Border Towns 1900-1930

Life for Immigrants

While deportation was often forced there were some cases where immigrants chose the path of repatriation voluntarily. The American view of immigrants created major difficulties leading many to not want to stay in the US anymore. Immigrants were often met with racism from Americans that chose to themselves as above immigrants. The City of El Paso had many immoral businesses that used immigrant men and women. However, even as these businesses were immoral they still divided based on color. Within brothels the Jim Crow Texas had divided them between those for white people and those not white. As Mexican women were brought to work in brothels even if they were born and raised in Mexico if they had whiter skin they could work in the all-white brothels. Besides the colorists views immigrants were forced to follow women were victims throughout many border towns. It was easy for human traffickers to move into Mexico and take women into the US to serve the needs of men with little problems from law officials.
On a positive side though, immigrants were also responsible for creating an economy and industry at these border towns. San Diego’s economy was largely influenced by Mexican immigrants who had moved into the US. Even within San Diego its closeness to Tijuana allowed for the cities to have major cultural connections. Life was not a walk in the park for immigrants in the early twentieth century, but there was enough positive that kept immigrants steadily coming into America throughout the years.
 

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