Borders & Boundaries

BORDERS & BOUNDARIES RE-THINKING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE US - MEXICO BORDER Patrick Saucedo Instructor: Ammar Eloueini Thesis 2017- 2018 2 BORDERS & BOUNDARIES 3 4 “… the U.S.-Mexico border, is the busiest and among the most contrasting international borders in the world, with over one million crossings daily. It is the ninth longest in the world and the fourth longest in the Americas, with an area bigger than Spain or Sweden and a population larger than Guatemala or Portugal. It is a dynamic site that encompasses modern global issues that range from migration to trade to international relations to national sovereignty.”1 Fernando Romero Hyper-Border: The contemporary U.S. Mexico Border and its Future1 1. James Whitlow Delano/National Geographic BORDERS & BOUNDARIES 5 STATEMENT The US – Mexico Border is viewed as a line in the sand separating the two independent nations. In actuality it is a thickened zone between two bound- ary lines. This thesis will investigate the redevelop- ment of this intermediary zone by introducing a new architectural armature, for those seeking to cross this threshold. The project will attempt to solve the issues either ignored or exacerbated by the two countries, creating an idealized community produced by, but independent of the failures of the current dynamics of the region. 6 ABSTRACT Since the beginning of civilization people have fought over land, disputed what nation, tribe or political faction controls what river, mountain range, field or forest. Political borders and boundaries have long been plagued with conflict ranging from migration, immigration, ethnic or religious cleansing and war. We draw our maps with black lines dividing countries, states and provinces, often these lines following elements of the natural landscape such as rivers or mountains. This document will study one such case border conflict, the U.S-Mexico border region, in hopes to discover the potential for border conflicts to be resolved through the means of architecture. The Unites States Southern border with The United Mexican States, commonly referred to as the U.S and Mex- ico respectively, has been subject to much debate in American politics. It has been a heated debate calling into question; 1. Who should be allowed to cross? 2. How and when should they cross? 3. Should anyone be allowed to cross? Both implemented strategies and proposed solutions to ease the tensions along the border have been simple minded and unable to properly address the issues facing the region. From closing the 2,000 mile border with walls and fencing, to opening the flood gates the range of ideas have failed to capitalize and propose investment in the region. Much of the border is impassable by foot or by car, rendering a man made barrier irrelevant and ease of transit difficult to accomplish. Erecting a wall or other physical barrier is not only expensive but fails to prevent any the issues it claims to solve. As declared in the opening statement this thesis will propose an infrastructural and architectural investment in the region. This investment will seek to create a prototypical example of how the border can be a cooperative and less combative region. The architectural project developed will attempt to establish replicable idea that can be used to revitalize sections of the border. 2. James Whitlow Delano/National Geographic BORDERS & BOUNDARIES 7 CONTENTS STATEMENT 5 ABSTRACT 6 TABLE OF CONTENTS 7 INTRODUCTION 8 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 9 A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE US-MEXICO BORDER AND IMMIGRATION RELATIONS THE EVOLUTION OF THE US AND MEXICAN BORDER 10 A HISTORY OF IMMIGRATION NORTH 14 THE WAR ON DRUGS AND THE RISE OF NARCOS STATES 16 CURRENT POLICIES AND PROPOSED SOLUTIONS CURRENT US BORDER POLICY 17 CURRENT PROBLEMS MEXICO IF FACING ON ITS SOUTHERN BORDER 17 THE CURRENT “SOLUTIONS” AND THE RECIPRICAL NATURE OF SISTER CITIES 18 THE ARCHITECTURE CASE STUDIES AND PRECEDENT ANALYSIS 22 PROGRAM AND SITE ANALYSIS 40 8 INTRODUCTION This thesis is not purely an academic exercise and thought experiment. It is also issue that has affected me personally. While this document will not focus on the personal impacts on myself, it does approach the political and societal aspects from a certain perspec- tive. The solutions proposed in this essay and design are not meant to be interpreted as “end all be all” type proposal but rather a spark to ignite further debate, research and discourse on issues facing the U.S-Mex- ico border. This document and its accompanying design are meant to be viewed as a theoretical experiment addressing the region. 