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Introduction

Introduction. The US-Mexico Borderlands. US-Mexico Borderlands. Defined by location. Border marker #1, Texas/Chihuahua. Border graffiti, Nogales, Mexico. Historical US-Mexico Border Boundaries. Physical Geography. Basically extensions of its northern borders:

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Introduction

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  1. Introduction The US-Mexico Borderlands

  2. US-Mexico Borderlands • Defined by location Border marker #1, Texas/Chihuahua Border graffiti, Nogales, Mexico

  3. Historical US-Mexico Border Boundaries

  4. Physical Geography • Basically extensions of its northern borders: • Intermontane West, Great Plains, Inland South, Coastal South • Deserts: • Chihuahua, Mojave, Sonora • Climate: • Varied due to landscape, but generally hot

  5. Physical Geography • Hydrology • Increasing population taxing water supply • Main rivers: Colorado, Rio Grande, Pecos

  6. Physical Geography • Biogeography • Peccary • Saguaro • Gila Monster • Elf Owl

  7. Historical Settlement • Tri-cultural area: • Native Americans • Spanish Americans • Anglo Americans

  8. Historical Settlement

  9. Native Americans • Settlement Patterns • Long Beach-Los Angeles area = more Indian residents than any other urban area in the country • The majority of the population is static; “Four Corners”

  10. Hispanic Americans • Ethnic Identifiers/References • “Hispano” • “Chicano” • “Texanos”/“Tejanos” • Spanish settlement in the Southwest predates English settlement by 200+ years • Mostly explored by 1550 • Santa Fe founded in 1610 • Taos, Albuquerque, and other “pueblos” followed

  11. Spanish American Settlement • Cabeza de Vaca • Coronado • “Zone of Contact” • Alamo Adapted from Arreola, 2002. Tejano South Texas: A Mexican American Cultural Province

  12. Ethnic Patterns • 1850: ~10% Mexican overall • 1900-1990: ~3 million legal Mexican immigrants arrived in the US

  13. Spatial Interaction • Gravity Model • Complementarity • Transferability • Intervening Opportunities Borderland building (US Customs) in the Spanish (Mexican) style. Naco, AZ.

  14. Spatial Interactions • Political Boundaries • Cultural Differences • US-Mexico Borderlands as a “Gateway”

  15. Political Economy • Primary Sector • Secondary Sector • Zona libre • Maquiladoras • NAFTA

  16. Regional Population Growth • During the 1980s, all US-Mexico Borderland states grew above the national average! • Climate attracts retirees • Pull factor: Industry • Aircraft industry • Good flying weather and proximity to California’s large aircraft complex • Electronics industry

  17. Poverty Rates, 1999

  18. Anglo Americans • Compared to Hispanics and Native Americans • Higher incomes • Better educated • Fewer children • More urbanized • “Quality of Life” indicators (above): • Hispanics second and Native Americans third

  19. Places: US-Mexico Borderlands • Major metropolitan growth cities: • El Paso • Phoenix • Albuquerque • Tucson • Major Border Crossings (non-Californian) • El Paso-Juarez • Ambos Nogales • Laredo-NL El Paso, TX looking toward Juarez, Mexico

  20. Other US-Mexico Border Crossings Notice the gate! Harder to get to Mexico! Naco, AZ Informal crossing, 30 miles west of Columbus, NM Sasabe (western AZ)

  21. Reading & Discussion Question • Reading: Short biography of Dr. Daniel D. Arreola, US-Mexico Borderlands expert Why do some people consider the US-Mexico Borderlands a “melting pot” while other people don’t? What do you think the future will bring for the US-Mexico Borderlands?

  22. Related Books • Arreola, Daniel D. 2002. Tejano South Texas: A Mexican American Cultural Province. Austin: University of Texas Press. • This book earned Dan the prestigious J. B. Jackson award from the Association of American Geographers! He’s spent his whole career studying the US-Mexico Borderlands. • Garreau, Joel. 1981. The Nine Nations of North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. • Defines “new” regions of North America in terms of social, cultural, and economic standards. A hit with readers in its day. • Meinig, Donald W. 1971. Southwest: Three Peoples in Geographical Change, 1600–1970. New York: Oxford University Press. • A thorough book that scrutinizes the regional geography of Native American, Spanish, and Mormon landscapes in the Southwest. An old-time regional geography approach. • Nostrand, Richard L. 1992. The Hispano Homeland. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. • This book started the so-called “Homeland Theory”. It weaves interesting tales of Hispanic families, chronicling historical and present-day events.

  23. WebSources • All-American Canal http://www.iid.com/water/works-allamerican.html • Festival of the West http://www.festivalofthewest.com/ • Mesilla, New Mexico http://www.oldmesilla.org/

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