Mexican People Never Left Mexico

Jun 10, 2018

This is Mexico: 1840. Where would you build the wall?



The Mexican-American war of 1846-1848 took away Mexico’s land.

But the people stayed behind. People with families, kids, grandparents. There were close to 75,000 Mexicans living in the conquered territory, from California to Texas.

After the war, Mexicans had the choice of either going back to Mexico or staying in the United States. If they stayed, they could choose Mexican or U.S. citizenship. If they didn't declare their choice, after a year they automatically became citizens of the US.

But what they didn't realize: they had became second-class citizens. American laws were not extended equally. Justice was denied. Many lost their rights to own land.

They began to feel like foreigners in their native land.

They lost high status. As what happened with Native Americans.

The invaders did it in the Americas as it had been done to them back in Europe. Europe was decimated by the Holy Crusades that had swept over pagan Europe, declaring indigenous people to be witches.

Copy and paste. From sea to shining sea, conquerers and the conquered endlessly trade turns.

At some point, you'd think all these billions of monkeys running around in different colored hats will copy and paste a brand new model. A New Colossus. That’s the hope anyway.



Indigenous peoples have never left home. You just forgot that you too are indigenous.

In the meantime, you go build that expensive wall - the map’s going to keep changing as long the desire to build one exists.