Author(s): Madai Montes

Presentation: oral

The United States and Mexico have shared a border since Mexico’s inception. The Mexican Revolution,however, played a defining role in what the border meant to both Mexicans and Americans. The idea of a strictly enforced border began to surface as violence along the border increased in Texas during the Revolution. As Mexican battles made their way onto American soil, the United States responded with backlash. The US created the Texas Rangers to patrol the border and also implemented a continuous string of laws attempting to maintain control of border crossing Mexicans. This Us vs. Them mentality grew in popularity as Anti-Mexican sentiment continued to express itself throughout newspapers and social commentary in the US; particularly in the Chicago Tribune. The role of cartoon imagery was essential in constructing a new identity for Mexican citizens as lawless bandits, crooks and thieves. The goal of this presentation is to address the role played by cartoon depictions of Mexicans in the establishment of Anti-Mexican sentiment during the Mexican Revolution. This project also seeks to evaluate whether or not these images were a contributing factor in the number of unnecessary deaths caused by the Texas Rangers during the Mexican Revolution.

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