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UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Los Angeles Michoacanos in Los Angeles: U.S.-Mexican Tra¡snational Cultue 1920-19'70 A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction ofthe requirements for the deg¡ee Doctor ofPhilosophy in History by Alvaro Ochoa-Serrano r998 The dissertation ofAlvarc Ochoa-Sernno is approved w-J t4..- tt',,-.' l'". W"PL.- James W. Wilkie, Committee Chair University of Califomia, Los Angeles 1998 This disse¡tation is a t¡ibute to mig¡ants who retwned to their homelands, and to those who long to retum. I also dedicate this wo¡k to Geqoveva and Jesus Covam.rbias, lsaac Gallegos, Jesús Negrete, Anita SeÍano, María and Salvador Se¡rano, Salvado¡ Sotelo, and María Vázquez. TABLE OF CONTENTS I .- SETTING TIIE STAGE I¡s A¡Acles a¡ú Califomi¿ ^ lvfichoacin. 2.- THE DYNAMICS OF WEST MEJ(ICO MIGRATION................._ . ............. 32 ^ Society in com¡lsion Mct¡oaqán in transition Natio¡nl rmity a¡d De\dopqsú in St ttfdy ^ 3.- MICHOACA¡¡ PEASANTS Al.¡D LrOS 4NGELESWORKERS...................... 59 4.- HOUSINq CI-OTHING, ANDFOOD.......... .................................... 75 ^ Home a¡d ho¡se Cbth and t¡iloú8- Mcloacfu a the table ^ 5.- LEISURE ACTMTIES AND SYMBOLS.... ...........,,... 87 Rec¡ca¡ioq a¡rd cdú,raio¡r MarirclF tadition as ar i¡rlrdity 6.- CONCLUSION.... ......,,.......,... 105 APPENDICES......... ..........,........ 107 Clo€s¿ry BIBLIOCRAPTIY..... 0 LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES Map oflos Angeles Area............................ .. .. .. ...........-...24 Map ofMichoacán.... ........................25 Map of La Ciénega de Chapala and Bajio zamorano............................-................ 26 Map ofthe Purépecha Region......... ............. -......................27 Map ofRailroads, Highways and Roads. 1940...............................................28 Map ofMigration localiries to the Udted States. 1920-1930..............................68 Table l. Localities and Population. Mchoac¿n 1950. ........ .... .. .......................29 T¿ble 2. Mchoacá¡ Mgrants. Age R¡nges 1929-1930, 19,14, 1955......................... 69 Table 3 Michoacán Mgration f¡ecuency 1945 and 1955.........................................70 Table 4 Michoacanos in Ios Angeles 1928-1929.................................................... 7l ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I auly thank Professors Janes W. Wilkie, Juan Gómez Quiñones, Steven Loza a¡d Jose Moya, members of my committee, for their enthusiasm which is reflected in this disse¡tation, Professo¡ Luis Gorizález y Gonález for his inspirational efforts to wite on familia¡ people from Michoacán, and P¡ofessor Bcnedict Wa¡ren and his great wife Patricia for their initial and wothy assista¡ce and TLC. I acknowledge my appreciation for the migra.nts who shared their experiences during interviews and in info¡mal chas. I am in vital debt to lrene Vasquez and Lisa Scheffer who made this work readable in English. I acknowledge El Colegio de Michoacáo, pa¡ticularly Center for Traditional Studies, and tho l¡stitute of American Cultures and the Chicanos Studies Resea¡ch Center for üeir grants suppofl. ln addition I am grateñ¡t for the family atmosphere I enjoyed among Cindy and Daniel Chemow, Ma¡ia Elena Hernández, Agripina and Even Monis-Vasquez, Ediü and Ma¡k Ramos-Nishita, Doña Lisa Scheffer, Hedb€rto and Lucla Serr¿no. Last but trot leal I am thankfi¡l for the eno¡mous family support I rec¿ived from Irene Santiago and our children Erandi, Tani4 Gandhi, and Irenita, including grandson José Emiliano. VITA May l, 1948 Bom, Jiquilpan, Michoacán, México. 19'78 8.A., History Escuela Nomal Superio¡ de México México, Dist¡ito Fedenl 1988 M.A., Hisrory Universidad lberoame¡icana México, Distrito Federal 1988 Professor Center of Tradition Studies El Colegio de Michoacan 1995-97 Field Work, Mexico ¿nd United Srates, under El Colegio de Michoacan and Institute ofAmerican Cultures PUBLICATIONS Ochoa Setano, A. 1978. Jiquilpan. Mwagafras Mruúcipales. Gobiemo del Estado de Michoacán. 1985. Ins Insurgentes de Mezcala. El Colegio de Michoacán- Gobiemo dsl Estado. 7989.Los Agraristas de Atacheo. El Colegio de Michoacán. l99O- La Violencia en Michoacán. Ahí iene Chá¡vez Go¡cía. lrt$inÍo Michoacano de Cultura. and Uribe Salas, A.l99O. Emigrqntes del Oesf¿. México: Consejo Nacional para la Cultua Y las Afies _, Goldsmit, s. and de Garay, G.1993. Contento y Descontento en Jalisco, Michoacán y Morelos I906-19II México: Universidad Tberoamericana. 1994, M¡tote, Fandango y Mariachelo,'. El Colegio de Michoac¡ín, 1995. Repertorío Michoacano 1889-1926,81 Colegio de Michoac¿ín. 1997. Afrodescendientes (Sobre Piel Canela), El Colegio de Michoac¡án. ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION Michoacanos in Los Angeles: U.S.