Cesar Chavez dedicated his life to a labor movement for farm workers. His unique background, his first-hand knowledge of the people's issues, and his superior organizational skills brought his successful organization of the National Farm Workers Association (later named United Farm Workers), even against opposition from the government, the Teamsters Union, and the grape growers. It is the purpose of this paper to describe his background, the nature of his superior organizing ability, and the sociological forces that shaped the Chavez farm workers' movement.
Until he was ten years old, Cesar Chavez, the oldest of five children, lived on a farm near Yuma, Arizona. The 160 acres had come into his family through a government grant to his..."
The effects of the trade agreement on Mexican society and the economy, focusing on maquiladoras (border plants) including workers, tariffs, impact on trade with the U.S. border states and ports. With charts.
2,475 words (approx. 9.9 pages), 11 sources, 1994, $ 87.95
From the Paper "The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) seeks to create a trading bloc consisting of Canada, the United States, and Mexico. The bulk of the treaty was negotiated by the Bush administration, but it falls to the Clinton administration to coordinate its ratification by Congress. The agreement is the subject of much controversy over whether American jobs would be lost or gained, and what the eventual affect of the agreement will be on the American economy. This research seeks to understand the effect of NAFTA on a smaller scale; namely, the effect of the agreement on those states which border Mexico.
To understand NAFTA's effect, it is necessary to understand the environment into which NAFTA will be implemented. Mexico effectively restructured its economy during the late 1980s. Prior to that time, the country was highly protectionist and..."
Abstract This essay examines the history of immigration and presents a time sequence of cultures immigrating to the United States. It also analyzes the challenges each group encountered and what impact they had on this country. Also discussed are the pros and cons of immigration and the furture of immigration.
From the Paper "One thing that makes the United States different from any other country in the world, is that all the people who live here are immigrants or descendants of immigrants. The reasons people emigrate from other countries is that the United States offers opportunity and a chance for growth and economic gain. In addition, many were driven by war, famine, economic hardship, persecution and environmental changes."
Abstract John Hay, the U.S. Ambassador to London, called the war of 1898 with Spain ?a splendid little war.? His statement, often quoted about the war, indicated his recognition that this war would change the position of the United States in the world and have ramifications for decades to come. This paper shows that the Spanish-American War often gets little attention in history texts, overpowered by the bigger, longer-lasting wars such as the War Between the States, World War I and World War II. The fact is that the Spanish-American War, which included significant action both in the Caribbean, especially Cuba, and the Pacific, especially involving the Philippines, had complex causes and complex long-term ramifications.
From the Paper "The war of 1898 represented a turning point in the United States? international standing. The country acquired its first overseas territories and pushed Spain out of the Western Hemisphere (Rodriguez, 1998). It laid the groundwork for our involvement in World War II, as our growing interests in the Pacific had a profound effect on Japanese action in that arena. Until the Spanish-American war, our influence had been limited to North America. Now we had presence in both major oceans and had contended with other great powers, either by warfare or by maneuvering, and had emerged victorious (Rodriguez, 1998). It was not a challenge to defeat Spain, but the long-term effects of the war dramatically affected history for the following century. The groups who drew us into the war, both in the Caribbean and the Pacific, revolutionary factions in both Cuba and the Philippines, did not fare well. Cuba was liberated from Spain but under profound influence of the Untied States. In the Philippines, the people simply traded one country's domination for another?s."
Tags: Monroe, Doctrine, Manifest, Destiny, Mexican, War, President, McKinley
Discusses Columbian writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez's use of the literary technique known as "magic-realism" in his novel "One Hundred Years of Solitude".
900 words (approx. 3.6 pages), 5 sources, 2002, $ 35.95
Abstract The term "magic realism" seems, at first glance, to be oxymoronic. How can anything real seem magical? How can magic be real? The interconnectedness, however, of the quotidian and the fantastical is a hallmark of Latin American literature and one of the greatest living practitioners of this literary technique is the Columbian writer, Gabriel Garcia Marquez. In his masterpiece, One Hundred Years of Solitude, the author creates what is probably the best known, and best loved, example of the magic-realist tale.
Abstract This is a paper on the topic of immigration and assimilation into the United States. The paper shows how Immigrants from the earliest times have accepted the culture, traditions and beliefs of the United States, yet they have managed to maintain their own identities and cultures as well.
Abstract This paper presents a comparison and contrast between the Nicaraguan and Cuban revolutions. A discussion on the role of the United States in these revolutions is also included. The morality of the actions of the United States in regards to these revolutions is touched upon.
Abstract In this paper the writer discusses the Mayan and Aztec cultures in a comparative nature to reveal the similarities in their interrelation to each other. By understanding the connectedness of the two cultures, the writer shows why they are so closely related in their art. Further, the writer shows the way that they made their art for life and religion. The writer also demonstrates that through an understanding of the artistic history of these nations, there is a semblance of influence that can be found in both of them.
Abstract This paper provides anecdotal and statistical evidence to counter the argument that foreign workers that move into metropolitan areas in the U.S. are supplanting native-born workers and are "stealing?" wages the native-born workers might otherwise enjoy. The paper also discusses some of the negative stereotypes regarding immigrant workers that persist and cites several studies that claim that the immigrant workers actually have a positive effect on the U.S. economy.
