Menchaca- Recovering History Constructing Race Summary.

Book Review.
Menchaca- Recovering History Constructing Race Summary.
In the book, Menchaca makes a vital input to experience that the Mexican American people go through, a topic that for far too long has been ignored. Menchaca examines the Mexicans’ history in the modern day United States while reiterating the part that the legal system plays in forming restrictions for particular racial groups as well as establishing a second-class social, economic and political level for the Mexican Americans. In the first section of the book, a heartrending description of the mother of Menchaca, who refuses to be associated with her family’s African roots shows the ambivalence that the Mexican Americans have towards their own kind. Mexican Americans’ indigenous roots have always been embraced and known, but quite a few have accepted or understood the African links. The author does a fantastic job in elaborating historical documentation of most of the African links that Mexican Americans have as well as discussing early racial matters in Mexico between Anglo Americans and Mexican Americans. Menchaca also elaborates how history provides a bad impression that Southwest America was colonized entirely by the Spanish. On the contrary, Menchaca shows how this is not possible by elaborating the contribution that people who are of mixed-race played in the colonization process.
Mirande- Gringo Justice.
In his book, Mirande explores a lot of things including the relationship of the Chicanos to the legal system and showing how this system has caused a bias against the people of this tribe as well as their land being misappropriated.

To show this, he goes back in time to show how this theme stated a long time ago. He starts in 1845, where the Unites States took in Texas to the Union, the Mexican government was in such turbulence that their new leader was not able to meet with the American government. They were even unable to negotiate concessions as they were too weak at that period. Both the Mexicans and Americans awaited the outbreak of violence. In 1846, the then president, James Polk, received information that the Mexicans had ambushed two of General Taylor’s companies situated along the Rio Grande. The president immediately commanded that the Congress should set aside funds for war, stating that the Mexicans had instituted a full-blown war. Reluctantly, the House agreed, and the Mexican-American war began. The Mexican American war lasted about one a half years. The war raged throughout New Mexico, California, and Texas. Mexican’s resistance was adamant and had the advantage of greater manpower than their opponent. However, this benefit proved futile as the United States had an easy victory because of superior leadership and artillery. Following the victory by the US, a treaty was signed in 1848, called the treaty of Guadalupe Hildalgo. The treaty completed US claims to the land and in return, the US government simulated all the monetary claims against the Mexican government of the American citizens. US paid Mexico $15 million. After this war, Mirande elaborates how the distribution of land has always been rigged against the Chicanos. A lot of attention is given to the advancement of the gang and ‘bandito’ images and the utilization and mobilization of stereotypes that are anti-Chicano.
How theories proposed by Malatesta and Collins apply to Menchaca and Mirande readings.
At the heart of the micro-sociological theory by Collins is the theory of confrontational tension. Collins argues that as individuals enter into a situation that is antagonistic their level of tension and fear goes up. Accordingly, these two emotions block the occurrence of violence and most of the time, stalemate and flight are often the result. Nonetheless, in certain situations, pathways around this blockage can be discovered and the result of this is violence. On the other hand, Malatesta argues against capitalists and for the removal of violence. He dictates that the only reason why violence can be justified is when one is defending himself. Collins and Malatesta’s books both relates to Mirande’s and Menchaca books with regards to violence in that it can be utilized to explain the conflict between the gangs and the Chicano, the violence that resulted because of the Mexican American war and Mexicans’ history in the modern day United States.

Works Cited