Introduction The US-Mexico Borderlands

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

Historical US-Mexico Border Boundaries

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

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

Physical Geography Biogeography –Peccary –Saguaro –Gila Monster –Elf Owl

Historical Settlement Tri-cultural area: –Native Americans –Spanish Americans –Anglo Americans

Historical Settlement

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”

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 Hispanic Americans

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

Ethnic Patterns 1850: ~10% Mexican overall : ~3 million legal Mexican immigrants arrived in the US

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

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

Political Economy Primary Sector Secondary Sector –Zona libre –Maquiladoras –NAFTA

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 Regional Population Growth

Poverty Rates, 1999

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 Anglo Americans

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

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

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?

Related Books Arreola, Daniel D 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 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 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 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.

WebSources All-American Canal Festival of the West / Mesilla, New Mexico /