3. Inge Johnsson/Alamy BORDERS & BOUNDARIES 9 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank my professor Ammar Eloueini for his incite and helpful feedback throughout the research and design process. I would also like to thank my peers for all engaging conversation and debate on both my thesis topic and their own. Both parties have proven useful in the production of this document. It should also be noted that all those outside of my academic ventures, who were willing to discuss the contents of this document and the topic at hand, your feedback has allowed me to discuss this topic beyond the boundaries of architecture. Lastly I would like to thank my family, I appreciate the sacrifices made by to aid in my journey to where I am today. Without their unyielding support this document would not be possible. 10 A BRIEF HISTORY of the US-MEXICO BORDER and IMMIGRATION RELATIONS The Evolution of the U.S. and Mexican Border(s) Three countries control a majority of the landmass in North and Central America, The United States, Canada and Mexico. In total the three countries control a large percentage of the continents and drive a significant portion of the western hemispheres economy. All three of these nations once be- longed to European empires as colonies or extensions of their influence. The development of these three countries has spanned centuries, resulting unique relationships between them, due to both proximity and shared histories. The a. US 1783 most dynamic of the border relationships between these major political pow- ers is that of the United States and Mexico, once belonging to The United Kingdom and Spain, respectively. A proper historical context must be provid- ed to understand the current political climate surrounding the shared border of these two nations. The first of the two countries to gain their independence from their parent nation was the United States. The United States declared their independence from the United Kingdom in 1776 and fully received their independence in 1783 with the treaty of Paris marking both the end to the American b. US 1803 Revolution and defining the first borders for the country. This included the original boundaries of the thirteen colonies and all British held lands east of the Mississippi river (diagram a). The second expansion of the country came with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, while the original deal struck with the then Kingdom of France was only the rights to negotiate for purchasing of the land and the final purchase came as late as the 1970’s (diagram b). How- ever it is perceived as the first major expansion of the U.S. and as soon as the original deal was struck with France American settlers began moving west- ward sparking the concepts of ‘Manifest Destiny’ and ‘The Right to Work’. Shortly after the Louisiana Purchase a series of secessions from 1810 to 1819 c. US 1819 acquired from Spain and Britain, including Florida and parts of northern Maine, North Dakota, and Louisiana and the gulf coast (diagram c), set the groundwork for larger expansions in the west. The two of the next three significant western expansions were acquired as a result from direct conflict with the then thirty year old country of Mexico. In 1836 the territory of Texas received independence from Mexico and nine years later in 1845 it was annexed into the United States (diagram d). The second acquisition directly from Mexico was a result of the Mexican-Amer- ican war, the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed in 1848. The treaty d. US 1845 ceded modern day states of California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Wyo- ming, Colorado and Arizona and what remained of Texas (diagram e). The treaty also established the Rio Grande River as the primary place holder for the southern border separating the two nations. The last direct acquisition from Mexico occurred in 1853 with the Gadsden Purchase, roughly form- ing the border as it stands today. The third and final major expansion of the continental United States was purchased from Britain in 1848, the Oregon territory consisting of Washington, Oregon, Idaho and parts of Montana and Wyoming. e. US 1848 All Images by Author BORDERS & BOUNDARIES 11 The story of Mexico’s boundaries is somewhat of an antithesis to that of the United States, one of compression rather than expansion. Mexico started as larger nation than the one that exists today, originally consisting of what is now the United States West coast and Midwest (diagram f). Mexico gained its independence from Spain in 1821 eleven years after the initial call for independence in 1810. Prior to Mexico’s independence Spain held much of North America west of the Mississippi river and south of Forty Ninth parallel, the western half of South America and all of Central America, however as a result of Napoleon’s occupation of Spain diminished Spanish influence and military power in the America’s. After gaining it independence, Mexico struggled to maintain control over its territory south of the Yucatan, now comprising the f. MX 1821 nations of Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, and Honduras (diagram g).

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