From its beginnings, Louisiana has had a difficult journey. Its destiny was tied to the French economy during the last years of Louis XIV's rule. The French government, a vast empire with a highly centralized bureaucracy, was not keen on policies that would have enabled economic autonomy for their colonies. Moreover, the French treasury, drained by wars in Europe, could not provide adequate funding for the Department of the Navy, which managed colonial operations. The Spanish rule in Louisiana was necessary to accommodate an ethnically diverse population.
There were numerous Native American tribes, a small but influential European population mainly composed of French people, and a small but significant number of Africans, both enslaved and free. Many of the colony's officials were French or of French descent, which further complicated the Spanish management of the colony. Spanish officials, aware of their own numerical insignificance and the diversity of the peoples, showed flexibility by preserving the French language and customs. The presence of Latin Americans has had a profound effect on the economy of Northern Louisiana. In Lancaster County, Montgomery County and the City of Dayton, New Americans have made their mark.
In Southwest Kansas and Ford County, Puerto Rican and Cuban women worked long hours for meager wages in the tobacco industry in Tampa and New York. Puerto Rican anarchist and feminist Luisa Capetillo and other Latino activists demanded that unions also represent them. In the South American Andes, the Incas created an impressive network of roads crossed by messengers. This article provides a historical context and framework for EDSITEment's resources on Latin American and Latino history, as well as ways to integrate NEH-funded projects in the classroom. It focuses on Latino history and American labor history during the 19th and 20th centuries.
It covers topics such as the history of working class people; labor, race, gender, and class; history of working women; and transnational labor migration. In San Antonio, Los Angeles and Chicago, Mexican-Americans raised money and supplies for their cause. Puerto Ricans in New York City organized massive parades in 1936 to protest the bombing of Madrid. Latino labor organizations such as union assemblies of AFL-CIO affiliates and central labor councils, as well as associations and centers for immigrant workers drew attention to low wages, labor discrimination and anti-immigrant nativism. At its 1996 annual convention, the Labor Council for the Advancement of Latin America presented resolutions on intensifying organization among Latinos in the labor movement. The missionaries taught American Indians Spanish language, arts and culture to convert them to Christianity and loyalty to the Spanish Crown.
Discrimination and nativism continue to affect Latino workers who experienced a sharp drop in employment in the new millennium as well as weakening union protections. The Palace of Governors in Santa Fe, New Mexico reflects the complex heritage of the American Southwest. In Ybor City, Cuban-American workers who belonged to United States Workers' Alliance and Popular Front Committee were equally involved in local, national and international issues. The PBS Latino Americans project (available in English and Spanish) documents experiences of Latinos in United States with lesson plans for grades 7 through 12 as well as shorter classroom activities. On East Coast Puerto Rican workers from National Maritime Union, Union Bakery & Confectionary Workers & Cuban-Americans from CMIU & International Union Bagel Bearers & Construction Workers achieved successes. Mexican-American women in Southern California got jobs in airplane plants & shipyards while those from Midwest worked in munitions factories, packing plants & railroads. In 1901 AFL appointed Santiago Iglesias Pantín as labor organizer for Puerto Rico & Cuba & Iglesias strove to organize Latino workers in New York City. Latino immigrant workers from South worked in poultry processing & meatpacking plants, hotel laundries, construction sites & agriculture. The impact that Latin Americans have had on Northern Louisiana's economy is undeniable.
From tobacco production to airplane plants to poultry processing plants - Latin Americans have been integral to economic growth throughout Northern Louisiana. The missionaries taught American Indians Spanish language, arts and culture to convert them to Christianity and loyalty to the Spanish Crown. Discrimination and nativism continue to affect Latino workers who experienced a sharp drop in employment in the new millennium as well as weakening union protections. The PBS Latino Americans project (available in English and Spanish) documents experiences of Latinos in United States with lesson plans for grades 7 through 12 as well as shorter classroom activities. Organizations such as union assemblies of AFL-CIO affiliates and central labor councils have drawn attention to low wages, labor discrimination and anti-immigrant nativism. The Palace of Governors in Santa Fe, New Mexico reflects the complex heritage of the American Southwest.
In Ybor City, Cuban-American workers who belonged to United States Workers' Alliance and Popular Front Committee were equally involved in local, national and international issues. It is clear that Latin Americans have had an immense impact on Northern Louisiana's economy - from providing essential labor services to raising money for causes - they have been instrumental in driving economic growth throughout Northern Louisiana.