- Meúc¿n Transnational Culture, t920-t970 by Alvaro Ochoa Senano Doctor of Philosophy in History University ofCalifornia, Los Angeles, 1998 P¡ofesso¡ James W. Wilkie, Chai¡ This study focuses on a cultu¡al and historical inquiry into housing, clothing, food, leisue activities, and symbols as well as how these cultr.lral traditions developed reciprocally in Los Angeles and in Michoacá¡. The majority of western Mexican migmtion to southern Califomia was from Michoacán. In the disse¡tation I examine migration dynamics and aspects ofdaily life in Mexican and Chicano families, and thei¡ old and new ways ofliving. Exploring cultural change among migñrnts over lime involves studying popular traditions, migratory circuits, golondrinos or seasonal mig¡ants, Michoacán food, "Mexicana alegria" and oüer culh¡ral manifestatio¡ls üthin Michoacán migration flows. Rancheros o¡ Criollo farmers, Indigenous and Mestizo peasants rep¡esent the wide variation within the Mexican population. Michoacán cultu¡e is just as socially, eürrically, nationally, multicuhurally diverse. However the migration process tended to homogenize this diversity in the United States. The methodological approaches include a¡chival resea¡ch coupled with oral interviews and some demographic analysis. Individual-community relations were studied within one specific 1920-1970 period. Considering that cultu¡e has been a relevanl factor in migration, this work illustrates the pmcess of how Michoacanos shaped culture and identity and how it is replenished through constant interchange in Michoacán and Los Angeles. INTRODUCTION Purépecha is an indigenous ivord in Michoácán and it means both thosc who visit and thosc ryho conqucr a place to li\€. This study traces migrants to fi¡d out how and to what extent their native culture plays a ¡ole in the migration process. Speciñcally I have conducted research on lhe movem€nt of people and cultu¡e between Michoacán and Califomia duri¡g the period 1920 a¡d 1970. Demog¡aphig sociological and anthropological studies of migration have been conducted in Mexico as well as in the U.S. I propose to study Michoacá¡ migrants in Los Angeles, concentrating on topics such as housing, clothing, food, leisure actiüties, signs and symbols. These elements represent the mig¡ants' immediate living considerations. In exploring manifestations ofcultural change involving migrants ove¡ time, I focus on such concepts as traditioq migr¿tory circuits, golondrinos (seasonal migrants), Michoacán food, '.It4exicana alegría" and other cultural manifestations of this migrad flow. I relate thes€ concepts to gerider, geographical origin and labor pattems. The data I have selected traces and explains the signific¿nce ofdaily life ard the s),nbols that migrants sha¡ed in Los Angeles and Mexico ñom 1920 to 1970. This period was chosen because the author considers these years hsve comprised a significant histo¡ical term in Mexican migration. Postrevolutionary actions in Mexico sinc€ 1920, includirg the Cristero revolt and the agrarian refo.m, involved peasa¡t participation and induced migration to the U.S. 'the year 1942 ma¡ks the begir¡ning of the Bracero Program, which ended in 1964, and which resulted in an increased flow of Michoacano migration to U.S. This program, agreed to by the United States and Mexican govemments through the Second World War and the Korean War impacted the lives of people dramatically. Immigration Reform laws implemented during the late 1960's changed or intensified previous pattems. Thus 1970 is a benchmark in the history of conternporary Meúcan migration to the United Statcs. The cullural representations and manifestations ofMichoaca¡o mig¡ation to the United States a¡e of major impo.tance. These issues are centr¿l to advancing our understanding of US-Mexican migration because of the numbers of people, the length of time ofthe process, and the complexity of social aspects involved currently. Michoacán le¿ds i¡t the top ten states in Meúco to send migrants to the United States- The contemporary and histo¡ical preponderance of Michoacanos in the U.S. sur€ly has significant cultural ramific¿tions on both sides of the border. I here examine cultural manifestation as it is t¡ansmitted Aom its departure point to its destination in the United States and I follow this reciprocity back to Michoacán. My ¡ese¿rcl\ which is bas€d on a cross-border study, emphasizes the Mexican side because of diversity of soutces, research findingg and the migrants'point ofdeparture. Individuals and families from the localities of northwest Michoacán such as the Bajío Zamorano, Cienega de Chapala, Cotija, Purépero, Cañada de los Once Pueblos, the southwest, as well as severa.l Michoacanos íiom the Pu¡épecha region comprise the basis for this study. My work focuses mainly on some municipalities and parishes of the north cent¡al a¡d no¡thwest po¡tions of Michoacán. The