Mexico in South Phoenix
“It’s like going to Mexico without ever leaving Phoenix.” This was a quote by Mr. Virgil, the Manager of the Ranch Market. A tour of the Ranch Market showed his statement to be true, hence the title of this paper. The following will discuss the Ranch Market and Mexico in South Phoenix.
To begin, the tour was absolutely intriguing. The class was introduced to Mr. Virgil. Then we proceeded to get a really in-depth insight into what was up with the Ranch Market. While the Ranch Market is really just another store to purchase canned food, fruit, personal hygiene products, and even a meat department, the real attraction is the food service department. The class and I learned about the revenue intake of the entire Ranch Market; and as things go, the food service department accounted for over 40% of the income. I thought the food was awesome, as did the several hundred patrons.
The food service department consists of several components. The most prosperous of the components is the Mexican food deli, followed only shortly by the bakery. The Mexican food that is prepared right in front of you consists of tacos, burritos, tostadas, quesadillas, nachos, and about any other type of Mexican food one could think of. The bakery is awesome. The prices are very appealing to the frugal, but the availability of all types of bread (donuts, to loafs, to cakes and pies) is appealing to basically everyone. However, the whole Ranch Market seemed to be focused on appealing to the Mexican culture.
This type of environment reminded me of a reading that was assigned; it was titled American Apartheid, Segregation and the Making of the Underclass. This reading addressed the segregated society. A few sentences really interested me, such as “…extreme racial segregation did not just happen; it was manufactured by whites through a series of self-conscious actions and purposeful institutional arrangements that continue today.” This reminded me of how South Phoenix has been shunned by the Valley of the Sun and a haven for illegal immigrants who do not speak English. Another reference from American Apartheid is “Although poor black neighborhoods still contain many people who lead conventional, productive lives, their example has been overshadowed in recent years by a growing concentration of poor, welfare-dependent families that is an inevitable result of residential segregation.
Smeltertown existed as a smelting industry company-community and border town in El Paso, Texas. Through her own familial connection to Smeltertown, Monica Perales “traces the formation, evolution, demise, and collective memory of one of the largest single-industry Mexican-American communities on Mexican-US side of border.” Smeltertown, as a community, was was made up of several real and imagined social worlds that were constantly shaped by ASARCO. The community that was forged in Smeltertown served as a way of survival for its residents, allowing the influence from ASARCO to be lessened. Smeltertown tells the story of how its residents ordered their immediate socials.
There are many fast food places to choose from in the southwest region of the country. Two of the most common fast food restaurants are In-N-Out Burger and Jack in the Box. I have personally been employed at both of these establishments. The difference between the two is quality, price, and working environment.
Monroy, Douglas. Thrown Among Strangers: The Making of Mexican Culture in Frontier California . 1990.
The focus of analysis will consist of Southern Chicago Mexicans and the way by which they established themselves as important features of US civilization. Within the late 1910s and early 1920s the first major waves of Mexican immigrants ventured into the Southside of Chicago. Members of the community overcame the discrimination against them while organizing themselves in way that introduced Mexican pride and community building across their
Charles, Camille (2003). The dynamics of racial residential segregation. Annual Review of Sociology, 167. Retrieved from http://jstor.org/stable/30036965.
Mexican culture is perhaps the largest influence on the state of Arizona, affecting the cuisine of Arizona quite heavily. Mexican food is widely popular in Arizona, meaning that there are plenty of local Mexican restaurants, each giving a unique experience. Mexican culture also has strong ties to the history of Arizona, as it was once territory belonging to Mexico. Mexicans who inhabited the region over a century ago fought with tribes native to the land in order to wrest control from them. However, war erupted with America on April 25, 1846. The war, now known as the Mexican-American War, resulted in the Mexican Cession. The Cession effectively indoctrinated the states of California, Nevada, most of Arizona, and various sections of other current day states. The war’s start can be contributed to many things, one such reason being the acceptance of Texas as a recognized state by the U.S. This created a great deal of tension with Mexico, as Texas was once their territory, until Mexicans and Americans overthrew the governor of the region and appointed their own leader, Samuel Houston. Houston then brought Texas in as a state to the U.S. in order to assuage any aggressive acts by Mexico. However, tensions soon flared when several small incidents along the border of Mexico and Texas lead to the war. Many politicians in the northern states opposed the war, claiming that it was an attempt of the southern slave owners to gain influence in the new territory. While most of the territory of Arizona was obtained by the end of the war, it was the Gadsden Purchase that attained the rest of the state, along with the southwesternmost part of modern day New Mexico. The purchase gets it’s name from the United States ambassador to Mexico, James Gadsden, who signed the treaty approving the purchase of the territory in the year 1853, not all too long after the
Weber, David J. Foreigners in Their Native Land: The Historical Roots of Mexican Americans. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1973.
