Following the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Mexican-Americans were primarily lynched for two reasons: vigilante justice and lack of political power. Vigilante justice was often the mob’s justification for lynching Mexican Americans. The claim was that these individuals had committed some crime, real or imagined and that the only way to ensure justice was to take matters into their own hands (Berger 3). After the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed in 1848, Mexicans no longer had any political power in the United States (Berger 2). This led to a period of rising tension and violence against Mexican Americans, culminating in a series of lynchings across the country. The lynching was often brutal, with victims being hanged, shot, or burned alive. In some cases, their bodies were mutilated or displayed publicly as a warning to other Mexican Americans.
Lynching is problematic because it is an act of violence that is used to exact revenge or punish someone without going through the proper legal channels. It also sends a message to the community that it is right to take the law into one’s own hands, and that can lead to more crime and chaos. The other problem with lynching is that it often targets innocent people. For example, “The Unknown History of Latino Lynchings by Maximo Anguiano”, discusses how Latino immigrants were often targeted for lynching, even though they were not responsible for any crimes (Berger 2). This type of scapegoating only serves to further divide people and create hatred and distrust. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, lynch mobs killed thousands of Mexicans and Mexican Americans in the southwestern United States (Berger 2). These unlawful killings were often justified as a means to protect white supremacy and social order. Though the majority of victims were men, women and children were also targeted.
One key factor was racial prejudice, which made many see Latino people as inferior and threatening. Another significant reason was likely the resistance of some Latino women to sexual advances from white men (Berger 2). In a context where white men felt entitled to sex with any woman they wanted, the refusal of a Latino woman could be seen as a grave offense that warranted extreme punishment. Mostly, Latino women were perceived as a threat to white men and women, leading to fears that they would take jobs away from native-born citizens or increase crime rates. Additionally, because of their gender and race, Latino women were seen as easy targets for violence and sexual assault (Berger 3). Throughout history, lynching has been used as a tool to oppress and control marginalized groups of people. In the case of Latino women, lynching was often used as a way to intimidate and punish them for their perceived defiance or disobedience.
A recent study has uncovered new information about the history of Latino lynching in America. The study, which is based on images of the hanged individuals, provides a complete picture of this little-known chapter in American history (Berger 2). The images are particularly powerful and provide a visceral reminder to contemporary American audiences of the horrors of lynching. They also serve as a poignant reminder that this dark chapter in our history must never be forgotten. The nation must continue to shine a light on these atrocities so that they never happen again.
The White Man’s Burden (1899) Kipling’s response to the U.S. annexation of the Philippines following the Spanish–American War. In the poem, Kipling exhorts the United States to take up its “white man’s burden” and rule over the Filipino people. The phrase “white man’s burden” has been used to refer to colonialism and imperialism more generally (Kipling 1). Critics of such policies have often used the phrase sarcastically or pejoratively to describe what they see as oppressive actions taken in the name of humanitarianism or civilizing undeveloped peoples.
As Rudyard Kipling famously put it in his 1899 poem The White Man’s Burden, the “other” is often portrayed as lesser people who need guidance and help from their more enlightened Western counterparts. This characterization is often based on colonial attitudes and perceptions of racial or cultural superiority (Kipling 1). In addition to the white man’s burden, there are other images that come to mind when thinking of the “other”. These similarly include helpless and vulnerable people in need of rescue. Whatever the image, it usually represents someone who is different and mysterious and in need of help.
Works Cited
Berger, Maurice. “Lynchings in the West, Erased from History and Photos.” New York Times (2012).
Kaplan, Amy. “Confusing occupation with liberation.” Los Angeles Times 24 (2003).
Kipling, Rudyard. “The white man’s burden.” (1899).