Mexico Border Cities Research Articles

Assessing mental health and technology use in the time of COVID-19 among farmworkers in the U.S. – Mexico border

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present findings on a community-based participatory research project where the authors examined access and ability to use technology, attitudes and perceptions of technology, and COVID-19 and mental health beliefs in the time of COVID-19, among predominantly Hispanic/Latinx farmworker males residing in the US–Mexico border city of El Paso, Texas. Design/methodology/approach This paper used a qualitative narrative analysis which consisted of in-person interviews in Spanish with male farmworkers (n = 10) between the ages of 49–60 years. This paper applied a research approach designed to engage researchers and community stakeholders as equal partners with the goal of improving practice. Findings Of the participants, eight reported having a phone and only three reported knowing how to use the internet. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the participants reported living a relatively stress-free life. When the pandemic impacted their community, they reported experiencing heightened anxiety and stress. To relieve stress, all participants used healthy coping strategies (e.g. walking and gardening). Originality/value The findings suggest that farmworker males are receptive to obtaining mental health services. In addition, they would benefit from resources highlighting healthy stress coping mechanisms. Due to their limited knowledge of current internet technology, efforts on how to promote and deliver mental health services and resources to farmworkers should be strategic and appropriate.

Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Acceptance (HPV-VA) and Vaccine Uptake (HPV-VU): assessing the impact of theory, culture, and trusted sources of information in a Hispanic community

BackgroundHuman papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection and is associated with many types of cancers that disproportionately impact Hispanics. An HPV vaccine is available for individuals ages 9—45 that can prevent up to 90% of HPV-associated cancers. The current study investigates factors associated with accepting the HPV vaccine in a predominately Hispanic community.MethodsA cross-sectional study design with an online questionnaire was used to collect data from a community sample of adults between the ages 18–65 residing in a U.S./Mexico border city, El Paso, Texas. Theory-based factors (e.g., the Health Belief Model), culture-based factors (e.g., familism), and trusted sources of information were examined as predictors of HPV-vaccine acceptance (HPV-VA) and HPV-vaccine uptake (HPV-VU).ResultsCommunity members (N = 602, Mage = 34.65, SD = 9.79) who were predominately Hispanic (89.4%) and female (79.6%) participated in the study. Linear regression models revealed that HPV-VA was associated with household size, primary language, engagement in organizational activities, health-related community stigma, government trust, and the HBM theory-based factors: perceived benefits, perceived harm, and perceived severity. Logistic regression analyses revealed that HPV-VU was associated with household size, engagement in non-organizational activities, HPV trusted sources of information, and perceived safety.ConclusionsAdequate HPV vaccination uptake among all vaccine-eligible Hispanics is an important step to lessen the HPV-attributed cancer burden. Our hypothesis that theory-based factors would be associated with HPV-VA and HPV-VU was supported. Our findings have implications for designing trusted, theory-based, and culturally sensitive health communications and interventions to promote vaccines in minority underrepresented communities.

Impulsivity, Sexual Compulsivity, and Sexual Risk Behaviors among Hispanic Men Who Have Sex with Men in a US–Mexico Border City

Hispanic men who have sex with men (HMSM) experience HIV risk-related and mental health disparities. The relationship of mental health (i.e., depressive symptoms and anxiety) on sexual risk behaviors of HMSM has been reported. However, little is known about the influence of impulsivity and compulsivity on sexual risk behaviors. A cross-sectional study explored these factors among 150 HMSM in the El Paso, Texas area utilizing standardized measures, in a cross-sectional study. Regression analysis determined the influence of sexual impulsivity and compulsivity, and demographic variables on sexual risk behaviors, indicating interventions should target these behaviors to mitigate sexual risk among HMSM.

Flood resilience in paired US–Mexico border cities: a study of binational risk perceptions