When looking at the vast lands of Texas after the Civil War, many different people came to the lands in search for new opportunities and new wealth. Many were lured by the large area that Texas occupied for they wanted to become ranchers and cattle herders, of which there was great need for due to the large population of cows and horses. In this essay there are three different people with three different goals in the adventures on the frontier lands of Texas in its earliest days. Here we have a woman's story as she travels from Austin to Fort Davis as we see the first impressions of West Texas. Secondly, there is a very young African American who is trying his hand at being a horse rancher, which he learned from his father. Lastly we have a Mexican cowboy who tries to fight his way at being a ranch hand of a large ranching outfit.
While the business blast in Pigeon Forge incomprehensibly expanded the town's income, it had a few undesirable impacts. As area quality soar, numerous agriculturists could no more manage the cost of the going hand in hand with high property assessments and were compelled to offer their territory. The high typical cost for basic items in Pigeon Forge is troublesome to counterbalance with the low wage employments that regularly go with the traveler business.
The theme in a story is the message or big idea that the author is trying to reveal in his or her narrative. If there was no underlining theme in Sherman Alexie’s short story, “This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona” then readers would have no interest in reading the fictional story. Understanding the message that Alexie is trying to display to his readers can vary in many ways and depends on the reader 's understanding of the story. Strong themes that are presented in the fictional tale are man versus self conflict, family, and tribal identity. Victor is a tribal member that has had a rough life and has to deal with his father passing away. Not only does he have to come to terms with his father 's death, but he also has to face his
...wler-Salamini and Mary Kay Vaughan, eds Creating Spaces, Shaping Transitions: Women of the Mexican Countryside, 1850-1990 Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1994.
Mexico began to become attractive because "Mexico and the United States had no reciprocal agreements enabling creditors to collect debts or to return fugitives," (Hensen 46). Hence, Texas was a safe haven for many of the farmer...
... by the development of cities as urban centers eventually overshadow and potentially erase the race problem. Although this thought process is one of great popularity, the changes due to this failed perspective have provided a pathway for the revamping of sociological thinking produced out of the rebellion and confidence of black people. This outcome is evidenced by some of the outcomes of a civil rights movement led by blacks to include: the slow but eventual establishment of a black middle class, the realization of confidence and dignity by blacks that has grown out of such a movement, and the new found investment in a black culture with continual watering down of one dominant race via immigration and economic advancement.
From slavery to Jim Crow, the impact of racial discrimination has had a long lasting influence on the lives of African Americans. While inequality is by no means a new concept within the United States, the after effects have continued to have an unmatched impact on the racial disparities in society. Specifically, in the housing market, as residential segregation persists along racial and ethnic lines. Moreover, limiting the resources available to black communities such as homeownership, quality education, and wealth accumulation. Essentially leaving African Americans with an unequal access of resources and greatly affecting their ability to move upward in society due to being segregated in impoverished neighborhoods. Thus, residential segregation plays a significant role in
According to PEW study by Richard Fry and Paul Taylor, the study found that 28% of lower-income households in 2010 were located in a majority lower-income census tract, which is up from 23% in 1980. An analysis of the act of residential segregation throughout the US has revealed many challenges that the youth in America either are facing at this very moment or can and will continue to be an ongoing issue throughout neighborhoods. The question of how this form of segregation began? And how does residential segregation effect those involved.