One of the main problems resulting from Mexican immigration to the United States was the fact that it began around the beginning of the 20th century, and went unnoticed by the American public at first. As stated by Mark Reisler, "The arrival of Mexican workers took place very quietly they were probably the most inconspicuous of the non-Anglo-Saxon groups entering the United States" (Reisler, pg.24). This is important because it alludes to the fact that while Mexicans were entering the country, no one would take notice of them until the number reached a significant level. For example, Mexicans were only noticed on a large-scale basis when the number of legal entrants of Mexican descent increased greatly after World War I, to "a peak of about 90,000 during 1924" (Reisler, pg.24). However, this number is underestimated because it does not include the vast amount of illegal immigrants who managed to evade literacy tests, visa fees, and head taxes. What this all amounts to is unregulated immigration over a few decades, and by the time the U.S. government attempted to respond to the situation, it had already built up to an undesirable level, making it all the more difficult to form restrictive policies. Additionally, while Mexican immigration had gone unnoticed over a number of years thus making it harder to prohibit, there was also a demand by U.S. businesses for cheap Mexican labor. For example, Victor S. Clark speaks of the benefit of having Mexican workers by saying that, "His strongest point is his willingness to work for a low wage and they aren't troublemakers like the whites" (Reisler, pg. 25). This is important because on one hand, the American government wished to restrict the number of foreign entrants, but on the opposite end, businesses had a high demand for Mexican labor, thereby limiting the overall effectiveness of restriction policies and confusing even further the American's perception of the Mexican purpose and status in the country.
