Blauner’s hypothesis is explained in regards to the Mexican American immigrants

Blauner’s hypothesis is a theory about the creation of a minority group that asserts that minority groups created by colonization will experience more intense prejudice, racism, and discrimination than those created by immigration. According to Blauner, there are two major processes by which new groups are incorporated into a society, immigration or colonization. Immigration is voluntary and the prescriptions and exclusions are minimal. Colonization, on the other hand, is involuntary and prescriptions and exclusions are maximized. Blauner then, using his processes by which plural societies are formed, contrasts the experiences of Cubans, Puerto Ricans, and Mexican-Americans in terms of their rate of assimilation.

Mexican Americans actually constitute a complicated case. They were originally indigenous to North America, became a colonized people, then, as a result of the war between Mexico and the United States and the Treaty of Guadeloupe Hidalgo (1848), they lost their land. They had been colonized and, as a result of the war, they became immigrants to the United States. Blauner believed that there are two types of minority groups, one on each end of the spectrum and positions in the between the extremes. These enclaves and middle minorities were often immigrants and had more opportunities than past colonized minority groups did when carving out places for themselves in their new society (Blauner, 1972).

The Hispanic value system stresses responsibility, hardworking, good provider, male dignity and that of a man in charge. These characteristics can lead to an overall better quality of live for Mexican American immigrants. Many Mexican American immigrants also place a high value on family relations and obligations, they believe in strong family ties. These qualities can help the male member of the family a good provider for his family. The anti-Mexican stereotypes and attitudes are consistent with the nature of the contact situation: they are characterized as lazy, inferior, and irresponsible, have low intelligence, and are dangerous criminals.

The United States has always been and continues to be a country of immigrants. In the past the hope was that over a period of time immigrants would either assimilate that is disappear into the American melting pot.

In my opinion, stereotypes are unfair to any group’s characteristics. In a group there are many different individuals, some may be lazy, some may be hardworking, some may be inferior, and some may be superior to others in the group or outside the group, but each person is an individual and should be judged on their individual merits. I know several Mexican Americans and each of them is different and each of them have strong suits and each of them has things aren’t as good as, just as I have things I am good at and things I am not as good at. Plain and simple – we are all people.