Disastrous floods in the twin cities of Nogales, Arizona, USA, and Nogales, Sonora, Mexico (collectively referred to as Ambos Nogales) occur annually in response to monsoonal summer rains. Flood-related hazards include property damage, impairment to sewage systems, sewage discharge, water contamination, erosion, and loss of life. Flood risk, particularly in Nogales, Sonora, is amplified by informal, “squatter” settlements in the watershed floodplain and associated development and infrastructure. The expected increase in precipitation intensity, resulting from climate change, poses further risk to flooding therein. We explore binational community perceptions of flooding, preferences for watershed management, and potential actions to address flooding and increase socio-ecological resilience in Ambos Nogales using standardized questionnaires and interviews to collect data about people and their preferences. We conducted 25 semi-structured interviews with local subject matter experts and gathered survey responses from community members in Ambos Nogales. Though survey response was limited, expected frequencies were high enough to conduct Chi-squared tests of independence to test for statistically significant relationships between survey variables. Results showed that respondents with previous experience with flooding corresponded with their level of concern about future floods. Additionally, respondents perceived greater flood-related risks from traveling across town and damage to vehicles than from inundation or damages to their homes or neighborhoods. Binationally, women respondents felt less prepared for future floods than men. On both sides of the border, community members and local experts agreed that Ambos Nogales lacks adequate preparation for future floods. To increase preparedness, they recommended flood risk education and awareness campaigns, implementation of green infrastructure, additional stormwater infrastructure (such as drainage systems), enhanced flood early warning systems, and reduction of flood flows through regulations to reduce the expansion of hard surfaces. This study contributes systematic collection of information about flood risk perceptions across an international border, including novel data regarding risks related to climate change and gender-based assessments of flood risk. Our finding of commonalities across both border communities, in perceptions of flood risk and in the types of risk reduction solutions recommended by community members, provides clear directions for flood risk education, outreach, and preparedness, as well as measures to enhance cross-border cooperation.

Coloniality and the political economy of gender: Edgework in Juárez City

The manner in which urban locations are drawn into the global economy defines their spatial organisation, distribution and utilisation. The relationships that are generated by this process include economic exchanges, racialised dynamics between workers and owners, gendered divisions of labour and the use and abuse of natural resources and infrastructure. These encounters of globalisation are often unequal or awkward and mediated by varying forms of violence, from structural to interpersonal, as these are used to rebalance the terms on which they meet. Using coloniality as an analytical tool, this article discusses the delicate balance of these Western-led encounters. Globalisation has become colonial by embedding hierarchical relationships in the foundations of the modern political economy. Gender identities, whiteness and non-whiteness, developed and underdeveloped are continually redefined, stigmatising certain groups and locations while elevating others on the basis of colonial power dynamics. Through a case study of the US–Mexico border city of Juárez, this article examines ethnographic work in its global context to explore how shame has become attached to male identities in locations of urban marginality. Theorising around the coloniality of urban space production, I discuss how Juárez’s border location has shaped its development though gendered and racialised frictions that are kept in check with violence. A coloniality perspective enables the unpicking of dominant conceptions of industrial cities in the Global South as metonyms for underdevelopment. Using the concept of edgework, I draw out how violence oils the wheels of globalisation to renegotiate damaged identities in contexts of territorial stigma.

Health disparities in access to health care for HIV infection, substance abuse, and mental health among Latino men who have sex with men in a U.S.–Mexico Border City

A cross-sectional study among 150 community-dwelling Latino men who have sex with men (MSM) in a U.S.–Mexico border city was conducted to describe health disparities in access to care for HIV infection, substance use/abuse, and mental health. Data were collected in 2013 and 2014. Median age of participants was 26 years, and the majority of participants identified as a sexual minority and born in the United States. Half did not have health insurance and reported suicidal ideation. One-eighth reported living with HIV. Most common substances reported were alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana. Clinicians who provide care for Latino MSM should be aware of intersecting comorbidities.

Re-Examination of Quality of Life Indicators in US - Mexico Border Cities: a Critical Review

This paper explores quality of life (QoL) in the US–Mexico Border region by revisiting The Border Observatory Project (BOP). The BOP collected and analyzed survey-response data derived from four pairs of border sister cities (Mexicali, Baja and Calexico, California; San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora and San Luis/Somerton, Arizona; Juarez, Chihuahua and El Paso, Texas; Tijuana, Baja and San Diego, California) over time. This paper adds to the literature on QoL by identifying the social and QoL indicators particularly pertinent to U.S.–Mexico border cities and significant differences between cities. The BOP and recent literature on U.S.-Mexico border QoL and social indicators are described and leveraged to propose a border-rooted bi-national, multi-community, and multi-indicator social indicators framework for use in future QoL and social indicator studies regarding border cities. The commentary and proposed framework in this paper help inform future research, policy, and practice concerning residents and migrants found in border communities.

