Acuna Chapter Summaries

1. The author, Acuna, begins the chapter with the Treaty of Hidalgo and then goes on with illustration of a diagram the shows Political Control, Resistance, Socialization, and Conquest surrounding Economics. Modern Sonara-Arizona was formed by miners that are from New Spain that rushed over there for bonanzas. With new people entering Sonara came new diseases that killed off most of the natives. Senora had most water resources than any other Northern Mexico state. Before the U.S obtained Sonora most indigenous people did not see themselves are Mexicans or Senorenses. Even though indigenous population outnumbered the non-natives, they were racial tensions in Senora, the people that were not mix considered themselves elite to the ones that were. Slavery was not new to Sonara, they inherited this practice from the Romans. Furthermore, the chapter talked about Mexican labor struggles through equality to the copper mines and agriculture in Arizona.

2. Solicitation causes culture mixing, a dominant culture, coloniality, and racial tension. Economics causes the believe that the less one owns that more at the bottom they are, agriculture (slaves/workers), trade riots, ports, and railroads. Political Control causes the control of a race, fear, primarily white government, and …show more content…
When Acuna states “Among the Mexican elites the question of race was complex.”Poor whites generalized racism, whereas elite white were more selective in their prejudices, depending on their requirement for marital relations, defense, and/or business contacts” (Acuna, pg 116). Many Mexican elites permitted racism to run wild since they considered themselves superior to poor whites and the darker-skinned Mexicans. Many of the Mexicans returning from California realize the wealth in mining and providing services such as a mercantile business and freighting business. The elite Mexican allied with elite Whites in which they profitable from government contracts and promoting Mexican labor for low