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The Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo
A Promise Made, A Promise Broken
Timeline: 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo → Present Day
On February 2, 1848, the United States and Mexico signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, ending the U.S.-Mexico War. Mexico was forced to cede nearly half its territory—what is now California, Nevada, Utah, most of Arizona and New Mexico, and parts of Colorado and Wyoming.
But this wasn't just about land. It was about people.
Approximately 100,000 Mexicans suddenly found themselves living in U.S. territory. The Treaty promised them something specific: they would become U.S. citizens with full rights, including access to education and property ownership.
That promise was systematically broken.
This newsletter explores what the Treaty actually said, what happened instead, and why 178 years later, those broken promises still shape educational institutions in the Southwest.
What the Treaty actually Promised
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo contained specific provisions about the rights of Mexicans living in the territories taken by the United States:
Article VIII stated that Mexicans could choose to retain Mexican citizenship or become U.S. citizens. Those who didn't explicitly choose within one year would automatically become U.S. citizens with "all the rights of citizens of the United States."
Article IX promised that Mexicans who became U.S. citizens would be "incorporated into the Union" and would enjoy "all the rights of citizens of the United States according to the principles of the Constitution."
Article X (later deleted by the U.S. Senate) would have protected Mexican land grants. Its removal foreshadowed what was to come.
The Protocol of Querétaro was added to clarify that property rights would be "inviolably respected."
On paper, the Treaty promised:
• U.S. citizenship
• Full constitutional rights
• Property protection
• Educational access (implied through "all the rights of citizens")
In practice, none of this happened
What Actually Happened: Systematic Exclusion
Within decades of the Treaty, Mexican Americans faced systematic exclusion across the Southwest:
Educational Segregation:
• By the 1870s, "Mexican schools" were established throughout California, Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico.
• These schools were underfunded, overcrowded, and designed to provide only basic education.
• Mexican American children were often prohibited from attending "American schools."
• The Spanish language was banned in classrooms, with students punished for speaking their native language.
Land Dispossession:
• The California Land Act of 1851 required Mexican landowners to prove their land titles in U.S. courts.
• Legal fees bankrupted families, forcing them to sell land to pay lawyers.
• By 1900, most Mexican American families had lost their land—despite Treaty protections.
Legal Exclusion:
• Mexican Americans were classified as "white" for citizenship purposes but treated as "non-white" for social purposes.
• They could not serve on juries in many states.
• Anti-miscegenation laws prohibited marriage to "whites" in some jurisdictions.
• Voting rights were restricted through poll taxes and literacy tests.
Institutional Barriers:
• Universities in the Southwest were founded after the Treaty but designed as if Mexican Americans didn't exist.
• Admission policies assumed English-only education.
• Financial aid systems didn't account for cross-border family structures.
• Campus culture treated Mexican Americans as foreigners, not original inhabitants.
The pattern was clear: The Treaty said, "you belong," but institutions said, "you don't."
Still, in 2025, a groundbreaking study analyzed the contributions of Latino/as/x to the US economy. Conducted by Arizona State University's W. P. Carey School of Business in partnership with the Latino Donor Collaborative, the research was led by Dr. José Jurado and Dennis Hoffman. Among the wealth of knowledge and information within the study, a key caveat: “between 2015 and 2023, the U.S. Latino GDP grew over twice as fast as the rest of the nation.”
Finally, in the next issue, our focus will consider how the aforementioned success is not solely because of America being a land of opportunity, but despite it….
Are You Ready to Actually Retire?
Knowing when to retire means knowing what it costs, how long your money needs to last, and where the income comes from. When to Retire: A Quick and Easy Planning Guide helps investors with $1,000,000 or more work through all of it.
Kiddos and the Classroom
Hi! My name is José del Refugio, but my friends call me “Cuco”, which is an apodo (a-po-doe) or nickname for my name “Refugio”. So, please, call me Cuco!
I was born in El Paso, Texas, in a community called Segundo Barrio, the Second Ward. It’s one of the oldest Mexican American communities in the United States.
Today, I’m sharing my outfit, commonly known as a zoot suit. To describe it, I’ll use Caló (ka-low), which is a conversation style that mixes Spanish, English, and an older form of Spanish that dates back to the year 1600!
In our future chats, I’m excited to share fun topics with you and even provide some images that you can download and color! Can’t wait to talk to you again!
Food for thought!
Why do you think people choose to dress this way? Why does this style of clothing make you feel like?
Have you ever worn something that made you feel proud of who you are? What was it?
Look at all the Spanish words. Can you try saying them out loud? Which one is your favorite to say?
This style of dress was a way for young people to show their pride in their culture. People today still wear these outfits and use the same terms, too!
What are some ways you show you're proud of your family or culture?
The Profe Podcast
Here, we have conversations about anything and everything concerning Mexican/Mexican Americans within the context of US history as well as the US-Mexico Borderland.
The Importance of Mexican American Studies.
Manifest Destiny and the Americanization of the West.
Imposter Syndrome and 1st-generation Mexican American college students.
Re-inscribing labels: Hispanic, Latino, Chicano, and …..
Contact Us: [email protected]
We offer customized:
Lesson plans
Interactive class activities
Custom podcasts conversations
Professional Development presentations
Culturally themed presentations
We're here to help you with your educational journey and personal growth goals, making it an enjoyable experience!
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