'American in name, in deed, in truth, and in fact': The multiple meanings of ethnic Mexican citizenship in the United States from 1910 to 1930

This thesis examines the naturalization of Mexican immigrants from 1910 through 1930 using immigrant opinions of American citizenship and the broad presence of Mexican consuls in the United States to explain why many immigrants were reluctant to naturalize. Additionally, it explains the reasons for the near-doubling of naturalization rates during this period, as Mexican American activist groups such as the Order Sons of America and the League of Latin American Citizens managed to increase the benefits of American citizenship for ethnic Mexicans despite increasing anti-Mexican nativism across the United States. It argues that the years from 1910 through 1930 proved crucial in setting patterns for how Anglo Americans, Mexican Americans, and Mexican immigrants understood the role of ethnic Mexicans in the United States, and how they consequently utilized American citizenship to guide the ethnic Mexican population into the specific roles that they envisioned.