Mexifornia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mexifornia or Califaztlán refers to the condition that is the result of the accelerated migration of people into California and the rapid transformation of many aspects of the culture of the state.
Mexifornia is a state level version of what is now known as Amexica : "The united states of “Amexica” share more than a border and a common heritage: both sides welcome the benefits of trade but struggle with the pressures of growth."
This is a topic of a heated debate between the advocates of an earned path towards citizenship for undocumented workers on one side and those wishing to protect the U.S.-Mexican border and enforce immigration laws on the other side.
The term Mexifornia is becoming part of the regular lexicon, both in English and Spanglish, appearing from books to t-shirts.
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[edit] Accusations of Inaccuracy
While the author of Mexifornia has touted his credentials as a expert in history, this isn't without criticism, particularly by people knowledgeable on Mexican Immigration and Latin American history. [3]
Mexifornia has been criticized by some as giving a rather fictional portrayal of the realities in California's history.[citation needed] Hanson, like many others on this particular subject, fails to discuss in full length California's rich history, and the fact that it has always maintained a distinctly Spanish and Mexican culture which pre-dates American rule.
Since the Spanish Conquest of New Spain, Spanish has always been a major language througout California, in addition to the American Southwest. Upon entering the Union, California maintained a significant indigenous population made up primarily of Mexican descent.
[edit] Criticism from Center for Immigration Policy
According to experts on this topic, such as Walter A. Ewing, Ph.D., from the Immigration Policy Center, Hanson's new book relies largely upon personal anecdotes and emotional tirades to portray a fear filled perception of reality: unassimilated Mexican hordes overrunning California and the rampant breeding entire generations of gang bangers and welfare recipients goaded on by corrupt Mexican elites and U.S. multiculturalists awaiting the rise of a new Chicano nation in the southwestern United States. [4]
In general, Hanson’s arguments are wildly inconsistent, informed more by stereotype than substance, and characterized by a remarkable unfamiliarity with Mexican history and culture. [5]
In his analysis of Mexifornia, Ewing describes Hanson as being guilty of abandoning any pretense of scholarship, objectivity or even academic professionalism in Mexifornia. He doesn’t check his facts, repeatedly contradicts his own arguments, and ultimately establishes his authority as an author by reciting a litany of his friends and family of Mexican descent. Ewing goes on to mention that, as with so many statements that begin “Some of my best friends are Mexican, but…,” the results are predictable. [6]
[edit] Qualifications Called Into Question
Perhaps most telling, is Hanson's qualifications on the subject. The Immigration Policy Center's research associate has said that, despite Hanson's experience in the field of history and classics, Hanson’s primary qualifications on this particular topic, Mexican immigration, is that he knows a lot of Mexicans and has worked on a farm. [7] Ewing goes on to describe Mexifornia as a confusing and often bizarre diatribe by one angry, frightened man rather than a meaningful contribution to the immigration debate. [8]
[edit] References
- ^ “A Country of 24 Million”. Time magazine, vol. 157, no. 23, p. 46, June 11, 2001.
- ^ Mexifornia: A State of Becoming by Victor Davis Hanson ISBN 1893554732
- ^ Mexifornia: A State of Confusion a Commentary by Walter A. Ewing, Ph.D
