A Very American History of Mexican Lynchings

I have run across an article that largely supports my suspicions published in Tex[t]-Mex regarding those "bloodstains" of nations in conflict: stereotypes. I can't exactly call it pleasant Sunday morning reading, but it is bracing and telling in our age of the Mexican pogrom in America. Here's a taste (read the whole thing by clicking the "sigh" below):


Here's the official citation abstract for the piece by William Carrigan and Clive Webb:

Carrigan, William D. & Webb, Clive, (1970-) "The Lynching of Persons of Mexican Origin or Descent in the United States, 1848 to 1928" | Journal of Social History (37: 2) Winter 2003, pp. 411-438

Abstract

The lynching of persons of Mexican origin or descent has been largely overlooked by historians of American mob violence. This essay offers the first attempt to construct a systematic set of data on the subject. The authors contend that between 1848 and 1928, mobs lynched at least 597 Mexicans. Traditional interpretations of western violence cannot account for this phenomenon. The actual causes of mob violence against Mexicans were several-fold: race and the legacy of Anglo American expansion, economic competition, and diplomatic tensions between Mexico and the United States. Throughout this era, Mexicans formulated numerous means of resistance against Anglo mobs. These included armed self-defense, public protest, the establishment of mutual defense organizations, and appeals for aid to the Mexican government. The central aim of this essay is to broaden the scholarly discourse on lynching by moving beyond the traditional limitations of the black/white paradigm. Placing the experience of Mexicans into the history of lynching expands our understanding of the causes of mob violence and the ways in which individuals and groups sought to resist lynching and vigilantism. The essay is based on numerous archival sources in both Spanish and English. These include diaries, letters, memoirs, folk culture, newspapers, government documents, and diplomatic correspondence.

More statistics opposite and here.

Subject Headings:
Lynching -- United States -- History.
Mexican Americans -- Violence against -- History.
United States -- Race relations -- History.

Sigh--I came across this article in Refugee Watch #22, online, available by clicking the journal cover image above.



also: a headsup to lefty Radical Profs y Graduate Students!