“We Were Isolated and We Had to Do Whatever They Said”: Violence and Coercion to Keep Adolescents Girls from Leaving the Sex Trade in Two U.S–Mexico Border Cities

ABSTRACTTrafficked adolescent girls are at increased risk for sexual and physical abuse, HIV and STI (sexually transmitted infections) acquisition, mental health, and reproductive issues. While sex trafficking, in relation to adverse health outcomes, has been documented in prior research, this has been mainly explored once girls and women are already in the sex industry. However, less is known about the specific scenarios and contexts related to the recruitment and the different tools used to ensure women and girls remain in the sex trade. Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted in Tijuana and Ciudad Juárez, Mexico among 16 current female sex workers who entered the sex industry under 18 years old. Participants reported being forced or coerced into the sex trade by romantic partners, friends, acquaintances, strangers, and/or family members. The main tactics traffickers employed were: violence and threats of violence, use of pregnancy and children, addiction and forced substance use. Certain cultural and social practices facilitate interactions between traffickers and adolescent girls (e.g., older men dating adolescent girls, normalization of violence) that later result in exploitative dynamics (e.g., sexual exploitation). Institutions and social mechanisms are key to maintain and facilitate some of these interactions. Consequences of sexual exploitation go beyond health consequences; they impact women’s emotions, construction of sexuality, identity, and sexual rights among other elements of their lives. The results of this qualitative study may inform potential efforts to prevent coercion of adolescent girls into the sex trade and to assist those who have already been trafficked.

From experience to experiment: sources of ownership in processes of knowledge formation

How do actors in developing regions acquire ownership over processes of knowledge formation? This question was central to the work of Alice Amsden and is pursued in this article by means of a distinction she introduced between an “experience” and an “experiment.” Through the analysis of a surprising divergence in learning processes and growth outcomes in two pairs of US–Mexico border cities, this article identifies and considers the implications for knowledge ownership of two main factors—shocks of vulnerability and the relationship between repertoires of group practices and economic problems. Evidence from the case studies suggests that these variables can exert a powerful effect on whether groups capture little learning through experiences or build knowledge through experiments.

A qualitative exploratory study on gender identity and the health risks and barriers to care for transgender women living in a U.S.–Mexico border city

ABSTRACTThis exploratory, qualitative study examined the health risks and barriers to care for transgender women who live in a U.S.–Mexico border city. Individual in-depth interviews were conducted with 13 self-identified transgender women in El Paso, Texas, seven of whom identified as Latina. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded for analysis of emerging themes, using the qualitative analysis software Atlas.ti (v.7.0). The themes that emerged are (1) self-acceptance of transgender identity; (2) acceptance of transgender identity within social networks; and (3) health risks, including body modifications and barriers to health care. The findings reveal phases of self-acceptance of transgender identity, a high level of health risks, scarce health services resources, and low levels of acceptance from family, friends, and partners. This study provides an important contribution to the health disparities literature on gender identity and health risks and the needs of transgender women, particularly in a U.S.–Mexico border context.

Risk Factors Associated With Depression And Anxiety In Older Adults Of Mexican Origin

Older adults of Mexican origin are often underserved, especially those residing in nursing homes. The purpose of this study was to examine if there was a relationship among risk factors associated with depression and anxiety in older adults of Mexican origin. Using a quantitative correlational design, the relationships were assessed with a demographic questionnaire, the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). A sample of 150 elders of Mexican origin residing in nursing homes in a Texas–Mexico border city were examined using two multiple regression analyses. Data analysis indicated that there was a relationship between risk factors associated with depression and anxiety. Data from this study confirmed that a high score on ADLs predicted greater depression and anxiety while female gender predicted higher anxiety and frequent family support predicted low anxiety.

Perceived risk of HIV infection among deported male injection drug users in Tijuana, Mexico

Deported injection drug users (IDUs) in Mexico may be vulnerable to HIV infection following expulsion from the USA. We examined factors associated with HIV risk perception among a sample of deportees in Tijuana. From January to April 2010, 313 male IDUs who reported ever being deported from the USA completed a questionnaire. Overall, 35% (N = 110) of deportees perceived HIV risk. In multivariate logistic regression analyses, factors independently associated with HIV risk perception included ever having a steady female partner in Tijuana post-deportation (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 2.26; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01–5.07) and years spent in a US prison (AOR: 1.29 per year; 95% CI: 1.13–1.48). Conversely, years of drug injection use (AOR: 0.95 per year; 95% CI: 0.91–0.99), ever witnessing family members use drugs prior to first migration trip (AOR: 0.24; 95% CI: 0.09–0.65), years of residence in the USA (AOR: 0.91 per year; 95% CI: 0.84–0.98) and being a Tijuana native (AOR: 0.40; 95% CI: 0.16–0.99) were negatively associated with HIV risk perception. US–Mexico border cities that receive deported migrants should target HIV prevention interventions to specific subgroups, including drug-using male deportees. Interventions should consider migrant's time in the USA, the role of their social networks, and reducing missed opportunities for HIV testing/education.

