If the United States were to gradually conquer Mexico and Central America, with at least the area of the 48 contiguous states also included, could it successfully make the people in these regions 'white'? With enough immigration from Europe and the rest of the U.S., I suspect it might be possible to get 65-75% of the population in the area of OTL modern Mexico (considering its proximity to the U.S. and the pre-existing Criollos/Castizos/Spaniards still there) to pass as 'white' thanks to intermarriage and immigration, but Central America seems a bit more difficult. What else besides this method could further this demographic shift?
Besides the demographic change, what about the cultural, linguistic, and religious changes? Could these issues lead to a push for independence or bilingualism in a manner similar to Quebec?
No genocides please.
 
Just so you know, but Hispanics on birth certificates in all of the states I have seen (and I have seen a lot of birth certificates after being in social services work for over 30 years) are labelled as "White"

The rest are labelled as Native American or Black
 
Might depend on how someone defines white. I don't think the areas can be made pale white with any PoD that doesn't involve genocide.

The US can obviously keep borders open with Europe much longer than OTL, but only a small fraction of the tens of millions of extra Europeans the US would take in would go to Southern Mexico and Central America, given the poverty and diseases.

Without genocide it would probably almost take a US that allows intermarriage between races from relatively early on, never shuts down open immigration from Europe, and never opens immigration from the rest of the world at all.
 
I'm sure the Americans could "lighten" these areas, but the population wold still have a very high percent of Native American admixture. So to make these areas White in a American context, USA would need to accept that people with significant (25-33%) native admixture would be White. I don't think USA would have the ability or will to kill enough Mexicans to make the population "White" in a American context.
 
Just so you know, but Hispanics on birth certificates in all of the states I have seen (and I have seen a lot of birth certificates after being in social services work for over 30 years) are labelled as "White"

The rest are labelled as Native American or Black

There is "census white" and then there is "country club white"...

Mexicans-600x380.png
 
There is "census white" and then there is "country club white"...

Mexicans-600x380.png

Well of course there is, but if you want an easy answer it has been provided.

As to demographic White, it would require a massive immigration of people willing to live there because of some kind of draw. Argentina had a very large number off immigrants from Spain and Italy (language and religious attraction), so something along those lines perhaps.

You won't get "Country Club" White, because as late as the 1960s Southern and Eastern Europeans were not really considered "Country Club" white.
 
Well of course there is, but if you want an easy answer it has been provided.

As to demographic White, it would require a massive immigration of people willing to live there because of some kind of draw. Argentina had a very large number off immigrants from Spain and Italy (language and religious attraction), so something along those lines perhaps.

You won't get "Country Club" White, because as late as the 1960s Southern and Eastern Europeans were not really considered "Country Club" white.
And Southern Italians.
 
Ha ha ha... no. Look at the birth rates (the differences wasn't so big then, but it was in the same direction). Unless the death rates make whites more prominent than the original inhabitants, it's never going white.
 
I have to agree with many here that the challenge is very daunting. I think the two biggest hurdles are intermarriage and the disease issue.

Intermarriage is obviously going to be frowned upon by the U.S. core society. In the region of Mexico, however, intermarriage would not be as taboo, correct? Could this lead to a degree of local intermarriage, especially between Mexican and European Catholics? Also, while snow white 'country club' Northern Europeans may not be the outcome, could Castizos with skin tones close to Southern and Eastern Europeans pass as White in general society? It would be akin to the situation of some in the American South: the odd Black ancestor some whites have is not really talked about or mentioned there, and the Castizos would avoid mentioning their Indian ancestors.

Disease is an obvious impediment to European entry. The Mexican population ca. 1900 was around 13 million, and health improvements also came in around this time if I recall correctly. If disease could be handled more effectively sooner this could lead to an earlier European entry into the region, but at the same time this would mean more brown Mexicans to potentially intermarry and assimilate.
 
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