What is the

Mexican–American Border?

Katie Laughlin

Brownsville by Bus

Final Project

Winter 05

The Mexican – American Border could simply be defined by the geographic area spanning 3,000 miles from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean, but it comprises much more than this. It is a rich history, it is a common ancestry, and it is the division of communities, socioeconomic classes, and stereotypes. The border is various things to various types of people. There maybe a defined political line of separation, but the cultural division is difficult to establish.

Currently, the border consists of six Mexican states and four American states, but this has not always been the case. The human history of border area dates back roughly 12,000 years with numerous Native American tribes occupying the region (Lorey, 16). Due to the native inhabitance of the border many Mexican natives and European settlers from central Mexico were reluctant to move north, referring to the area as having “barbarous people” (Lorey, 18). During the mid-1500’s silver was discovered in the North, drawing both Native Americans and Europeans into places such as Guanajuato, Zacatecas, and other locations. The northern territory was a lucrative area, containing mines, urban settlement, and agriculture. At this time Spain, England, and France were interested in the area, the Spanish encouraged settlement in the north, while war broke out amongst Native Americans and the French and British. With European settlement came disease, and within a century over half the native population had been destroyed. By 1700 the Spaniards abandoned their colonization further northward and decided to consolidate and focus on their present territory.

The task of unifying the area was very difficult considering the isolation of settlement in the border regions. There were various different tribal communities and languages, as well as European settlements. In addition, the people of the frontier area felt a certain pride in their ability to overcome the hardships of the region. Also, the people of the frontier felt central Mexico had not provided them with sufficient resources to defend the area (Mora-Torres, 29). This created a distinction between those of central Mexico and those of the frontier. Prior to 1848, which was when the border was officially established, the frontier area was isolated from both the United States and Mexico (Mora-Torres, 11).

From 1821 – 1867 Mexico experience a lot of territorial change, consequently due to political instability. In 1821 Mexico gained independence from Spain, but in 1823 Central America separated from Mexico. Merely thirteen years later, in 1836 the Texas revolt causes Texas to detach from Mexican rule. Then the Mexican- American war of 1846 -1848, resulting in the acquisition of what is now California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, portions of Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, as well as Oklahoma. This was also the declaration of the Rio Bravo, or the Rio Grande, as the border between the two counties. In 1853 was the Gadsden Purchase, when General Santa Anna sold the Mesilla region of Southern Arizona and New Mexico to the United States. Mexico suffered more attacks in 1862 – 1867 from France. As a result of all the conflict and political instability, Mexico quickly lost more than half the territory they had recently had gained during their independence in 1821.

The establishment of the border in 1848 had a substantial impact on how the border currently operates. There was now a line defining two societies; societies bound for different paths of development. The border also split communities directly down the center. For instance, any community which was created along both sides of the river bank would now be under the rule of two different countries. Initially, some Mexican citizens who were now Americans moved across the river to maintain Mexican citizenships. For example, the community of Laredo-Monterrey developed, now know as Nuevo Laredo, to spite the American flag. On the other hand, the town of Brownsville, Texas was established by residents of Matamoros, MX who longed to be under American rule. With the creation of new town in the United States came the building of large warehouses, intended to store goods to be illegally introduced into Mexico (Mora-Torres, 23). This mentality of corruption is still an apparent operation along the border.

The corruption can be evaluated through the views and perceptions of the border and ‘the other side.’ Around the establishment of the Mexican – American border, the U.S. viewed Mexico as an abundance of commercial opportunity, hence the large warehouses. But what is really interesting is that the modern view is not much different. When evaluating the industry currently surrounding the border, the area is covered with maquiladoras, which are Mexican factories often owned by American companies. These factories are strategically placed, literally as close to the U.S. border as possible, in order to lower costs with cheep labor and less regulations, while still being able to easily supply the consumer. Blatantly illegal markets currently surrounding the border include drug trafficking and the smuggling of illegal aliens, which the area has become infamous for (Campbell, Hayman 2004).

On the other hand, Mexicans have viewed the ‘other side’ in various ways throughout history. At the time the border was established, Mexico viewed the U.S. as a source of violent groups; the U.S. was viewed as a threat. For others the border was a sign of freedom from being indentured servants. Now the border is viewed more synonymously as a symbol of freedom and opportunity. Annually, thousands of Mexicans, Central Americans, and people from all over the world attempt to cross into the United States illegally, many of whom are searching for better lives. America is seen as the land of opportunity.

While the border region contains a unified history and ethnic heritage, the political line defines two different socioeconomic communities. For an illegal alien, successfully making their way across the border is the difference between six dollars a day at a maquiladora and six dollars an hour in the states. Other Mexican citizen may cross the border to shop for electronics or recently released products not yet available in Mexico. For an American citizen, crossing into Mexico is usually a search for less expensive dental care, prescription drugs, or for prostitution. In addition, either side has an invested interest in the trafficking of drugs and people, which are also very lucrative industries.

Along with the illegal activity have come American stereotypes of the region and of Mexican people in general. In the article, Recent Research on the U.S. – Mexico Border by Josiah Hayman and Howard Campbell, it explains that there has been a lot of negative publicity focusing on the extremes of border life. This portrays a completely bias view of a society to readers who may not have experienced the area, nor know much about the culture. From my own personal experiences, it seems people unfamiliar with the area are quick to judge. They tend to hold strong opinions on opening or closing the border. In contrast, those who are familiar with the area or have learned about the culture seem to have a more intimate connection. For instance, if you witness someone who had died on your property in an attempt to reach ‘the land of opportunity,’ you are more likely to feel compassionate. Unfortunately, this is not a hypothetical example, but an actual story from the Malpai Ranch outside of Douglas, Arizona. This is just one of many stories being lived by immigrants coming from Mexico into the United States. Acknowledging the humanity involved not only tends to create empathy, it tends to evoke more questions and a longing for solutions. Without studying an area and its culture one truly has little right to judge or generalize.

While politically one can determine where Mexico ends and the United States begins, establishing where one culture ends and another begins is far more difficult task. When observing the area the people look nearly identical on either side. Many of them have the same religion, language, even ancestry. Often a child may live in Mexico but attend school in the United States. Sometimes, half a family lives on one side of the border from the other. Yet, someone is Chicago or Mexico City may already have an idea of what type of person they believe to be living on a side of the border. Additionally, an American currently can practice Spanish in nearly every town throughout the country due to the massive amount of illegal workers in the U.S. who speak Spanish as their first language. Also, an American can travel almost anywhere in Mexico and find that Mexican citizens are able to communicate in English. So where does the border really end or begin?

The Mexican – American border has a rich history ranging from political confrontation to cultural and economic differences. The border may have been defined by a geographic barrier in 1848, which is recognized and enforced by the government, but the true border, the true deviation of two nations can not be defined. It is my belief that the boundary is forever changing and growing, and due to the nature of the region and the people the boundary may remain elusive.

Bibliography

1) Campbell, Howard and Heyman, Josiah McC., et al. “Recent Research on the U.S.- Mexico Border.” Latin American Research Review Vol. 39, No.3, October 2004.

2) Lorey, David E. The U.S. –Mexican Border in the Twentieth Century: A History of Economic and Social Transformation. Delaware: Scholarly Resourse Inc., 1999.

3) Mora-Torres, Juan. The Making of the Mexican Border. Austin: The University of Texas Press, 2001.