The Colonias Reader
eBook - ePub

The Colonias Reader

Economy, Housing and Public Health in U.S.-Mexico Border Colonias

  1. English
  2. ePUB (mobile friendly)
  3. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub

The Colonias Reader

Economy, Housing and Public Health in U.S.-Mexico Border Colonias

About this book

The colonias of the U.S.–Mexico border form a loose network of more than 2,500 settlements, ranging in size from villages to cities, that are home to over a million people. While varying in size, all share common features: wrenching poverty, substandard housing, and public health issues approaching crisis levels. This book brings together scholars, professionals, and activists from a wide range of disciplines to examine the pressing issues of economic development, housing and community development, and public and environmental health in colonias of the four U.S.–Mexico border states.

The Colonias Reader is the first book to present such a broad overview of these communities, offering a glimpse into life in the colonias and the circumstances that allow them to continue to exist—and even grow—in persistent poverty. The contributors document the depth of existing problems in each state and describe how government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and community activists have mobilized resources to overcome obstacles to progress.

More than reporting problems and documenting programs, the book provides conceptual frameworks that tie poverty to institutional and class-based conflicts, and even challenges the very basis of colonia designations. Most of these contributions move beyond portraying border residents as hapless victims of discrimination and racism, showing instead their devotion to improving their own living conditions through grassroots organizing and community leadership.

These contributions show that, despite varying degrees of success, all colonia residents aspire to a livable wage, safe and decent housing, and basic health care. The Colonias Reader showcases many situations in which these people have organized to fulfill these ambitions and provides new insight into life along the border.

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Yes, you can access The Colonias Reader by Angela J. Donelson,Adrian X. Esparza in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Social Sciences & Emigration & Immigration. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Cover Page
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Contents
  5. Introduction
  6. Part I Colonia Economies and Economic Development
  7. Part II Housing and Community Development
  8. Part III Colonias Health and the Environment
  9. Part IV Conclusion: Reflections and Directions
  10. Works Cited
  11. About the Editors
  12. About the Contributors
  13. Index