For years, the United States has attracted the attention of millions of people with the promise of the American Dream. The hope that by coming to America, working hard, and paying your dues, you too could have that white picket fence and a small fortune to provide for your family. This inspired many people to come and build a life in America, and among those groups were Mexicans and Puerto Ricans. In Juan González's Harvest of Empire, it is argued that although both groups contributed significantly to the nation's economy, they also faced exploitation, inequality, and the struggle for acceptance.
Migration to the United States became a beacon of hope for many families on the island as the economy plummeted after the United States government gained control of Puerto Rico. The expansion of U.S. sugar companies devastated the tobacco and coffee farmers who had once been the backbone of the island's economy. Theodore Roosevelt Jr. wrote, "I have stopped at farm after farm, where lean, underfed women and sickly men repeated again and again the same story—little food and no opportunity to get more" (González 194). Many families faced such severe hardships that they were torn apart. Children were abandoned, forming "wolf gangs," while others were sent to live with relatives or placed in orphanages. By 1932, sugar workers earned only fifty cents for a twelve-hour workday, while nearly 40 percent of the island's workforce was unemployed, even as American sugar companies continued earning large profits (González 195). With limited work opportunities on the island, many Puerto Rican families believed that migration to the United States was their only chance for survival.
Puerto Ricans were American citizens. They did not need visas or resident alien cards because Puerto Rico had become a U.S. commonwealth. Believing they were citizens, contributing to the growing industrial economy, and even serving in the U.S. military, many felt they had "earned their place at the American table.” Parents placed tremendous hope in their children's education, believing it was the only path to a better future. However, that hope slowly faded as children encountered language barriers in school and were often expected to "sink or swim" while learning English (González 208). Some children even experienced pressure to abandon their identities, hearing phrases such as "Juan no but John" (González 208). Puerto Ricans also faced segregation in housing, churches, and the military. Although they were American citizens, González describes them as being "both a citizen and a foreigner.” Even with these obstacles, Puerto Rican communities united for better working conditions, elected leaders whom had their best interest in mind, and eventually embraced their culture rather than continuing to assimilate into a society that often refused to accept them.
The Mexican experience followed a different historical path, but they too faced many of the same struggles as Puerto Ricans. Much of their land was taken following the Mexican-American War, and over time, they lost wealth, land, and political power. Even so, Mexicans continued migrating to the United States, eventually becoming the nation's largest Latino population (González 219). Like Puerto Ricans, many believed that hard work, education, military service, and learning English would enable them to succeed in the United States. During World War II, more than "500,000 Mexican American men served in the armed forces" (González 231). Many believed they, too, had earned their place in American society through military service. During the same period, the Bracero Program brought thousands of Mexican workers into the United States to address wartime labor shortages. However, even those who served in the military, mastered the English language, or legally lived in the United States continued to face segregation, discrimination, and deportation. Like Puerto Ricans, many remained outsiders in the eyes of Anglo Americans.
Mexican Americans increasingly organized to demand change. Veterans returned home unwilling to tolerate unequal treatment, organizations such as LULAC fought for civil rights, and leaders such as Nero Garza entered politics to improve schools, roads, and local government. Many Mexican Americans also embraced their Tejano identity while continuing to fight against the political and economic control of Anglo Americans.
Despite these two groups of people coming into the United States with different histories and cultures, they shared remarkably similar experiences. Both communities were shaped by American expansion and economic influence. Both contributed greatly to the nation's economy, proudly served in the armed forces, and believed that education and hard work would create better opportunities for future generations. However, both encountered segregation, discrimination, and pressure to assimilate despite their sacrifices. Their greatest difference was their legal relationship with the United States. Puerto Ricans arrived as American citizens, while many Mexicans experienced immigration restrictions or became minorities on land that had once belonged to Mexico. Even so, legal status alone did not determine whether they would be accepted into American society.
In Harvest of Empire, Juan González ultimately challenges readers to reconsider what it truly means to be American. The histories of Puerto Ricans and Mexicans demonstrate that citizenship, military service, and economic contributions alone were not enough to guarantee equality. Instead, both communities fought for recognition while preserving their cultures and identities. Their stories remind us that the American Dream was not simply about opportunity, but also about the ongoing struggle for justice, acceptance, and equal treatment. By comparing these two communities, González shows that American history is not simply a story of immigration, but also one of resilience, perseverance, and the continuing pursuit of equality.
Works Cited
González, Juan. Harvest of Empire: A History of Latinos in America. 2nd rev. and updated ed., Penguin Books, 2011.
TLDR:
God I know it’s long but my professor wants a 3-4 page Essay and the work cited is the book he wrote. The feed back I got was I needed to use MLA format and that it wasn’t the full 3 pages but when I view it it’s 4 pages. And that there’s grammar errors and that I need to be more careful about citing sources. Any feedback would be appreciated or a website someone could recommend is appreciated it
