Mexican-American War Redux

By Myron Gananian (July 2024)

The fact that out of billions on earth some few are able to correctly predict the future does not certify to the ability of anyone to make predictions with anything but the blessings of chance. With that in mind, herein is proffered a mere speculation: There will be another Mexican-American War, only God knows if or when.

Here is why it is amenable to speculation. History provides two very good examples of the conditions that were exploited to justify the incursion of one nation into another. The invasion of Nazi Germany into Czechoslovakia and Russia’s into the Baltic nations and Crimea. This may be duplicated in the United States, leading to its being invaded by one of its closest neighbors, Mexico.

For reasons that history and ethnography can explain, many Germans resided in several parts of Czechoslovakia. These peoples were and are referred to as Ethnic Germans. Keep that adjective in mind. While the real reason for Germany’s invasion was to provide food resulting from its insufficient land area, as well as to free up those consequent import costs to enable a massive armament build-up, Hitler exploited the canard that Ethnic Germans were being slaughtered in those Czech regions and needed to be protected and thereby the invasion.

Then we have a similar situation in Soviet Russia, where large numbers of Russians, as well as other nationalities, were forcibly moved by Stalin to other nations either part of the Soviet Union or under its sway. This was a conscious effort to weaken the almost-200 ethnic groups in Russia by homogenizing them. Their numbers and citizenship then were used as an excuse, just as in Nazi Germany, to protect these newcomer Russians from their reluctant hosts. And thus we see invasion into the Baltic States and more recently, Crimea, as examples.

We must keep in mind that the word Ethnic used here does not define a group by its ethnicity but rather by its citizenship. Russians were from Great Russia, as contrasted with Belarus or White Russia, and Little Russia or Malorussia, among others.

And now to our Southern border, where our focus is on just Mexicans to the exclusion of other Latinos. If current population growth trends continue with Mexicans making up 60% of the US Latino population, it is projected that, by 2060, Mexicans will number up to 70 million, almost half of the current population of Mexico. To what this will lead, while improbable, is not impossible. We may see Cinco de Mayo celebrations that exceed in extent those that occur in Mexico and could even outsize ours of July 4th. Neighborhoods titled by the origin of their inhabitants could enlarge and increase in number, Little Tijuana, Little Acapulco, and the like. Mexicans could occupy seats of power, well beyond the Democratic Party county committees as recommended in California. They could become a dominant number in police forces, attorneys general, and prosecuting attorneys. The Mexican National Anthem sung at soccer games. Customer Service asking to “Press 1 for English”. Creating Federal holidays for Cinco de Mayo and Cesar Chavez. Mexican flags on many businesses and on public display. Increase in the criminal activity now already evident. A well-defined voting block ripe for manipulation. In sum, their large numbers alone will not be the primary source of conflict, but rather their increasing influence in every level of our society, leading to more conflictual encounters with the former majority, whites, as well as Asians. No nation can tolerate a large, well delineated cluster of peoples who by their attitudes and actions intentionally set themselves apart not only physically from the majority but from its history, traditions, norms, and behavior. Non-assimilation in the US as never before. In fact, a nation within a nation.

While our nation has never suffered from attracting any number of immigrants by virtually swallowing them into the soup that is America, never before has an influx occurred with the trappings that attends the wave from the South. Ellis Island never saw Irish or Italian flags accompanying its charges. Angel Island in San Francisco Bay did not see Chinese banners. Never before have New York City policeman been beaten in broad daylight with impunity—although not by Mexicans but still reflecting on the Latino community. Never before did either entry point into the United States allow ingress without medical screening and an assurance of having a sponsor. All this and more contrasting with long established societal norms leading inevitably to acrimony and clashes. The Mexican thumb (or middle finger) in the former majority’s eye.

In view of the present sentiment regarding these “Newcomers,” there is no reason to think that there will occur a profound alteration either in the attitude of these new residents or a softening of the feeling of the long-time majority that foreigners are taking over and that they are powerless to stop it.

Who is to say that this discord will not escalate to the level of outright armed conflict? Were that to rise to the level of rioting, burning of neighborhoods, and worse, such as killings on a large scale, then it would not be beyond the realm of possibility that Mexico will respond by whatever means it deems necessary to protect Ethnic Mexicans in the United States. Non-citizen Mexicans will forever be deemed Ethnic Mexicans primarily by their own will and in the eyes of the Mexican government.

There may be a two-pronged way to prevent this. In doing so we may be able to also reduce the divisiveness that plagues our society. Just as currently it is almost illegal to call those crossing our borders illegally as “Illegal,” so too we might forbid the use of hyphenating ethnicity. No more French-Americans or Korean-Americans, only Americans. Does Kenya call Americans in their country American-Kenyans? Do they call African-Americans in that country African-American-Kenyans? And how does every one become an American? By becoming or being declared an American citizen. Those who are not deported are then citizens by fiat. Then there will no longer be any Ethnic Mexicans. Just by the expedient of altering the nomenclature the Mexican army will have no one to liberate. What a novel idea: take 70 million away from the Mexican army by just changing their names.

Of course, there may be a third solution to the problem. Equally bloodless. In recent years the tongue-in-cheek, though fraught with seriousness, name, given to California, “Mexifornia.” Whether coined by Victor Davis Hanson or not, it is not beyond the realm of possibility that in the next one or two hundred years we may see a “Mexamerica” or “Amerimex.” Geopolitical forces always overwhelm those of lesser momentum, such as politics, religion, and other social influences. Were that to happen a successful behemoth in the Western Hemisphere would again rule the world. One Nation, undivided. PAX MEXAMER.

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Myron Gananian is a retired physician living in California.

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