Why Mexican-Americans were classified as " White " in the census & other official documents before Nixon era ?

Question

Mexican-Americans were all White before Nixon era. . .

The terms " Latino" or " Hispanic" were created years later.

However Mexicans have been in NorthAmerica,

( gegraphically in what today is the West Coast of the USA),

before any Anglo.

Answer 1

anglos threw the spanish out of the current US (hence lots of spanish names in central and west US: LA, SF, Santa barbara, California, new mexico, etc.). The ones in US around Nixon time tended to be wealthy spanish rather than mestizo and ranch owners, so were classified white. Major latino immigration only happened after gt depression and the world wars: mostly poor sonora/white mestizo's so no longer regarded as white by the general populace and then by govt.

Answer 2

In California, 1769 San Diego,1781 Los Angeles, 1782 Santa Barbara etc etc

In Arizona,    1752 Presidio Tubac (near Nogales) etc etc

In Texas        1700's

In New Mexico ?  Santa Fe,. Las Cruses

In Colorado    ?     Pueblo

Nevada          ?    

After the war of 1846-1848, The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended Mexican claims to these areas. Any and ALL Mexican citizens living within these areas were to become American citizens in good standing. The sad part was that many of these Latinos were of African descent, being either former slaves or descendants of them freed in Mexico when it was under Spanish rule. The sad part is that they were denied full equal rights as the treaty called out. Contrary to the myth that "SPANISH" whites settled these areas, most were Mestizos (mix) Mulato (afro-descent) or Coyotes (unknown mix).

Latinos were classified as "white" in these times simply because there was no official term for them, you were either white, black, or indian.

WHAT IS YOUR POINT!?!

Answer 3

Very good question, yes, but it does show that there are some things you don't know yet.

The populace that you call Mexicans is a mixture of native North Americans and Europeans (Spaniards) . The Spanish people that first came here were and are white Europeans just like the French, the English, the Germans, the Italians, etc, etc.

The term Latinos was derived from the Latin of Latin America. Hispancis was derived from the spanish word hispanos. Yes, those are recent labelings.

The spanish speaking community can label themselves as either latinos, hispanic or white.

This is a subject matter that can go long into the night with much heated debate.

Answer 4

Mexicans been in North America before the Anglos? Not really, Mexicans are mestizos...and a mestizo is a mix of native blood and Spanish blood.  The Spanish arrived in the New World about the same time as the Anglo-Saxons (I would imagine) and the Spanish Queen ordered the Spainards to rape the natives to create a 2nd class citizen which was a blend of native and Spanish blood (A Modern day Mexican)