Free
The U.S. and Mexico are connected in many ways. Trade (buying and selling goods) and tourism are just two of them.
Millions of Mexicans live in the U.S. They came here looking for work. These jobs allow them to send money to their families back in Mexico. These workers are key to the economies of states like California and Texas. Places farther from the border, like New York and Washington State, also benefit from Mexican workers.
Mexico and the U.S. are important trading partners. The U.S. buys about 80 percent of Mexico’s exports. Many people go to Mexico to explore the ancient ruins. Some shop for folk art and colorful handmade crafts. Others visit Mexico to relax on a beautiful beach.
Mexico has given many things to the U.S. One of the biggest is Mexico’s culture. Mexican music, dance, food, and language have mixed with American traditions to create unique blends. This is especially true in the southwestern U.S. ▼
▲ Many Mexico–U.S. border cities have special ties. El Paso, Texas, and Juárez, Mexico, are called sister cities. Their state and local governments often work together. They deal with issues such as trade, immigration, crime, and pollution. The walkway and the highway between the cities are always busy.
◀ Fences on the border can keep families apart. Here, at the border in Calexico, California, relatives meet. The boy and his father live on the U.S. side. The boy’s grandfather and aunts live on the Mexican side. Saying goodbye can be hard for everyone.
▲ Many Mexican border cities are full of special factories. They are called maquiladoras. Here, workers put together products from parts supplied by U.S. companies. Then the finished product is sent back to the U.S. Why have many U.S. companies set up these plants? Workers in Mexico get paid less, so it costs less to make things there.
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) links Mexico, Canada, and the U.S. It allows companies in these countries to sell to one another without paying taxes on many of the goods. After NAFTA, more maquiladoras opened along the U.S.–Mexico border. But some businesses, like farms, suffered. Mexican farmers could not match the low prices of imported produce. ▶
Mexican-American War
In the 1800s, Mexico and the U.S. went to war. They were fighting over Texas. Since the time of Spanish rule, Mexico had claimed most of the land we now call the southwestern United States. Many Mexicans lived there. But by the 1830s, Texas also had many settlers from the U.S.
◀ Many Americans in Texas were unhappy with Mexican rule. In 1836, they decided to break away from Mexico. They declared Texas an independent country. General Antonio López de Santa Anna was the president of Mexico. He rushed his soldiers to San Antonio to defeat the rebels.
▲ The “Texan” forces had one main goal. They wanted to be an independent country. But they didn’t win. In 1836, they made their last stand at a fort in San Antonio called the Alamo. Almost all of them died. This was a crushing blow, but it made the rest of the U.S. angry. “Remember the Alamo” became a rallying cry. Later that year, U.S. forces defeated Mexican soldiers at San Jacinto, California. They captured General Santa Anna. He signed a treaty that gave Texas its independence. But the Mexican government refused to accept it.
In 1845, the U.S. government made Texas a part of the United States. Mexicans were very angry. They knew Texas would become a state where slavery was legal. Slavery had been banned in Mexico since its independence. In 1846, war broke out when U.S. troops entered Mexico. They took control of Mexico City and raised the U.S. flag in the Zócalo. The war lasted two years. It ended when both countries signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. It gave the U.S. control of the land that is now California, Nevada, and Utah. The U.S. also took over parts of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming. ▶
