Camps are in important part of the justification for the Second Mexican-American War. The official material doesn’t go into great detail about the events leading up to the start of the fighting in the American Southwest, but I think it is safe to say that post-Exchange America has little patience or charity for Mexican refugees. I have tried to address the issue a bit in Thunder Empire.
In early 1998, Mexican refugees do in fact flood across the lengthy US-Mexico border. By this point, Mexico has been hit by nukes, too. The Soviets hit the Mexican oil fields and refineries to keep Mexican oil out of American hands, then blame the Yankees for the attacks. In the wake of the nuclear attacks on Mexico, thing quickly get out of hand. Mexico being Mexico, grotesque corruption and racism coupled with the breakdown of the power grid and the distribution system compel masses of Mexicans to try their luck north of the border—even given how bad things are in the US.
Naturally, the Americans are far from accepting of the new arrivals. The majority of Mexican refugees cross into California and Texas. Violence ensues. In all of the border states, Mexican refugees (and some who are not) are rounded up and put into camps. Some camps are better than others. Notably, Huachuca has food reserves as a result of the DCP and FEMA, and Huachuca needs unskilled and semi-skilled labor. In southeastern Arizona, the Mexican refugee fare about as well as could be expected—which is to say that they live in tents with primitive sanitation and subsistence rations. Conditions in many parts of southern Texas and southern California are much worse. The refugees are constantly subjected to violence. A string of refugee massacres provides the Mexican government with a pretext for sending in the Mexican Army.
In truth, the Mexican government is looking for some way to divert the attention of the public. A foreign adventure seems to fit the bill nicely. The camps of Mexican refugees becomes a convenient excuse for war.
Webstral
|