Mexican Migration to the United States Evolved

Peter Ayala, “Inaugural Mass for Our Lady of Guadalupe Church” (Photographic print, b&w, Indiana–Lake County–East Chicago, 1940), Peter Ayala Family Collection. Source: Indiana Historical Society.

Mexican Migration to the United States Evolved

In the late 1930s and 1940s, Mexican migration to the United States evolved significantly, with a growing Mexican-American middle class emerging amidst economic hardships and a resurgence of transnational Catholic activism. As the Cristero War ended, many Mexican migrants became American citizens and focused on US issues rather than homeland politics. Mexican Americans actively participated in labor movements, advocating for civil rights and even fighting in World War II. During the Great Depression (1929-1939), many Mexican migrants lost their jobs or businesses. Some were forcibly removed, and others chose to repatriate. Those who stayed in Chicago faced struggles for power with Mexican traditionalists, who were supported by the archdiocese.[1] The late 1930s and 1940s saw a shift in Mexican migration to the US. Despite the challenges of the Great Depression and Repatriation campaigns, a significant middle-class Mexican-American community emerged. Catholic activists within the Cristero Diaspora formed organizations such as the Unión Nacionalista Mexicana or Mexican Nationalist Union. They promoted religious processions in Southern California, Chicago, and other parts of the US. Additionally, there was extensive family involvement in transnational Catholic activism, the rise of Sinarquismo, and the construction of the Christ the King monument. Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, Mexican emigrants continued to express their Catholic identity as the Mexican diaspora responded to the Second Cristiada.[2]  

The photograph “Inaugural Mass for Our Lady of Guadalupe Church” in 1940 carries deep significance as it portrays a pivotal moment in Mexican immigrants’ cultural and religious life and the Mexican-American community within the United States.[3] This event underscores their unwavering commitment to preserving and celebrating their heritage, mainly through the veneration of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a central figure in Mexican Catholicism, revered for her apparition to Juan Diego in 1531.[4]

The photograph captures a memorable moment at the “Inaugural Mass for Our Lady of Guadalupe Church” in 1940, located at 3510 Deodar Street in East Chicago, Indiana. It features Enrique “Henry” Garcia, holding the Mexican flag, and Napolean, holding the American flag. These photographs beautifully illustrate the significance of family and community events in Peter Ayala’s life in Indiana Harbor.
The photograph captures a memorable moment at the “Inaugural Mass for Our Lady of Guadalupe Church” in 1940, located at 3510 Deodar Street in East Chicago, Indiana. It features Enrique “Henry” Garcia, holding the Mexican flag, and Napolean, holding the American flag. These photographs beautifully illustrate the significance of family and community events in Peter Ayala’s life in Indiana Harbor. Peter Ayala, “Inaugural Mass for Our Lady of Guadalupe Church” (Photographic print, b&w, Indiana–Lake County–East Chicago, 1940), Peter Ayala Family Collection. Source: Indiana Historical Society.

During the 1940s, a period marked by the Second Cristero War (1932-1941), many Mexicans and Mexican-Americans faced challenges and upheavals, including exile and migration to the United States. Against the backdrop of World War II and shifting social dynamics, this image symbolizes their resilience and determination to maintain their cultural and religious identity in a new environment.[5]

Church Our Lady of Guadalupe, East Chicago Indiana in 1928
Irene Osorio, “Church Our Lady of Guadalupe, East Chicago Indiana in 1928” (Photographic print, b&w, Indiana–Lake County–East Chicago, 1928), Irene Osorio Family Collection. Source: Indiana Historical Society.

The “Inaugural Mass” depicted in the photograph signifies more than a religious ceremony; it serves as a cornerstone of community cohesion and cultural continuity. Such gatherings provided spiritual solace and fostered a sense of belonging and solidarity among Mexican immigrants and Mexican-Americans, reinforcing their cultural roots amidst the pressures of assimilation and external conflicts.

The visual details of the photograph, capturing the attire, expressions, and setting of the “Mass,” offer a window into the atmosphere and ethos of the time. The attire likely reflects a blend of traditional Mexican and contemporary American styles, showcasing the adaptation and preservation of cultural heritage in a new context.

