# Should Northern Mexico become part of the US? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 28, 2013, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-northern-mexico-become-part-of-the-us/659574 "2013-05-28T19:54:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2013, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-northern-mexico-become-part-of-the-us/659574/21 "2013-05-29T07:23:29Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Not for Les Nessman. 😃 > > (He pronounced it “Chy-hoo-wa-hoo-wa” and pronounced golfer Chi Chi Rodriguez as “Chy Chy Rod-ri-gweeze.”) Les must have been from Rochester. One of the major streets in the city is Chili Avenue - pronounced Chī-lī. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2013, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-northern-mexico-become-part-of-the-us/659574/22 "2013-05-29T07:50:03Z")
I remember I had a friend and roommate in college who sincerely believed it would be for the good of the world if the US “peacefully” annexed Canada. This kind of sounds as nutty. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2013, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-northern-mexico-become-part-of-the-us/659574/23 "2013-05-29T07:55:12Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > I remember I had a friend and roommate in college who sincerely believed it would be for the good of the world if the US “peacefully” annexed Canada. I’m curious to know why he thought that would be. Did he provide arguments? ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2013, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-northern-mexico-become-part-of-the-us/659574/24 "2013-05-29T11:50:57Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > I remember I had a friend and roommate in college who sincerely believed it would be for the good of the world if the US “peacefully” annexed Canada. Wrong way around, surely? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2013, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-northern-mexico-become-part-of-the-us/659574/25 "2013-05-29T13:46:00Z")
Northern Mexico, i.e Texas, already is part of the US. We should give it back. ---
**Author:** ![Organized\_Chaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/5e9695/32.png) [@Organized\_Chaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Organized_Chaos)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2013, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-northern-mexico-become-part-of-the-us/659574/26 "2013-05-29T19:03:08Z")
A key point to make here in IMHO is that for this to work it must be the idea of the Mexican people living in these areas. If they believe that being part of America would be a better option for them socially and economically then they would need to hold appropriate referendums and petition to become a separate state and then petition the US for territorial rights and statehood. This can not be seen as imperialist but as a way for the individuals in these areas to improve their lives. I contend it would improve the immigration problem, have a direct impact and improvement on crime by extending US laws to these areas and improve the economies on both sides of the border. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-northern-mexico-become-part-of-the-us/659574/27 "2013-05-30T00:07:37Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Les must have been from Rochester. One of the major streets in the city is Chili Avenue - pronounced Chī-lī. Actually, according to his character bio, he was raised in Dayton. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-northern-mexico-become-part-of-the-us/659574/28 "2013-05-30T00:26:37Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Northern Mexico, i.e Texas, already is part of the US. We should give it back. Pretty sure even most Mexican-Americans (except for a few La Raza fanatics) would rather not have corrupt officials ruling over them. ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-northern-mexico-become-part-of-the-us/659574/29 "2013-05-30T01:18:42Z")
Thank you, in all due respect, for the invitation. But we must decline it. Sure we admire the accumulation of stuff you possess. Nice cars, houses, and an array of food. But we are very happy with our stuff. Culture, family, traditions and people that can smile while being shoeless. But, thanks for thinking of us. ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-northern-mexico-become-part-of-the-us/659574/30 "2013-05-30T04:36:26Z")
Mexico certainly has its problems but the economy has been improving drastically. There are more undocumented Mexicans leaving the US than are coming across the boarders. A real middle class is being built up in Mexico. While some border areas in Mexico are in the hands of drug gangs, some of the boarder cities have actually become safer. Tijuana is no longer the free-for-all that it was a few years ago. Tijuana and San Diego law enforcement agents cooperate on intelligence. The US and Mexico are huge trading partners. If Mexico can develop an economy that is not so dependent on the US they could become a significant economic power along the lines of what Brazil has done. Instead of the US annexing Mexican states we should let Mexico annex Texas. Many Texans want to separate from the US. Let Texas take all of its guns and bravado and clean up Mexico. Have at it. A state that will elect someone like Ted Cruz has no business being part of the US. People of his ilk hate the US. They are in love with some fantasy vision of what they wish the US should be but they hate the reality of the country they live in. Let’s show them the door. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-northern-mexico-become-part-of-the-us/659574/31 "2013-05-30T04:39:51Z")
