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Headline

Idle Mexicans in Los Angeles Offer Problem

Relief Officials Trying to Persuade Them To Return Home
Publication Date
Sunday, April 22, 1934
Historical Event
“Repatriation” of Mexican Americans and Mexican nationals continues
This database includes 249 articles about this event
Tags
Gannett full page downloadable
Racism and Antisemitism in America
Article Type
News Article
Newspaper
The Asheville Citizen/The Asheville Citizen-Times
Location
Asheville, North Carolina
Page Section and Number
C4
Author/Byline
AP
Article Text
LOS ANGELES, April 21. (AP)—How to convince 45,000 indigent Mexican citizens that they should give up the fat prospect of free food and no work here and return to an uncertain existence in their native land is giving Los Angeles county charity officials something to worry about.

On its face, the problem is simple: All the charity authorities have to do is to persuade an indigent person to make a nice train journey to his home with all expenses paid by Los Angeles county and to accept 90 pesos from the county on arrival at his destination.

Catch To Solution
But there's a kink in it, says Rex Thomson, assistant superintendent of charities in charge of repatriation work, that appeals to the practical minded Mexican citizen in a different manner.

"When the civil works administration was instituted," Thomson said today, "the government ruled no aliens could be given work on government financed projects. That let the indigent Mexican out. And yet we have to support him on county funds at a cost of about $30 per month for each family of five."

Hence it is difficult, Thomson said, to get wholesale results in Los Angeles, where the Mexican population is larger than in all except the four biggest cities in the southern republic.

The average indigent Mexican, whose family generally numbers five or more, is hesitant about going home. He dwells on the greatness of the United States and its president and the charitable principle that all shall be fed. He thinks maybe if he went back to Mexico he wouldn't eat at all unless he worked hard, Thompson said.

13,000 Return Home
In spite of the many obstacles they have encountered, however, county charities department workers have convinced 13,000 Mexicans that they should return to their native land.

These 13,000 Mexicans represent 2,600 cases on the welfare rolls. On the basis of $30 per month her case, they were costing the county $78,000 month.

The alien Mexicans are not in this country illegally, Thomson pointed out. Most of them came across the border when it was "wide open," as labor crews recruited by the railroads or for industrial and agricultural enterprises.

The depression put these aliens out of their jobs and they could not be deported except for conviction of a felony.

Mexico Cooperates
Thomson sad[sic] the Mexican government has cooperated in the repatriation movement to the utmost of Its ability.

"Mexico is happy to have its citizens return," he said. "As one government official explained to me recently:

"These people come back to their native country with a 'college education' in industry and agriculture. They make valuable citizens as they spread the knowledge they have gained in America among others. We are glad to have them back."

Los Angeles, in 1931, had a Mexican population of 205,000. This has now dwindled to slightly more than 100,000, but Los Angeles still has the largest Mexican population of any city outside Mexico, D. F., Puebla, Guadalajara, and Monterey, Mexico.
History Unfolded Contributor
Charlene Y.
Location of Research
Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com)

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