The Ties That Bind Us addresses the difficult living and working conditions of Mexican migrant workers in San Diego County, California, considering policy implications for both sides of the US-Mexico border. The authors highlight the circumstances of individuals who, seeking to escape poverty, come to San Diego hoping to exchange hard work for a chance to get ahead - and who often meet rampant discrimination, substandard and severely overcrowded housing, a paucity of appropriate health information and services, and untenable labor condition. In exploring the migrants' situation and some of the forces that drive them into the migration stream, the authors also suggest steps for alleviating their compromised life circumstances. They argue, as well, for legalization of the migrant population so that migrants can access the full range of services available in the transborder region.

The U.S.-Mexico Border Region is among the poorest geographical areas in the United States. The region has been long characterized by dual development, poor infrastructure, weak schools, health disparities and low-wage employment. More recently, the region has been affected by the violence associated with a drug and crime war in Mexico. The premise of this book is that the U.S.-Mexico Border Region is subject to systematic oppression and that the so-called social pathologies that we see in the region are by-products of social and economic injustice in the form of labor exploitation, environmental racism, immigration militarism, institutional sexism and discrimination, health inequities, a political economy based on low-wage labor, and the globalization of labor and capital. The chapters address a variety of examples of injustice in the areas of environment, health disparity, migration unemployment, citizenship, women and gender violence, mental health, and drug violence. The book proposes a pathway to development.

US-Mexico border region area has unique social, demographic and policy forces at work that shape the health of its residents as well as serves as a microcosm of migration health challenges facing an increasingly mobile and globalized world. This region reflects the largest migratory flow between any two nations in the world. Data from the Pew Research Center shows over the last 25 years there has never been lower than 140,000 annual immigrants from Mexico to the United States (with peaks over 700,000). This migratory route is extremely hazardous due to natural (e.g., arid and hot desert regions) and human made barriers as well as border enforcement practices tied to socio-political and geopolitical pressures. Also, reflecting the national interdependency of public health and human services needs, during the most recent five year period surveyed the migratory flow between the US and Mexico has equaled that of the flow of Mexico to the US--both around 1.4 million persons. Of particular public health concern, within the US-Mexico region of both nations there is among the highest disparities in income, education, infrastructure and access to health care--factors within the World Health Organization’s conceptualization of the Social Determinants of Health, and among the highest rates of chronic disease. For instance obesity and diabetes rates in this region are among the highest of those monitored in the world, with adult population estimates of the former over 40% and estimates in some population sub-groups for the latter over 20%. The publications reflected in this Research Topic, all reviewed from experts in the field, addressed many of the public health issues in the US Mexico Border Health Commission’s Healthy Border 2020 objectives. Those objectives-- broad public health goals used to guide a diverse range of government, research and community-based stakeholders--include Non Communicable Diseases (including adult and childhood obesity-related ones; cancer), Infectious Diseases (e.g., tuberculosis; HIV; emerging diseases--particularly mosquito borne illnesses), Maternal and Child Health, Mental Health Disorders, and Motor Vehicle Accidents. Other relevant public health issues affecting this region, for example environmental health, binational health services coordination (e.g., immunization), the impact of migration throughout the Americas and globally in this region, health issues related to the physical climate, access to quality health care, discrimination/mistreatment and well-being, acculturative/immigration stress, violence, substance use/abuse, oral health, respiratory disease, and well-being from a social determinants of health framework, are critical areas addressed in these publications or for future research. Each of these Research Topic publications presented applied solutions (e.g., new programs, technology or infrastructure) and/or public health policy recommendations relevant to each public health challenge addressed.

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.

Get the latest on culturally sensitive health care practices The United States-Mexico border region extends over 2,000 miles, and those residing there struggle to come to grips with several health and poverty challenges. Outreach and Care Approaches to HIV/AIDS Along the US-Mexico Border discusses the various complex factors influencing the control of HIV/AIDS along the US-Mexico Border. The book presents in-depth insights into the problems of language differences, lack of resources, poverty, culture, social stigma, fear of rejection from their communities, and other pressing issues dealing with this devastating health challenge. Practical approaches and strategies are detailed, emphasizing culturally sensitive health care practices. Outreach and Care Approaches to HIV/AIDS Along the US-Mexico Border reveals the latest research and assessment of services currently taking place in various states along this region. Innovative outreach strategies are described, along with accompanying studies detailing the program’s success in targeting a specific issue. The book is extensively referenced and includes numerous tables and figures to clarify ideas and quantify data. Topics in Outreach and Care Approaches to HIV/AIDS Along the US-Mexico Border include: Health Resources and Services Administration’s efforts of its HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB) practical expanded HIV counseling and testing a study on personal lifestyles and demographics of 1200 HIV seropositive individuals current research on health access issues the New Mexico Border Health Initiative (NMBHI) use of peer outreachwith programmatic elements, implications for practice, and recommendations for program coordinators the implementation and evaluation of an AIDS Education and Training Center (AETC) physician training program examination of an effective pilot HIV prevention intervention targeting Mexican/Latino migrant day laborers counseling intervention for female sex workers Transcultural Case Management (TCM) intervention program and its results Outreach and Care Approaches to HIV/AIDS Along the US-Mexico Border shines a crucial spotlight on the neglected problem of HIV and AIDS along border areas. The book is an important addition to the literature for social workers, health care professionals, and anyone involved with providing effective social, educational, and clinical services to all individuals affected by HIV/AIDS.