From the Paper "Some figures regarding the effect of immigration on cities are relatively easy to obtain; they were developed by the United States Census Bureau, most recently in the year 2000. Other figures are much more difficult, although anecdotal evidence abounds. In Race and Ethnicity in the United States, author Richard T. Schaefer shows that although immigration benefits the United States in many ways, there are still negative stereotypes. These stereotypes account for unequal, and often disturbing treatment, despite the contributions."
Abstract This paper discusses how both Juan Domingo Peron of Argentina and Getulio Vargas of Brazil were very influential people in the evolution of their nations and their region as a whole. It looks at how both of them were highly popular leaders in their time and enjoyed almost godlike status in their nations. It analyzes how both men took power when their countries were suffering from recession, unemployment, and economic hardship. It also shows how, due to the very different nature of the two nations and the time at which they took control of them, the two leaders were very different.
From the Paper "Vargas? regime was largely uncontested during the twenty four years of his rule. This is largely due to the fact that his power within Brazil was absolute, and no one could contemplate opposing him. Furthermore, Vargas always held out the possibility of making a deal with the opposition to include them in his administration, which was a powerful sop designed to keep people faithful to him. On the other hand, Peron's regime lasted less than ten years, and was followed by a coup that saw him toppled and sent into exile."
This paper discusses NAFTA, which established a free-trade zone in North America and was signed in 1992 by Canada, Mexico, and the United States. It took effect on Jan. 1, 1994.
Abstract This paper explains that NAFTA immediately removed tariffs on the majority of goods produced by the participating nations and set forth a plan for the gradual elimination, over a period of 15 years, of most remaining barriers to cross-border investment and to the movement of goods and services among the three countries. The author points out that, unlike the United States, Mexico's border communities have benefited from NAFTA, growing almost 10 times as fast as states in Mexico's south, while absorbing the lion's share of foreign investments. The paper concludes that calling NAFTA a "trade" agreement is misleading; NAFTA is actually an investment agreement because its core provisions grant foreign investors a solid set of new rights and privileges that promote relocation abroad of factories and jobs and the privatization and deregulation of essential services, including water, energy, and health care.
From the Paper "In 2000, California's exports to Mexico totaled $14.4 billion, an increase of nearly 18 percent over the previous year, and Texas' shipments grew 5.5 percent to a total of $24.6 billion, according to Commerce Department figures (Lewis, 2004). Meanwhile, the United States continues to lure Mexican workers, many of whom came from rural communities when Mexico opened its markets to subsidized U.S. agricultural goods."
Abstract The central thesis of Eduardo Galeano's 1971 work of poetic, economic nonfiction, "Open Veins of Latin America" is that the cash crops and natural resources of Latin America have provided the fundamental tools for the rich nations of North America and Europe to grow richer, at the expense of the poorest of the poor of Latin America. This paper examines the book and shows how Galeano speaks of the colonial powers as "the winners" and Latin America as "the loser" because of its subsequent political instability after colonial economic exploitation.
From the Paper "At times, Galeano makes great philosophical leaps, and because his analysis is more poetic than statistical, one must as a reader essentially 'go on a ride' with him, and accept some of his sweeping assumptions about the world. However, the ride is ultimately an enriching one. The world cannot sustain itself, if we all remain focused on selfishly profiting our own nations, as was typical during the colonial era. It is no longer sustainable for a national community to focus on enriching itself with greedy policies, because we as a world have come to see that everyone is affected by such an attitude, from our air, water, soil, and the whole of our environments."
Abstract This is a descriptive paper on the life of Fidel Castro up until he came into power in Cuba. The author examines the way that fidel castro came into power, the changes that he made once in power and his stance today. The author argues that Fidel Castro originally gave hope and promise to his nation, yet today he stands for oppression.
From the Paper "Castro took Cuba on January 1st 1959 and is currently holding it. He is one of the few leaders whose country is still communist. Castro has put the country through some difficult times such as the Cuban Missile Crisis. Castro was an idealist who believed that the way things were need to be changed but he ended up leaving things the same as they were if not making them worse. He started off wanting to help the people, but now he's oppressing his people."
Abstract This paper looks at the world of the Toltecs, focusing on how they were shaped and how they helped to shape a larger Meso-American cultural grouping that shared a number of salient cultural features. The author also makes particular mention of Toltecs impact on the Aztecs.
From the paper:
"The rise of the Toltec civilization did however mark a distinct turn in some sense because after the rise of the organized Toltec empire the peoples and rulers of this region of Mexico would be more deeply and more consistently marked by a militaristic orientation than those people (culturally related as they were) that preceded them, as Bernal argues".
A discussion of American imperialistic ventures in the late 1800's, specifically the Spanish American War, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines, explaining why intervention was justified.
Abstract The paper discusses many primary sources of the day and their opinions on what America was doing at the time, including the debate between isolationism and the belief in intervention. The paper quotes many opinions backing both sides and shows why one side was right.
From the Paper From the outset of the United States? independence from Britain, it had abided by a foreign policy of no foreign policy. This isolationist policy was stressed by George Washington, the nation's first president. It was not until the late 19th century that the United States took an active role in international politics, intervening between Spain and Cuba. This intervention led to the Spanish American War, and the US gaining additional territories from Spain. The issue of whether the US had the right to control Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines was a topic of great debate among the politicians of the day. The vast public opinion favored the United State's intervention and expansion, as it was clearly the reasonable approach.
