Journal #16 Maria Amparo Ruiz De Burton: The Right To Steal Property!

QUOTE:

“Thus the government washes its hands clean, liberally providing plenty of tribunals, plenty of crooked turnings through which to scourge the wretched land-owners” (De Burton 93).


SUMMARY:

After the Mexican War, the new laws being made in the United States protected the Mexican landowners who remained in the Southwest, but those articles were soon deleted from the treaty. Landowners were no longer protected from “squatters.”


RESPONSE:

When we first discussed The Squatter and the Don in class, I said that what happens in this story would be similar to having random day-workers from down the street “squatting” in my backyard. However, as I was saying this, I realized that they are somewhat the original inhabitants of California, at least in comparison to the Europeans. I guess it’s the same feeling I get when I think about the Native Americans who are the rightful owners of the United States, but regarding this case, the law is involved instead of just killing everyone or driving them out.

De Burton’s text seems to be an observation about the hierarchy in the Southwest during the 19th Century, and really shows how Native Americans were even considered “cheap labor” by the landed class of Mexican Americans. It makes me think of the animal food chain, such as the little fish getting eaten by the bigger fish, and then that fish getting eaten by an even bigger fish. I know what happens to the Don isn’t fair, but then I think about how the Native Americans are treated by the Don, and I start to not sympathize with anyone except the Native Americans.

After reading De Burton, I see why landowners tend to be very shrewd businessmen and women. The right to own private property is probably one of the most important keys to success in this country, and I understand why the Don is willing to give some of his land away in hopes of keeping any of it.