This painting (circa 1872) by John Gast called American Progress is an allegorical representation of Manifest Destiny. (Wikipedia)
United States acquired from Mexico, 1848 (Wikipedia)
By Ben Ansbacher
The United States of America and the United States of Mexico are neighbors on the North American continent. From its early history, the USA has played a dominant role over its neighbor, by virtue of its greater economic and military strength. Since its first century, the belief that the United States was God’s gift to the world has given it license to work its will on its neighbors.
On December 2, 1823, President James Monroe announced a United States policy which came to be known as the Monroe Doctrine. It warned the imperial European powers against interfering in the affairs of the newly independent Latin American states or potential United States territories. In other words, America reserved for itself the right to interfere in the affairs of its Latin neighbors.
The concept of Manifest Destiny was introduced in the 1840s. It was the historical belief that the United States was destined and divinely ordained by the God of Christianity to expand across the North American continent, from the Atlantic seaboard to the Pacific Ocean. Sometimes Manifest Destiny was interpreted so widely as to include the eventual absorption of all North America: Canada, Mexico, Cuba and Central America.
These values were the background for the Mexican War (1846-1848), won by the United States. A result was the Mexican cession which transferred California, Nevada, Arizona and Utah, as well as parts of New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming from Mexico to the United States. Along with statehood for Texas (1845), this transformed many Mexicans into American citizens.
As white Americans moved into the former Mexican territory, Mexican-Americans became second-class citizens. Now the role of Mexicans as original settlers of a significant part of the USA has been largely forgotten.
Over the years, the United States continued its involved with Mexico’s internal affairs. Porfirio Díaz was President of Mexico from 1876 until 1911 (except for four years). During that time he worked for economic reform in order to compete with the United States. He is remembered for saying, “Poor Mexico, so far from God and so close to the United States!”
Díaz was overthrown by Francisco Madero, who in turn was overthrown by Victoriano Huerta, with the backing of the US ambassador under President Taft. Huerta executed Madero with the tacit approval of the US ambassador. Shortly after that, Woodrow Wilson was inaugurated. He withdrew the ambassador and then reversed the US position and supported Venustiano Caranza in the overthrow of Huerta.
In 1917, Germany promised Mexico that it would get back the lands lost to the United States in the Mexican War if Mexico would only declare war against the United States. Caranza refused.
Lázaro Cárdenas became president in 1934. In 1938, during a strike, he took over the American oil companies in Mexico. The United States agreed to this on the condition that the companies receive fair payment, which was indeed paid during the 1940s. During World War II, Mexico manufactured war equipment in factories that the United States helped set up.
From World War II until 1970, Mexican presidents maintained close relations with the United Sates. Then after his election, Luís Echeverría Älvarez strained relations by cooperating with Cuba and Chile. Also at this time, illegal immigration and drug smuggling began to upset the United States. On the other hand, Mexican petroleum became a significant import for the United States.
In 1994, NAFTA joined Mexico more closely with the United States (and Canada) bringing mixed blessings, and giving the United States more control over the Mexican economy. Asked why the NAFTA treaty failed to protect Mexican growers of corn and beans, essential components of the Mexican diet, a US Embassy official, without defending the treaty, said that the terms had depended on the priorities and skills of the negotiators.
In the aftermath of 9/11, relations between the countries have changed, based on the US views of its security requirements. With little evidence of a threat, immigration enforcement has been beefed up, forcing Mexican emigrants, who followed a tradition of crossing without visas, into more dangerous routes of entry. A wall is being built, which puts the US in the same league as Soviet East Germany and Israel.
The rise of drug cartels in response to prohibition in the United States has become a Mexican problem both in violence among gangs and in widespread corruption. In response the United States, through the Mérida Initiative and the Security and Prosperity Partnership, is expanding its military influence and assistance throughout Mexico. Unfortunately, these forces may be used against protests by the poor, as well as against criminals.
In conclusion, one would hope that the United States, in deciding on policies towards Mexico, would put more weight on what is good for the majority of Mexicans and less on what it thinks is good politics in the United States.
Ben Ansbacher, a retired computer salesman from Burlington, NC, works with the group Fairness Alamance to support immigrants.
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