Jump to content

History of Mexican Americans in Dallas–Fort Worth

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
El Fenix Restaurant in Downtown Dallas

There is a rapidly growing Mexican-American population in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

As of 2002 people of Mexican origins made up 80% of the Hispanics and Latinos in the DFW area.[1]

History

[edit]

Sol Villasana, the author of Dallas's Little Mexico, wrote that "Mexicans have been part of Dallas since its beginning."[2] In the 1870s the first significant groups of Mexicans came to Dallas as railroad lines were constructed. Additional Mexicans settled Dallas as a result of the Mexican Revolution, which began in 1910.[2]

According to the 1920 U.S. Census, 3,378 Mexicans lived in Dallas.[3] In the early 20th century, wealthier Mexicans lived in Little Mexico and in the historical red-light area of Dallas north of Downtown, while less wealthy immigrants lived along railroad yards.[2] Caroline B. Brettell, author of '"Big D" Incorporating New Immigrants in a Sunbelt Suburban Metropolis,' wrote that as of 1920 the majority of Dallas's Mexicans "were living in atrocious conditions."[3]

After World War II Little Mexico began to disintegrate.[4]

The Murder of Santos Rodriguez occurred in 1973.

In 2009 the City of Dallas began pursuing an EB-5 investment program, attracting wealthier Mexicans. By 2012 there was a wave of wealthy Mexican immigration, due to the program, the proximity and access of Mexico to North Texas, and the violence of the Mexican drug war.[5]

Demographics

[edit]

As of the 2000 U.S. Census, 71% of the foreign-born residents of Dallas originated in Mexico, as were 64% of the foreign-born residents of McKinney, and 22% of the foreign-born residents of Plano.[6] 25% Of Foreign Born residents of Carrollton

Education

[edit]

Rapid growth of the Hispanic community in the last decade has now made them majority in a fair share of school districts in the DFW area. These school districts include: Dallas ISD, Fort Worth ISD, Arlington ISD, Irving ISD, Richardson ISD, Mesquite ISD, Garland ISD, Grand Prairie ISD, and Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD. [7]

Geography

[edit]

As of the 2000 U.S. Census, 63% of the ethnic Mexicans in Dallas County resided in the Dallas city limits. Many Mexicans in Dallas live in lower income housing, especially in South Dallas.[6] As of 2002 the Mexican population lived in various parts of the DFW area, with concentrations in West Dallas, Oak Cliff, and Arlington.[1]

As of 2000 there was a large group of ethnic Mexicans living north of Arlington in an area south of Interstate 30, and a smaller group in the cities between Dallas and Fort Worth south of U.S. Highway 183.[6]

Economy

[edit]

As of 2012 there are about 20 daily flights between Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and Mexico.[5]

El Fenix, a Tex-Mex restaurant chain, was established by Mike Martinez, a Mexican American. It was established on September 15, 1918. Christina Rosales of The Dallas Morning News wrote that it "has been credited with starting the Tex-Mex craze in the U.S."[8]

Pizza Patrón, headquartered in Dallas, markets itself to Mexican American families.[9] It was established by Antonio Swad, a person not of Mexican origins.

Notable residents

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  • Brettell, Caroline B. '"Big D" Incorporating New Immigrants in a Sunbelt Suburban Metropolis' (Chapter 3). In: Singer, Audrey, Susan Wiley Hardwick, and Caroline Brettell. Twenty-First Century Gateways: Immigrant Incorporation in Suburban America (James A. Johnson metro series). Brookings Institution Press, 2009. ISBN 9780815779285. Start p. 53.
  • Villasana, Sol. Dallas's Little Mexico (Images of America). Arcadia Publishing, 2011. ISBN 9780738579795.

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Chavira, Ricardo (2002-03-31). "Mexicans making mark in new world". The Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on 2002-08-10. Retrieved 2018-08-03. - Spanish version "Necesidad económica incita la creciente inmigración mexicana al área de Dallas"
  2. ^ a b c Villasana, p. 7.
  3. ^ a b Brettell, p. 56.
  4. ^ Villasana, p. 8.
  5. ^ a b Corchado, Alfredo. "High-end migrants from Mexico lead new wave to Dallas area" (Archive). The Dallas Morning News. November 24, 2012. Updated November 25, 2012. Retrieved on September 22, 2014.
  6. ^ a b c Brettell, p. 61.
  7. ^ Entries, Random (2013-08-04). "Dallas, Texas Area School Information: 2012 School District Demographics - Dallas-Fort Worth area". Dallas, Texas Area School Information. Retrieved 2018-06-02.
  8. ^ Rosales, Christina. "Dallas-based El Fenix restaurants celebrate 93 years of Tex-Mex tradition." The Dallas Morning News. September 20, 2011. Updated September 21, 2011. Retrieved on September 21, 2014.
  9. ^ Meraji, Marisol Shereen. "Pizza Chain That Markets To Mexicans Says New Promotion Isn't Profane" (Archive). National Public Radio. March 15, 2014. Retrieved on September 22, 2014.
  10. ^ "Selena Gomez Wants to Learn Spanish and Is Proud of Her Mexican Heritage 'Now More Than Ever'". People. 2018-02-08. Retrieved 2019-02-09.
  11. ^ Ortega, Courtney (2018-01-08). "Selena Gomez makes surprise visit to childhood home in Grand Prairie". Star Telegram. Retrieved 2019-02-09.
  12. ^ Philpot, Robert (2018-10-12). "Selena Gomez's Fort Worth house finally sold — during a tough week for the singer". Star Telegram. Retrieved 2019-02-09.
  13. ^ Caramanica, Jon (July 15, 2009). "Tween Princess, Tweaked". The New York Times. Retrieved November 4, 2009.

Further reading

[edit]
  • Cuellar, Carlos Eliseo. "Stories from the barrios: A history of Mexican Fort Worth" (PhD dissertation, Texas Christian University; ProQuest Dissertations Publishing,  1998. 9832809).
[edit]