 “Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, 3520-26 Deodar Street, Indiana Harbor (East Chicago)”
Lydia L. Castillo, “Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, 3520-26 Deodar Street, Indiana Harbor (East Chicago)” (Photographic print, b&w, Indiana–Lake County–East Chicago, 1970s 1928), IN Castillo’s Realty Collection, ca. 1928-1970, Box 1, Folder 16. Source: Indiana Historical Society.

In essence, “Inaugural Mass for Our Lady of Guadalupe Church” stands as a testament to the enduring significance of faith, community, and cultural pride among Mexican immigrants and Mexican-Americans during a challenging historical period. It underscores their efforts to assert their presence and identity while navigating the complexities of wartime America and the evolving social landscape.

Mexican Church supporters crossed into Southern California during the Depression (1929-1939). In December 1934, forty thousand people gathered in Los Angeles for religious processions honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe as a protest against the Mexican government. Protesters held signs reading “atheism reigns in Mexico and Moscow” and made speeches with cries of “¡Viva Cristo Rey!” The events alarmed the Mexican Consul, who discouraged citizens from participating. A week later, in San Bernardino, the Consul attempted to dissuade Mexican citizens from participating in religious processions but was unsuccessful.[6]

El Amigo del Hogar was a Spanish-language newspaper published in 1925 by members of the Catholic organization El Círculo de Obreros Católicos “San José” in Indiana Harbor, along the southern shores of Lake Michigan. It encouraged Mexicans to donate to the local Catholic Church-building fund. It focused on the moral and spiritual enhancement of the Mexican community. It was discontinued in the early 1930s after being the most popular Spanish-language South Chicago newspaper. Despite this, El Amigo continued to write about the events in Mexico, particularly after the Cristero War began.[7]

 

From 1930 to 1937, some El Círculo de Obreros Católicos leaders were repatriated to Mexico. However, most working-class members were able to remain in Indiana. In East Chicago, Mexicans faced intimidation and trickery to force them to return to Mexico. However, some members of Círculo and Sociedad Mutualista stayed in the US.[8] Elidia Barroso and thousands of Mexican immigrants in Los Angeles, Texas, Chicago, and other parts of the US maintained their faith and eagerly sought a bond with Catholic parishioners.[9]  The Archdiocese of Chicago established two Mexican parishes in the 1920s, influencing many institutions to welcome immigrants into the community. Our Lady of Guadalupe in South Chicago and St. Francis of Assisi in the Near West Side became long-lasting centers of Mexican religious, cultural, and community identities for immigrants and succeeding generations. St. Francis evolved into Chicago’s ‘Mexican cathedral.’[10] 

"Procession of Blessed Sacrament to New Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Chicago, Illinois, September 23, 1928."
Claretian Missionaries Archives, “Procession of Blessed Sacrament to New Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Chicago, Illinois, September 23, 1928.” Source: Claretian Missionaries Digital Archive, Claretian Missionaries Archives USA-Canada.

The image titled “Procession of the Blessed Sacrament to New Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Chicago, Illinois. September 23, 1928” offers a compelling glimpse into the vibrant history of the Mexican-American community in Chicago nearly a century ago.[11]

During the early twentieth century, Chicago experienced a significant influx of Mexican immigrants, driven primarily by the upheavals of the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920) and later the Cristero War (1926-1929 and 1932-1941). These Mexican migrants brought rich religious and cultural traditions, seeking economic opportunity and refuge in the United States. Chicago, emerging as a pivotal urban center, became a focal point for Mexican immigrants, who sought to establish roots and preserve their cultural identity amid new surroundings.[12]

The Catholic Church played an integral role in these immigrants’ lives, providing spiritual guidance and crucial social and community services. Institutions like Our Lady of Guadalupe Church served as cultural anchors, offering a familiar place of worship and community gathering. The procession depicted in the photograph, commemorating the Blessed Sacrament’s journey to the new Church, symbolizes the community’s deep religious devotion and collective celebration of faith.[13]

These communal events, including religious processions and visits from significant religious figures, held profound importance in fostering a sense of solidarity and continuity among Mexican-Americans in Chicago. They provided opportunities for cultural expression, social cohesion, and preserving cherished traditions amidst the challenges of adapting to a new country.[14]

