicate the very notion of an "illegal" immigrant, wouldn't we be promoting competition and free enterprise, embracing ethnic and racial diversity, enriching our culture, expanding our tax base and promoting the perpetuation of a free and open society in which anyone has the tools to achieve success and happiness?
Shouldn't the federal government's "responsibility" be simply to know the identity and intentions of all who come here, and to exclude people only in the rare cases? Seems to me we would save billions of dollars of the expenses of "security theatre" while advancing all of the objectives of which I have just spoken.
Jerry Patterson
Dear Wiggl Wagon,
Pander? Spineless? You don't know Patterson very well if I do say so myself...
JP
Charlie Jackson via Texas Tribune on Facebook
My family became citizens of Mexico in 1820 near Beaumont.
Marilyn Sepich via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Love it!
Enedelia Obregon via Texas Tribune on Facebook
So, is he afraid Mexican immigrants are going to do to him and others him what was done to the Mexican immigrants?
Jim Coloma via Texas Tribune on Facebook
So to the victor goes the spoils, nothing is owed.
gypsy314 ne
That was then and this is now we are over run with illegal aliens were ever they are coming from and we as a nation must deport as many as we can for goodness sake we have laws and no sugar coating the law breakers could care less about America period.
Hugo Castro via Texas Tribune on Facebook
This type of sincerity is rare in the Republican party and it could use more of it. Mr. Patterson you speak well. I would add that Tejanos (documented or undocumented) were neglected by the Mexican federal goverment which lead to a secession.
David Spratt
To Donalds point nearly everything you mentioned is why we have laws on immigration. It is to protect the population against people entering the country who pose a threat to the country or to individuals. Primarily it is to control the flow of people into, the country for economic reasons. As wages are a function of supply and demand ,,, the same as the price of corn,,,, you cannot have unlimited immigration. Mass immigration into any area that has economic prosperity disproportionate to other areas can have devastating effects on economic conditions and cause economic collapse. This is not a new concept and has been employed by governments throughout history as relates to labor, goods or services.Immigration is just as important as having policies regulating trade. Labor or goods it is all the same economically speaking.
There is not an unlimited supply of jobs and simply importing people does not create unlimited opportunity. People with communicable diseases are excluded ,, for good reason. People not having visible means of support are excluded,,, again for good reason. Criminals are excluded. There are many interests of society that are served by restricting immigration.Just simply knowing they are here is not a reason to let everyone who wants to ,, come here unrestricted. The world has 6 billion people in it and probably half of them would love to be here. Should we just open the door to them all,,, and if we do not are we not discriminating against them simply because they cannot just walk here?
In fact most of the people who fought for independence were Mexican Citizens. While pointing out that White Americans were immigrants who displaced Native Americans ,,, they seem to ignore the fact that the majority of Mexicans are descended whole or in part from Spaniards, ( Europeans) , who displaced the Native peoples of Central and South America.
In reality the very argument they use to try and establish their ultimate claim to the southern United States rests of the fact they displaced the Native North Americans as well as the Europeans,,, but still they claim the moral high ground ignoring the history of their country.
Puerto Ricans are fond of their claim to the entire island as well ,, claiming they are the original inhabitants when in fact there were people there before them that became extinct from disease and slaughter and there is not an indigenous population today.
This argument of who was where first has no basis in fact or truth at all. Every square inch of the inhabitable earth has had populations who have been displaced at one time or another all the way back to when the Cro Magnons displaced the Neanderthals.
Perhaps "Lucy" found herself looking for a new tree or hole in the ground to live in back in the day when another group moved into the " hood."
Quit trying to guilt us into accepting the rest of the world into the country regardless of whether they sneak in , assimilate and follow the law or just chose to do as they like and ignore what the law is or what the people already here think about it.
Neil Moyer via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Shooting that gun off in his boot???
wiggl wagon
Jerry, If Patterson thinks illegal aliens are better than any of the other criminals who came here from Sicily, I think I know all that is necessary to know about him. The illegals and the so called activists who are funded by the exploitive employers of illegals always try to portray illegal immigration as a victimless crime. They don't give a hoot about the law abiding families who are forced into unemployment and poverty when the illegals are allowed to underbid the legal workers for jobs.
Stanley Moore via Texas Tribune on Facebook
That isn't true at all. The Mexican government and Empresarios
Stanley Moore via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Once again Patterson doesn't know what he speaks of.
The Mexican government and the
Empresarios were trying to populate an area (Tejas) so that it could be developed. Those emigrates were welcomed right up until they started rocking the boat.
V Marshall
Yes let's go back to those glory days where your children ate whatever you could grow and preserve or they didn't eat. Where your home was whatever you could cobble together from what you could afford to purchase. Where medical care was cheap because it was provided by the local barber. Where the "village" built a one room school and had someone "teach" all ages at the same time. Those were the days! I think we still have some of those villages in unincorporated areas along the border.
