bers of illegals coming to America. Although this measure did not pass, it adequately represented the attitude of Americans toward Mexican immigration because of the conception that immigrants are stealing from them and lowering wages.Nothing shows how severe anti-immigration sentiment was, quite like “Operation Wetback”. It was a plan to use military personnel and equipment to round up wetbacks and send them back into Mexico. “Operation Wetback set up raids in military fashion with intelligence units and task forces, and air squadrons. “Operation Wetback” took place in California, Arizona, and Texas and according to INS statistics some 1,300,000 illegals were either deported or influenced into leaving America (Garcia 228). “Operation Wetback” was strongly advocated by the American people despite its harshness. Mexico tried to persuade the United States to have some of the illegals contracted as Braceros but the U.S. refused due to the fact that there was enough local labor already.Like many other trends in history, immigration policy seems to follow a sine curve in that it fluctuates up and down repeatedly. As was seen by many examples, immigration policy is directly related to the economics and the well being of the American people. As was seen in the 1920’s when Mexicans were welcomed and then during the Great Depression in the 1930’s they were rejected, blamed, and sent back to Mexico. The cycle begins again with the outbreak of World War II in the Forties where the U.S. bargained with Mexico personally to allow massive amounts of Mexicans to work due to labor shortage. After the war, when there was no longer a shortage in labor, the Mexicans were again shipped back. This type of exploitation of a people has shades of imperialism which was the direct opposite of the principles this country was founded on. ...
