Hispanic Americans in the Southwest faced several significant challenges, including white settlers taking their land from them. This was particularly evident during the period of westward expansion and the aftermath of the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), when many Hispanic landowners found themselves facing legal and extralegal pressures to sell or abandon their lands as Anglo settlers moved into the region.
Additionally, they faced discrimination and exclusion in various forms, including social and political disenfranchisement. Although some were granted citizenship under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, many still encountered difficulties in fully exercising their rights, which can relate to the refusal of the US government to recognize their citizenship effectively.
While there were efforts to suppress Spanish language and culture, the most pressing issue historically has been land loss and the marginalization of Hispanic Americans in the face of rapidly changing demographics and power structures in the Southwest.
In summary, the major problem Hispanic Americans in the Southwest faced was primarily the issue of white settlers taking land from them.
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