Mexicans in Oklahoma

Mexican immigration to Oklahoma commenced in the early 1900s due to worsening economic conditions and the revolution, which compelled numerous Mexicans, primarily from the populous states of Jalisco, Michoacán, and Guanajuato, to seek refuge and employment across the border. From 1900 until the onset of the Great Depression, Mexicans constituted the majority of Oklahoma's railroad maintenance crews. Additionally, they were employed in coal mines, cotton picking, and various industries such as packinghouses, oil fields, quarries, construction projects, and municipal services throughout the state. As most of them arrived as migrant or contract workers, their distribution patterns were determined by labor demands. Railroad workers typically resided in boxcars along the right-of-way, establishing small settlements in numerous towns like Blackwell, Purcell, and Ardmore along the Santa Fe railway, as well as Medford, El Reno, and Waurika beside the Rock Island railway. Others found employment in the roundhouses, shops, and yards in cities such as Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and Sapulpa.

See also

• Demographics of Oklahoma