Border Dilemmas : Racial and National Uncertainties in New Mexico, 1848–1912

A historical analysis of the conflicting ideas about race and national belonging held by Mexicans and Euro-Americans in southern New Mexico during the late nineteenth century and early twentieth. The U.S.-Mexican War officially ended in 1848 with the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which called for Mexico to surrender more than one-third of its land. The treaty offered Mexicans living in the conquered territory a choice between staying there or returning to Mexico by moving south of the newly drawn borderline. In this fascinating history, Anthony Mora analyzes contrasting responses to the treaty's provisions. The town of Las Cruces was built north of the border by Mexicans who decided to take their chances in the United States. La Mesilla was established just south of the border by men and women who did not want to live in a country that had waged war against the Mexican republic; nevertheless, it was incorporated into the United States in 1854, when the border was redrawn once again. Mora traces the trajectory of each town from its founding until New Mexico became a U.S. state in 1912. La Mesilla thrived initially, but then fell into decay and was surpassed by Las Cruces as a pro-U.S. regional discourse developed. Border Dilemmas explains how two towns, less than five miles apart, were deeply divided by conflicting ideas about the relations between race and nation, and how these ideas continue to inform discussion about what it means to “be Mexican” in the United States. Preoccupied America : Competing Ideas About Race And Nation In The United States And Mexico, 1821-1851 -- Yankilandia And Prairie-dog Villages : Making Sense Of Race And Nation At The Local Level, 1850-1875 -- Enemigos De La Iglesia Católica Y Por Consiguiente De Los Ciudadanos Mexicanos : Race, Nation, And The Meaning Of Sacred Place -- Las Mujeres Americanas Están En Todo? : Gender, Race, And Regeneration, 1848-1912 -- It Must Never Be Forgotten This Is New And Not Old Mexico : Local Space In Euro-american Knowledge And Practice, 1880-1912 -- New Mexico For New Mexicans! : Race And The Redefinition Of Regional Identity For Mexicans, 1880-1912. Anthony Mora. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.