(Spectrum News) - LOS ANGELES — During the Great Depression, around a million people of Mexican descent, many of which were U.S. Citizens, were coerced into going to Mexico with the pretense of opening up jobs for other Americans.
This is because, as the country financially struggled, people blamed Mexican migrants and other foreigners for taking jobs needed by U.S. citizens. As a result, immigration raids and deportation threats sowed fear into these communities.
At the same time, many cities across the country began their own versions of “repatriation” programs, buying the train tickets for families to move to Mexico.
Many of the U.S. citizens who looked forced to leave eventually made it back home to the states, but found it hard to re-adjust and left a lasting impact on their families’ generational wealth.
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