Interbasin water transfers at the US–Mexico border city of Nogales, Sonora: implications for aquifers and water security

Nogales, Sonora, on the US–Mexico border, employs interbasin water and wastewater transfers to address water scarcity in the context of a rising population, a warming climate, and cross-border institutional asymmetries. A unique feature of its geography and border context is Nogales's export of wastewater both north to the US and, starting with the August 2012 commissioning of a strategically positioned wastewater treatment plant, south to the Alisos basin, which is its principal drinking-water source. Thus, when the new plant is fully operational, it will result in indirect potable reuse of effluent via recharge of the source-water aquifer. This paper finds that such strategies contribute to increased water scarcity in Nogales, and to detrimental health, livelihood and environmental impacts in the source basin, thus raising questions about interbasin transfers as a principal water management strategy.

Pharmacists' actions when patients use complementary and alternative medicine with medications: A look at Texas–Mexico border cities

ObjectivesTo determine how often pharmacists inquire about patients’ complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use, actions taken in response to patients’ CAM use, and demographic or professional characteristics that predict differences in pharmacists’ actions. MethodsA survey was mailed to 400 randomly selected community pharmacists who resided in Texas–Mexico border cities. ResultsMost (63.8%) pharmacists had encountered patients who were using CAM. They documented CAM use in 9.8% of cases and monitored for drug-related problems in 39.4%. Among users, pharmacists sometimes to usually (3.4± [mean ± SD]) took actions such as referring patients to their physicians. Pharmacists were not particularly comfortable (3.2 ± 1.0) with responding to CAM inquiries but believed patients needed adequate CAM knowledge. Pharmacists rarely to sometimes (2.6 ± 1.2) asked patients about their CAM use. Inquiry about CAM use was greater when information could be documented in profiles (F = 4.29, P = 0.02) and when pharmacists had additional training in CAM (t = −2.59, P = 0.01). Also, in pharmacies that stocked herbal or homeopathic products, pharmacists were more likely to recommend other CAM therapies appropriate for patients’ conditions (t = −3.27, P < 0.01). ConclusionPharmacists were not very proactive in inquiring about CAM use, and their actions (e.g., referral to physician) were somewhat passive. More routine inquiry and documentation are needed. Pharmacists should routinely ask about and document CAM use by patients in order to optimize drug therapy outcomes.

Prevalence and Levels of Severity of Childhood Trauma among Mexican Female Sex Workers: A Comparison of Two Mexico Border Cities

The purpose of this study is to examine the prevalence of childhood trauma in a sample of female sex workers in Mexico. One hundred and nine female sex workers were recruited from Nuevo Laredo and Ciudad Juarez and administered the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Findings reveal a high prevalence rate of childhood trauma among the total sample (94%). Nuevo Laredo sex workers had significantly higher total mean and subscale scores and levels of severity compared to Ciudad Juarez sex workers. This research is important because it examines the extent of childhood trauma among sex workers in a developing country. Moreover, it contributes to the few existing studies on sex workers that have documented the circumstances and factors unique to rural and urban environments. These results underline the importance of early identification of childhood trauma and implementation of appropriate prevention, intervention, and policies that might reduce these females' trajectory into sex work.

Simulating urban growth on the US-Mexico border: Nogales, Arizona, and Nogales, Sonora

The paired US–Mexico border cities of Nogales, Arizona, and Nogales, Sonora (known as Ambos Nogales), are the largest and most rapidly growing cities on the Arizona–Sonora border. The growing urban population is producing extensive land-use and land-cover change in the region. The continued expansion of paired cities presents many environmental management and urban planning challenges. This research employs a cellular automata model to examine the difference between the patterns and rates of urban growth and land-use change under different environmental and planning strategies in the two cities over the next 20 years (2004–2025). A series of Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) images acquired over different time periods (October 1985, July 1991, February 1995, September 2000, and July 2004) were used to simulate urban growth using four planning scenarios, namely business as usual, environmental protection, road network, and antigrowth strategy. The study reveals that the unchecked urban growth trend in the business as usual, environmental protection, and road network scenarios simulates significant (99.5%) edge developments or organic growth throughout the region. In contrast, the antigrowth scenario, which emphasizes environmental protection, allows for more green and open space and is therefore considered the most desirable for planning future urban land use and development.

