Refugees in the American Southwest Borderlands

FAIN: FT-56456-09

Thomas A. Krainz
Framingham State University (Framingham, MA 01702-2499)

Borderland communities, especially in the American Southwest, frequently provided aid to transnational political refugees during the early 20th century. This proposal seeks funding to conduct archival research that will examine the treatment of displaced people at the local, state, and federal levels during the Progressive Era (1896-1920), a crucial period in developing this nation's welfare policies and practices. We know surprisingly little about how borderland communities assisted refugees. This project argues that aiding refugees was an important, but overlooked, component in developing the modern welfare state. In my effort to provide a better understanding of this neglected topic, I will examine two diverse groups and situations:Yaqui Indians escaping (1900-20) into Arizona to evade repressive Mexican government policies, and Mexicans crossing into El Paso to avoid the Mexican Revolution of 1910. This grant will allow me to make substantial progress on the completion of a book.