Give us Texans a little more time please. Not all of us are evil, just a majority. We’ll be a blue state here in another 20 years I promise! Don’t make us go back to Mexico!!! ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_Kirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@Capt\_Kirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt_Kirk)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-northern-mexico-become-part-of-the-us/659574/32 "2013-05-30T13:14:27Z")
Texas is not as Red as it would seem. Our voting districts have been Gerrymandered to minimize Minority and Dem power. This situation will not go on forever, demographics are changing rapidly, hence the Republican bid for Hispanic votes(which they will not get). The Texas legislature is in special session right now for Re-Districting in an attempt to get around a Federal Court ruling, it is not going to work. Just give us an Election cycle or two. **Capt** ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-northern-mexico-become-part-of-the-us/659574/33 "2013-05-30T13:16:06Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > Pretty sure even most Mexican-Americans (except for a few La Raza fanatics) would rather not have corrupt officials ruling over them. I wasn’t aware we were going to give them a say in the matter. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-northern-mexico-become-part-of-the-us/659574/34 "2013-05-30T18:16:06Z")
Can the US federal government give away a state without letting the state populace have a say in things? Could we ‘give’ Alaska to Canada [or back to Russia] or Texas/New Mexico/Arizona back to Mexico without some sort of vote at the state or federal level? ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-northern-mexico-become-part-of-the-us/659574/35 "2013-05-30T19:46:35Z")
The non contiguous Alaska model has worked out pretty well for the US. Let’s go that route and instead of these boring old border states they’ve already seen before let’s give them all of New England instead… sorry, _ **Nuevo Inglaterra** _. The reign 'round Maine would benefit from Spain. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-northern-mexico-become-part-of-the-us/659574/36 "2013-05-30T23:28:36Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > The non contiguous Alaska model has worked out pretty well for the US. Let’s go that route and instead of these boring old border states they’ve already seen before let’s give them all of New England instead… sorry, _ **Nuevo Inglaterra** _. The reign 'round Maine would benefit from Spain. That might be interesting. I already get weird looks when I suggest that Quebec is part of Latin America. (They speak a language descended from Latin, right? Lots of Catholics, right? Seems logical to me… 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![DiggitCamara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@DiggitCamara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiggitCamara)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-northern-mexico-become-part-of-the-us/659574/37 "2013-05-30T23:45:39Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Wrong way around, surely? You misspelled “eh” ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-northern-mexico-become-part-of-the-us/659574/38 "2013-05-31T00:39:41Z")
The letter \ stands for the sound of [ʃ] in the original Native American languages of México, Oaxaca, Tlaxcala, etc. Also the \ in Jalisco sounded like [ʃ]. In 15th-century Spanish, x sounded like sh. It still has that sound in Aragonese, Asturian, Basque, Catalan, Galician, and Portuguese. Only in Castilian it changed to (velar fricative “kh”) or [h]. So the original Native American names were pronounced Shalisko, Meshiko, Washaka, Tlashkala, etc. It’s actually Spanish that’s mispronouncing them. If you respell it as Washaka, it comes out looking just like any Native American name out west. Easy! ---
**Author:** ![runningdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e9c0ed/32.png) [@runningdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/runningdude)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-northern-mexico-become-part-of-the-us/659574/39 "2013-05-31T01:02:38Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > Can the US federal government give away a state without letting the state populace have a say in things? > > Could we ‘give’ Alaska to Canada [or back to Russia] or Texas/New Mexico/Arizona back to Mexico without some sort of vote at the state or federal level? Of course not! The federal government cannot “give away” a state; each US state is a sovereign entity, with a constitutional right to be within the union. The constitution provides no mechanism for removing land that that has been incorporated into the United States proper. A constitutional amendment would have to be adopted to provide such a mechanism. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-northern-mexico-become-part-of-the-us/659574/40 "2013-05-31T01:21:21Z")
> [@runningdude](#): > > The constitution provides no mechanism for removing land that that has been incorporated into the United States proper. A constitutional amendment would have to be adopted to provide such a mechanism. Do you think the [Chamizal Treaty](http://www.window.state.tx.us/border/ch01/ground.html) was unconstitutional? 5,000 people and businesses had to be relocated because the land they were on became Mexico. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-northern-mexico-become-part-of-the-us/659574.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-northern-mexico-become-part-of-the-us/659574.md?page=3)