The Struggles And Inequalities Of Mexican Americans

In the educational setting, Mexican Americans have faced discrimination, segregation, and inequality for many years. This paper discusses the struggles and inequalities that Mexican Americans have faced in education. I will focus on different educational time periods and discuss the problems and struggles that occurred in those time periods. The time periods that I give focus to include education in the Spanish-Mexican era (1519-1848), education and early Anglo rule in the Southwest (1836-1890), the expansion of American education (1890-1960), and education in the contemporary period (1960-present). Education in the Spanish-Mexican era lasted from 1519 until 1848. During this period, education occurred in informal and formal settings and was aimed towards the Indian population, who were Spanish subjects. Education in informal settings was the general norm and the most important informal settings were missions, presidios, and civilian settlements. The purpose of educating the Indians was to substitute their identity with a Spanish one and to also teach them the acceptance of their social relegation. The way the Spanish did this was by teaching the Indians literacy, music, the Catholic faith, Spanish manners, and by repressing their indigenous religious and social beliefs (Kloosterman 2). Education and the early Anglo rule in the Southwest lasted from 1836 until 1890. From 1836 to about 1850, formal education took place in schools that were founded by the Catholic Church.Show MoreRelatedMexican Americans And The Question Of Race887 Words   |  4 PagesTopic: Mexican Americans and the question of race Specific Purpose: To inform the audience of the struggle for identification faced by Mexican-Americans as well as provide a brief historical analysis of these struggles. 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