Photographs such as these document historical milestones and reflect Mexican immigrants’ resilience and determination to maintain their heritage while embracing their new lives in the United States. They serve as poignant reminders of the enduring legacy of faith, community, and cultural pride that continues to shape Mexican-American identities in Chicago today.[15]

[1] Kanter, Chicago Católico, 30; Flores, The Mexican Revolution in Chicago, 34:17; Durand and Arias, La Vida en el Norte, 149–74. Traditionalist were people from the rural Bajío region of Mexico from Guanajuato, Jalisco, Michoacán, and Querétaro, see Flores, 30.

[2] Young, Mexican Exodus, 153–54; Balderrama, Francisco E., “Revolution Mexican Nationalism and the Mexican Community in Los Angeles during the Great Depression,” 117–34; Alanís Enciso, They Should Stay There, 1–10; Ngai, Impossible Subjects, 127–66; Monroy, Rebirth, 209–32.

[3] Peter Ayala, “Inaugural Mass for Our Lady of Guadalupe Church” (Photographic print, b&w, Indiana–Lake County–East Chicago, 1940), Peter Ayala Family Collection, Indiana Historical Society, https://images.indianahistory.org/digital/collection/p16797coll38/id/172/.

[4] Young, Mexican Exodus, 18; Brading, Mexican Phoenix.

[5] Fallaw, Religion and State Formation in Postrevolutionary Mexico; Fallaw, “Religion and Revolution, Mexico”; Jean Meyer, La Cristiada: los cristeros, trans. Aurelio Garzón del Camino, Kindle, vol. 3, 3 vols. (Mexico: Siglo XXI de España Editores, S.A., 2022); Kloppe-Santamaría, In the Vortex of Violence; Young, Mexican Exodus.

[6] Young, Mexican Exodus, 143; Francisco E. Balderrama, In Defense of La Raza: The Los Angeles Mexican Consulate and the Mexican Community, 1929 to 1936 (University of Arizona Press, 1982), 78–87; Jay P. Dolan and Gilberto Miguel Hinojosa, eds., Mexican Americans and the Catholic Church, 1900-1965, vol. 1, 1., The Notre Dame History of Hispanic Catholics in the U.S. (Notre Dame, Ind: University of Notre Dame Press, 1994), 186.

[7] Young, Mexican Exodus, 66; Durand and Arias, La Vida en el Norte, 161–74.

[8] Young, Mexican Exodus, 66; Innis-Jiménez, Michael, Steel Barrio, 10:145–46; Balderrama, Decade of Betrayal; Flores, The Mexican Revolution in Chicago, 34:61–62; Adam Goodman, The Deportation Machine: America’s Long History of Expelling Immigrants, Politics and Society in Modern America (Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2020).

[9] Matovina, Guadalupe and Her Faithful; David A. Badillo, Latinos and the New Immigrant Church (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2006); Monica Perales, Smeltertown: Making and Remembering a Southwest Border Community (Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 2010); Treviño, Church in the Barrio; Young, Mexican Exodus.

[10] Deborah E. Kanter, “Paths to Chicago: Early Mexican Immigration and Catholicism, 1920–1939,” in Chicago Católico, Making Catholic Parishes Mexican (University of Illinois Press, 2020), 30, https://doi.org/10.5406/j.ctvwh8dm8.5.

[11] Young, Mexican Exodus; Kanter, Chicago Católico.

[12] Young, Mexican Exodus; Kanter, Chicago Católico; Flores, The Mexican Revolution in Chicago; Innis-Jiménez, Michael, Steel Barrio.

[13] Young, Mexican Exodus; Kanter, Chicago Católico; Flores, The Mexican Revolution in Chicago; Innis-Jiménez, Michael, Steel Barrio.

[14] Young, Mexican Exodus; Kanter, Chicago Católico; Flores, The Mexican Revolution in Chicago; Innis-Jiménez, Michael, Steel Barrio.

[15] Young, Mexican Exodus; Kanter, Chicago Católico; Flores, The Mexican Revolution in Chicago; Innis-Jiménez, Michael, Steel Barrio.

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