Troublesome Border

by Martinez, Oscar J.

• ISBN13: 9780816525577
• ISBN10: 0816525579
• Edition: Revised
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-08-30
• Publisher: Univ of Arizona Pr

Summary

"U.S. residents are largely unaware that Mexicans also view their northern border with concern, and at times even alarm. Border communities, such as Ciudad Juarez and Tijuana, have long been subjected to heavy criticism from Mexico City and other interior areas for their close ties to the United States, a country viewed with apprehension and suspicion by the Mexican citizenry." Oscar Martinez's words may come as a surprise to those who associate the U.S. southern border with banditry, racial strife, illegal migration, drug smuggling, and official corruption--all attributed to Mexico. In Troublesome Border, now revised to reflect the dramatic changes over the last two decades, a distinguished scholar and long-time resident of the border area addresses these and other problems that have caused increasing concern to federal governments on both sides of the border. This second edition of Troublesome Borderhas been updated and revised to cover dramatic developments since the book's first publication in 1988 that have once again transformed the region in fundamental ways. Martinez includes new information on migration and drugs, including the extraordinary rise of violence traced largely to the rampant illegal drug trade; the devastating effects of U.S. Border Patrol "blockades" that have resulted in thousands of deaths; and the impact of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

Author Biography

Oscar J. Martinez is a Regents' Professor of History at the University of Arizona.

Table of Contents

List of Maps	vii
List of Tables	ix
Preface	xi
Introduction	3	(6)
1 Whither the Boundary?	9	(21)
2 Marked Frontier	30	(18)
3 Border Indians	48	(28)
4 Mexican Americans, Ethnic Conflict, and Identity Issues	76	(24)
5 Norteños/as, Fronterizos/as, and Foreign Dependence	100	(17)
6 Growth, the Environment, and the Border Flow	117	(14)
7 Migration, Drugs, and Violence	131	(17)
Conclusion	148	(5)
Notes	153	(12)
Bibliography	165	(12)
Index	177