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Borderlands of the Rio Grande Valley: Where Two Worlds BORDERLANDS OF THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY: WHERE TWO WORLDS BECOME ONE by Nora Lisa Cavazos, M.A. A thesis submitted to the Graduate Council of Texas State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts with a Major in International Studies August 2014 Committee Members: Paul Hart, Chair John McKiernan-Gonzalez Robert Gorman COPYRIGHT by Nora Lisa Cavazos 2014 FAIR USE AND AUTHOR’S PERMISSION STATEMENT Fair Use This work is protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States (Public law94-553, section 107). Consistent with fair use as defined in the Copyright Laws, brief quotations from this material are allowed with proper acknowledgment. Use of this material for financial gain without the author’s express written permission is not allowed. Duplication Permission As copyright holder of this work I, Nora Lisa Cavazos authorize duplication of this work, in whole or in part, for educational or scholarly purposes only. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would sincerely like to thank my family for inspiring me to write about the reality of such a complicatedly beautiful place. Without the love and support from my Mom, Dad, Linda, Melissa, David, Noah, and Jaeden, none of this would have been possible. For all the times they extended their home, their food, and their stress relieving techniques, I am undoubtedly thankful. A big thank you to Dr. Paul Hart, Dr. John McKiernan-Gonzalez, and Dr. Robert Gorman for encouraging my study of the Rio Grande Valley, the place I love the most, and for pushing me beyond what I knew I was capable of. Your guidance, expertise, and wisdom has done nothing but wonders for me. I would also like to thank Christopher Hampton and Melisa Kakas for encouraging me even when I couldn’t encourage myself. For always offering positive vibes and positive outlooks even when I couldn’t see them. This thesis is for my people, my family, my friends, and the educators who took the time to make this dream a reality. Thank you. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................................iv LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................................viii LIST OF FIGURES ...............................................................................................................ix CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................1 Research Theories on Hybridity and Identity in Border Areas......................4 Thesis Question and Chapter Outline ...........................................................10 II. RIO GRANDE VALLEY BORDER LAND HISTORY: CAMERON COUNTY ........................................................................................14 Conclusion .....................................................................................................30 III. ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND MEXICO FROM WWII TO 1990’S ..........................33 Bracero Program and Operation Wetback .....................................................33 Border Industrialization Program ..................................................................45 Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965 .................................................49 La Ley General de Población Mexicano: A Policy of No Policy ..................52 Immigration and Naturalization Act Amendments and the Refugee Act of 1980 ..............................................................................................54 Mexican Economic Collapse of the 1980’s ...................................................56 Immigration and Reform Control Act of 1986 ..............................................58 Immigration Act of 1990 and the Illegal Immigrant Reform and Responsibility Act of 1996 ......................................................................62 Operation Rio Grande ....................................................................................64 Conclusion .....................................................................................................67 v IV. INTRODUCTION TO THE NORTH AMERICAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT IN U.S. AND MEXICAN POLICY AND THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY ............................................................................................69 Section 1: North American Free Trade Agreement .......................................69 What was NAFTA Supposed to Do? .................................................71 Exports and Imports ...........................................................................74 Mexico’s Economic Wellbeing..........................................................77 Section 2: The Rio Grande Valley and NAFTA Implications .......................88 Sector Boom in the RGV ...................................................................88 Valley Job Loss ..................................................................................91 Agriculture .........................................................................................92 International Trade .............................................................................95 Conclusion .....................................................................................................96 V. THE LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY WHERE 1ST WORLD MEETS 3RD WORLD: ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL PROFILE OF THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY POST NAFTA ....................................................................................99 Rio Grande Valley Population with a Cameron County Perspective ............99 Rio Grande Valley Economic Profile ............................................................107 Formal Border Economy................................................................................108 Informal Economy .........................................................................................112 The Underground Economy and the Drug War Culture ................................113 Job Sector and Unemployment ......................................................................122 Poverty and Income .......................................................................................125 Border Education ...........................................................................................128 Conclusion .....................................................................................................136 VI. POLITICAL IMPLICATION ON THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY POST 9/11: BORDER CONTROL IN A NEW SECURITY CONTEXT .....................138 USA Patriot Act .............................................................................................138 Smart Border Accords....................................................................................140 Secure Fence Act of 2006 – Border Wall ......................................................142 vi Southwest Border Security Act of 2010 ........................................................153 The Merida Initiative ....................................................................................154 Conclusion .....................................................................................................156 VII. CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................158 BIBLIOGRAPHY ..................................................................................................................163 vii LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Border crossings 2002-2006 ..............................................................................................96 2. 2012 Border crossings........................................................................................................96 3. Rio Grande Valley & Mexican Sister Cities ......................................................................101 4. Cameron County and Matamoros’ Population by Number ...............................................103 5. Employment and Changes in Rio Grande Valley by Industry ...........................................111 6. Texas and Cameron County Populations, Poverty Rate, Per Capita Income, And Household Income 1990-2010 ...................................................................................127 viii LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Cameron County Land Porciones ......................................................................................16 2. Frontera de México con Estados Unidos 1848..................................................................20 3. The Rio Grande Valley ......................................................................................................26 4. Rio Grande Valley Population Growth from 1970-1980 ...................................................54 5. Mexican Born Population in the U.S., 1850-2011 .............................................................86 6. Annual Immigration from Mexico to the U.S.: 1991-2010 ...............................................86 7. GDP Growth Since 1993. ..................................................................................................87 8. Cameron County and Matamoros Population from 1990-2010 .........................................102 9. Foreign Born Population Percentage 1990-2010 ...............................................................103 10. Cameron County Mexican, Hispanic, and Overall Population of 1990 ..........................104 11. Cameron County Mexican, Hispanic, and Overall Population of 2000 .........................104
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