However if we decide that we like clean, safe K-12 schools with educated teachers. If we decide that we like EVERYONE living in a safe structure with electricity and running water. If we decide that we like to make sure that kids don't go hungry and that we can provide basic medical care regardless of ability to pay. If we decide that we like our history of first generation Americans having a better life than their immigrant parents. Then we might want to limit the number of Latin America's impoverished we admit. It seems to me that we might have more than we can properly provide for already in Texas. I've even been thinking lately that perhaps aiding people to migrate to some of the rust belt states might be beneficial. High density poverty usually results in multi generational poverty. But what do I know. I'm not a professor of anything.
Brittanicus
Both small and large businesses are entirely to blame for the illegal alien invasion, because their strong campaign money lobbyists were able to press politicians to ignore the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA). No business audit oversight to determine if illegal aliens were working around the country, inducing even more foreigners to arrive here daily in the thousands. People should wonder why the U.S. government has not only promoted it, but have remained unconcerned with unsecure fence or its hundreds of miles of open easy access areas. Since the inception of these troubles, the Congress has failed to live up to their oath in protecting the American people. Things just got worse after the Reagan administration established an amnesty for the millions of illegal aliens squatting here, because of the whole procedure was a giant flop, costing the U.S. taxpayer hundreds of billions since then and the repercussions felt to this day. Time has proven that Washington legislators had no intentions of enforcing the laws; otherwise illegal entry onto United States soil would be a felony. Instead this growing problem has become almost unsolvable, as the tens of millions already here have achieved a silent goal of suffocating our country in much illiteracy and the ugliness of poverty. I watch the streets where I live and try to absorb the rising amounts of Americans jobless and without hope. Yet at the same time this administration has pandered to the illegal aliens who are here, with food stamps, welfare and other assistance programs.
The U.S. TEA PARTY that have filtered into the Republican cliché believe that there was many shady activities governing this prior election, and states with little or no tough restrictions on voting protocols was in collusion with the Liberal wing of the Democratic Party and intentionally overlooking none citizens voting in countless numbers. However, something must be done about the illegal immigration crossing our borders or overstaying visas as visitors. When 45 percent of entries who are deliberately here for good, these unsavory people must be tracked down and repatriated to their own country. Other countries have completed this process, including Mexico and yet the political tenants in Washington have ignored this action. THESE PEOPLE ARE ILLEGAL ALIENS AND SHOULD BE TREATED AS SUCH? THE COST IS FAR BEYOND THE IMAGINATION TO SUPPORT THESE PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY WHEN OUR OWN LEGAL CITIZENS AND PERMANENT RESIDENCE WALK THE STREETS AIMLESSLY AND JOBLESS.
The American people have been led to believe by the Liberal media and our own elected officials, that the TEA PARTY has faded away, which is far from the truth and that is actually growing substantially in numbers. They are strong supporters of limited government and the liberties and freedoms of this nation. The Tea Party is also strong supporters of the “Rule of Law” which has been undermined by the Democrats and some Republicans. To restrain the illegal alien invasion is to force passage of “THE LEGAL WORKFORCE BILL” Make it law now, that essentially implements a mandatory federal E-Verify for every business and corporations. It is already voluntary but must exist as a national policy to reject illegal workers and place Americans from the jobless ranks? This will not only bring some sanity to the employment market, but discourage the illegal alien invaders from coming to this country. We need to resurrect a similar system as the “Bracero” project, to allow foreigners to come here for Agwork as in the 1940s, but in a regulated fashion and must return to their country of origin once their contract expires.
There should be no restrictions on the highest echelon of professionals, who arrive in America as STEM workers, but only the highest category who are in possession of scientific skills, tech credentials, engineering and mathematic top experience. Finally, Washington politicians must pass the “THE BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP ACT” This without a shadow of doubt is the most costly payout by the hurting taxpayers. This must be forced through the Congress for a vote. THIS IS HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OUT OF YOUR POCKET EVERY YEAR. You might ask “What the Birthright Citizenship Bill” is that has not been explored for its great need? It represents the smuggling of an unborn baby/babies into this country, so that taxpayers becomes the fairy godmother to the unknown numbers of children born to illegal alien mothers who take advantage of our generous welfare system, schooling and medical care. Once in America the parents have a solid foothold to stay here and then leech money out of all of us. Care to calculate how much money goes to pandering illegal aliens and you are way off as the Alpha Centauri constellation, a star of the southern sky. It’s a proverbial Catch 22, because it was meant to give citizenship to slaves, not just anybody who manages to slip by Border guards or bluff an immigration agent at an airline terminal. The people must speak up and demand a simple amendment to the 14th amendment, and thereby halting this travesty of our laws.
