The History of Mexican Immigration to the United States. Over the passed one and a half centuries, since the Treaty of Hidalgo in 1848 gave the United States most lands north ofthe Rio Grande, the 1200 mile United States-Mexican border has been a very active one. Mexicans have emigrated fromtheir homeland in droves over these years in three major phases preceded by a small phase. The Mexicans have made thisexodus in search of a better life than their homeland could offer. At first Mexicans had no interest in settling in the United States. This sentiment changed when the border had beenclosed. Mexicans feared never being able to come back to where jobs are much more plentiful than in their homeland.Others were content with the American way and decided to try to become citizens. These people who stayed gathered in theSouthwest and major cities like Chicago and Detroit and created thriving communities in America much like that ofearlier European immigrants of the past to America. Mexicans first came to America in small numbers with the Sonoran miners and later came in huge numbers at differentpoints in time. They all came for the same reasons, jobs. Migration of Sonoran Miners During the years of 1848 to 1956 miners from the state of Sonora Mexico emigrated to the southern mines of California.The California Gold Rush was in full bloom and the Sonorans wanted a piece of the action. This marked the first exodus,yet minor, of Mexicans to the United States. As many as 500 Mexicans a day passed through the Santa Ines Mission inNorthern Sonora. People were so set on leaving and joining in on the gold rush they braved the severe winter of 1848. Mexican officials started to worry because of the depopulation of Sonora. The Mexican Press waged a campaign to stop theexodus. A reversal of sorts occurred in 1849 when some of those who emigrated returned to their homelands. Upon theirarrival they found conditions in Sonora worse than when they left. S...
