us gained 900,000 square miles of land after the mexican american war.
how much land did the us gain after the mexican american war?
900,000 square miles
Na
Na
the houchen settlement house was founded in 1912 in segundo barrio in el paso, texas. el paso was the chosen site to place a settlement house for mexican immigrants because of its border location and risks linked with it. poverty, education and high infant mortality were concerns houchen staff had to contend with on a daily basis. with the mexican revolution creating uncertainty in the eyes of many mexican citizens, el paso was the rational move for many. known as the ellis island for mexican immigrants, segundo barrio’s mexican american populous exploded in the early twentieth century. in 1900, el paso’s mexican community numbered only 8,748 residents, but by 1930 this population had swelled to 68,476. mexican immigration into the u.s. is a common occurrence. many mexican americans ancestors could potentially have a history in this specific location, making it ideal for the houchen house. methodist missionaries opened the houchen settlement as a community driven establishment that wanted to improve the lives of segundo barrio’s citizens. they attempted to gain the trust of residents by serving the surrounding community by providing public health care, combating poverty and opening a day school for children. houchen had “two initial goals: (1) provide a roominghouse for single mexicana wage earners and (2) open a kindergarten for area children. houchen’s staff was geared toward assimilating mexican american immigrants into mainstream american society. as the missionary was geographically placed on the border land of mexico and the united states, methodist staff embraced the idea of the melting pot. dorothy little, a methodist missionary that served houchen house states, “houchen settlement stands as a sentinel of friendship… between the people of america and the people of mexico. we assimilate the best of their culture, their art, their ideals and they in turn gladly accept the best america has to offer as they… become one with us. for right here in our four walls is begun much of the “melting” process of our “melting pot." due to their religious and assimilation programs, many claim the houchen house attempted to convert mexican women and children to methodism. missionaries thought little of catholicism and structured their curricula around christian americanization. this agenda was aimed toward the mexican american youth and women who attended houchen’s medical and educational services. “while these programs did not regard immigrants as permanently alien to american society, they did look on their languages, religions, and cultural practices as foreign. anglo missionaries faced challenges throughout their work during the early years by trying to attract mexican american’s to their programs and gain the trust of the segundo barrio populace. “they met resistance from community members not because of what they offered or stood for with relation to education and social change, but because of their association with protestantism. even though houchen provided exceptional medical care and children’s activities, mexican american women utilized the house’s services without losing sight of their mexican heritage. although, many mothers were reluctant to allow their children to attend houchen programs, or even play on the houchen public playground. “thus, while the settlement’s playground and programs were tempting, particularly to children, many mothers refused to allow their children to participate because of their association with protestantism. most notable was how houchen evolved into a trusted community center by the mexican american women who attended the house as children. some mexican american women became nurses working for the freeman clinic and newark maternity hospital, while others became day teachers to the community’s adolescents. while working within the houchen establishments, these key women adopted new practices that led to a more trusting institution for the better of their community.
houchen settlement house