Jerry Miller via Texas Tribune on Facebook
so?
Dean Straight via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I concur, someone can buy me a plane ticket to England or Ireland, my filthy mongrel roots. Then we can give this continent back to its real natives, the oceans, or the Russians, or the Asians who came here long before Native Americans or Mexicans (Mayans or whichever tribe predates them as the true aboriginals). Ah screw it, let's be real rebels and all go back to the fertile crescent and turn the land back over to nature - the only real native species.
Norman Rock via Texas Tribune on Facebook
kinda goes to show you, no matter who you are if your in charge, don't let anyone in that you don't trust!
Bill Addington via Texas Tribune on Facebook
All true this is Texas History - but I think Patterson is after the "Hispanic" vote as Texas Latinos are exponentially increasing in numbers
Joe Kuhns via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Hummmmmmmmm, let's ask the Native Americans who they tried to keep out...........
Morgan Main via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Yea Jerry we should also be paying Mexico taxes. But I bet US government won't allow that
Khristóphoros Halieus via Texas Tribune on Facebook
And we (Texans) won the war. Game over. All comparison's are irrelevant. But in other news, Germany used to control Polish immigration, the CCCP used to control Czechoslovakian immigration and Egypt used to control Jewish immigration. They are all just as irrelevant. Way to make irrelevant statements, Mr. Patterson. Bravo!!
Bert Chadwick
For decades the Republican Party has been the worst enemy of the Latino community, but now after the loss election every single Republican wants to take advantage of Hispanics to get their vote. But Latinos do not forget all the harm Reps have done to their community. Latinos converted to the GOP as seen as traitors to the community; their forget what Latinos have suffered in the past, and in recent years all anti-immigrants and anti-Hispanics bills have been promoted by Republican politicians.
Michael Lloyd
This is a refreshing look at the immigration problem but I think that it cuts deeper than most people, on both sides, want to admit.
If you wind the historical clock back 20 or 30 years, before high fences and the army of Border Patrol agents and check stations that have sprung up all along the border, you will find that the root cause of the immigration problem. It's not due to the lack of fences or lack of Border Patrol agents. It's due to the lack of common sense used to implement social reform. At one time the flow of illegal traffic in this country was quietly welcomed and it was bi-directional.
Not so long ago, the illegals that came to this country performed the jobs that we wouldn't do, paid "their" taxes, and returned home to their families once the work season was over or when they had accumulated enough money to live well in Mexico. So what changed?
Slowly but surely we have improved the quality of "the bait" so that they come here to stay. They bring their entire family with them, risking the lives of their children and even grand children for their chance at the American dream. "We the People" have created this mess. I am a slightly right leaning Republican with a strong Libertarian component. How is it that I could have contributed to the rise in social programs that has led to the so called immigration crisis? I can answer that in two words. Political malaise. I have always voted Republican because the party used to best represent my views. I didn't pay attention to what was going on in the large scale political arena because "the party" had my back. Or so I thought. The rise in social programs that has led to the anchoring of illegal immigrants in this country went unnoticed by me and many, many others. The more socially liberal among us did what they thought was the right thing to do. Their misguided efforts and our inattention has created a mess.
Border fences are a huge waste of money, time, and effort. They don't and won't stop illegal traffic. Increasing the number of Border Patrol agents (whom I respect immensely by the way) has not solved the problem. The so called solutions that have been offered up so far are akin to running a shredder through a field that has an infestation of mesquite. The mesquite disappears from view for a little while but it comes back in much greater numbers. The solutions don't address the real problem.
The solution to the illegal immigration problem begins with social reform. If there was no free housing, no anchor babies, no free food, no free medical, etc for an illegal immigrant there would be no reason for them to stay here. No reason to risk the lives of their families to bring them here. In addition to removing the social bait, we need to create a new kind of doorway into this country. One that allows for the ebb and flow of people that are coming here to work and and then returning to their home. The cycle is as old as this country and we have disrupted it by changing the goal of the illegal immigrant from making money and going home to coming here with no intent to leave. The reality is that the illegal population does a lot of work in this country. If we remove them completely our already struggling economy would be negatively affected. The restaurant industry would be hurt immensely. Farming would be hurt. The truth is, we need them to come here. We just don't need them to stay.
Once an intelligent solution to our failed social policies has been implemented the Border Patrol could get back the business of protecting our borders from real threats rather than maintaining a merry-go-round that has a line of people waiting to get on it that stretches to infinity.
It's not fair to bait someone to come work and live here illegally and then turn around and build a huge military force that is tasked with returning the invitees to the back of the merry-go-round line. It's absolutely not fair to the Border Patrol agents to task them with this duty. They have more important things to attend to.