A social history of the Mexican-American community of Hutchinson, Kansas.

Abstract

This thesis deals with the process of assimilation of the Mexican-American community of Hutchinson, Kansas through three Anglo institutions: the Catholic Church, fastpitch softball, and military service, namely the various Airborne divisions of the United States Army. The process of assimilation for this group of people has taken place, but if has been a process of cultural pluralism as opposed to complete assimilation or integration. This type of assimilation uses the Anglo institution to provide cohesiveness, stability, and in the case of softball and the Airborne troopers, role models for the Mexican-American youth. The Anglo institution is also used to battle stereotypical perceptions of Mexican-Americans as well as prejudice and discrimination, in order to help to break down prejudicial barriers facing the Mexican-American of Hutchinson. The result of assimilation to the Catholic Church (Our Lady of Guadalupe Church), fastpitch softball (Hutchinson Our Lady of Guadalupe team and Hutchinson Los Lobos team), and the Airborne troopers (Las Paracaidistas) is the process of Mexican-Americans assimilating into mainstream American society and has produced a cultural pluralism, a maintenance of a semi-autonomous culture within a dominant culture which will take on the broadest elements of the majority while maintaining elements of its sub-cultural integrity. The results of this assimilation do not yield Mexican Americans but, rather, American-Mexicans.