Migration and Urbanization in Northwest Mexico's Border Cities

This essay analyzes the influence of migration in the development of Northwest Mexico's border cities, most specifically in Tijuana, Nogales, and Ciudad Juarez. Northwest Mexico has become one of the most dynamic regions in the country, not only because of the maquiladora (assembly-plant) industry established since the 1960s in Tijuana, Mexicali, Nogales, San Luis Rio Colorado, Agua Prieta, and Ciudad Juarez, but also because of the consistently high levels of population growth and urbanization these dynamic urban areas have sustained since the mid-twentieth century. Among Mexico's border cities notable for their high rates of population growth and urbanization, Tijuana, Nogales, and Juarez are particularly exemplary. Today's booming border cities were, with the exception of Juarez, merely small frontier towns at the beginning of the twentieth century. It was not until the great post-World War II economic expansion of the U.S. Southwest that these border towns really began to take on urban dimensions. In Tijuana's case, early development was based on the establishment of dive bars and taverns, largely for the U.S. market, lending the town legendary status as a place of vice. Nogales, on the other hand, began largely as a port-of-entry for railroad and other types of cross-border traffic. The destiny of these cities was, early on, intimately linked to the United States, whose economic trends directly influenced the border's demographic dynamics as well as the flow of goods back and forth across the international boundary. The powerful and deep transborder relationships established among cities on opposite sides of the line are characterized by the large structural differences between the two nations, and by the Mexico's dependence on the United States for manufactured goods, merchandise, capital, and employment. Mexican migration towards these border cities in the twentieth century was driven by the relatively open possibilities for cross-

The Evolution of Maquiladora Best Practices: 1965–2008

This article analyzes the evolution of best practices in the maquiladora industry in Mexico. Since the mid-1960s, the maquiladora has been understood as a simple assembly activity based on cheap labor, with low added value, and limited linkage with local suppliers. However, the maquiladora industry has evolved since the early 1980s as a consequence of the adoption of best practices in the productive processes and industrial organization. The best practices examined in this article are increases or improvements in complex activities, capabilities, just-in-time, continuous improvement, environmental performance, and job safety. The data come from three surveys administered in major U.S./Mexico border cities in 1990, 2002, and 2006. Based on an analysis of these surveys, there has been a broad diffusion of the best organizational practices since the 1960s.

What explains unemployment in US–Mexican border cities?

The unemployment rate of US–Mexico border cities has stood remarkably higher than the US average. Using annual data from 1990 to 2005, we contrast large border MSAs (Brownsville, McAllen, Laredo, and El Paso in Texas and El Centro in California) to a panel of MSAs in the same states (Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Los Angeles and San Francisco). Focusing on the industry composition of employment and population growth, we report several panel data results confirmed by error correction adjustment. First, the national unemployment rate does not help explain the local border cities unemployment but does so for the panel of large MSAs. Second, the relative employment indices have statistically significant effects only for the border panel: increases in employment concentration within an industry lead to higher local border unemployment. Third, higher population density lowers unemployment for border cities.

A Qualitative Exploration of Gender in the Context of Injection Drug Use in Two US–Mexico Border Cities

Injection drug use is of increasing concern along the U.S.-Mexico border where Tijuana and Ciudad (Cd.) Juarez are located. We conducted a qualitative study to explore the context of drug use, with a focus on gender differences. In-depth interviews were conducted with 10 male and 10 female injection drug users (IDUs) in Tijuana and 15 male and 8 female IDUs in Cd. Juarez. Topics included types of drugs used, injection settings, access to sterile needles and environmental influences. Interviews were taped, transcribed and translated. Content analysis was conducted to identify themes. Several themes emerged with respect to gender: (a) how drugs were obtained; (b) where drugs were used; (c) relationship dynamics surrounding drug use; and (d) sex in exchange for money or drugs. Men reported buying and injecting in shooting galleries and other locations, whereas women tended to buy and inject drugs with people they knew and trusted. All men reported having shared syringes in shooting galleries, often with strangers. In these two cities, venue-based interventions may be more appropriate for male IDUs, whereas personal network interventions may be more appropriate among female IDUs.