BUILDING HUMAN SECURITY IN MEXICALI, BAJA CALIFORNIA (2010‑2020)

This article aims to analyze social inequality and public security in Mexicali Metropolitan Area from a Human Security approach. The research methodology, carried out in the summer of 2021, is mix methods, with qualitative, quantitative, and cartographic technics. It is based on official data, international organizations reports, media outlets while Google Earth and Mapinfo are mapping tools. The document is divided into the following sections: introduction, conceptual framework, methodology, and qualitative and quantitative description of social inequality and insecurity in the Mexicali Metropolitan Area (MMA). Subsequently, the main argument is addressed, supported by statistics and thematic maps. Finally, the closing considerations are presented.

THE US‑MEXICAN BORDER AND CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN IMMIGRATION POLICY

There have been several periods in American history that are referred to as turbulent times. They were characterized by a wide range of changes that happened to respond to issues that brought anxiety, threat, discontent, or trouble. Donald Trump's presidency and the Covid-19 pandemic significantly influenced American immigration policy and the lives of immigrants. The present article pays special attention to the Mexican-American border. This area plays a crucial role in migration studies focusing on the Americas for at least two reasons: international relations between Mexico (and the Latin American region) and the United States, and homeland security issues related to irregular and regular migrant flows. This study aims to determine what changes have been implemented in border policy, investigate why they occurred, and finally, discuss their results. The article analyzes the most challenging issues characteristic of the situation of unaccompanied minor migrants, the concept of Trump's wall or the 'remain in Mexico' program. The US-Mexican border studies have played a crucial role in research dedicated to American immigration policy since its inception. Today, it is also an area of concern and special attention is paid to this region due to the dynamics of processes taking place at the border. The work presented here discusses and highlights the most turbulent issues that echoed not only in the United States but also worldwide.

Disputing Epidemics, Public Health, and Alternative Therapies in Latin American History

Villella reviews The Gray Zones of Medicine: Healers and History in Latin America edited by Diego Armus and Pablo F. Gomez, Compound Remedies: Galenic Pharmacy from the Ancient Mediterranean to New Spain by Paula S. De Vos and For All of Humanity: Mesoamerican and Colonial Medicine in Enlightenment Guatemala by Martha Few.

"We left the crop there lying in the field": Agricultural worker experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic in a rural US-Mexico border region.

California agricultural workers are predominately Latino/a, are medically underserved, and reside in larger households, placing them at elevated COVID-19 risk at work and at home. While some research has examined COVID-19 among agricultural workers in the interior of the United States, little research exists on experiences of COVID-19 along the US-Mexico border. Grounded in resilience thinking, this study aims to understand how agricultural workers navigated their heightened risk to COVID-19 at work and at home, and made use of available resources in the context of a bi-national community. Our study utilized qualitative interviews with 12 agricultural workers to understanding the COVID-19 experiences of resident and daily migrant agricultural workers in Imperial County, California, located along the US-Mexico border. Findings suggest that agricultural workers faced significant impacts and risks at work (work stoppages, stress about bringing COVID-19 home to family) and at home (contracting COVID-19, loss of friends and family, and mental health challenges). Agricultural workers and their employers often implemented COVID-19 precautions such as social distancing measures, personal protective equipment, hand washing and hand sanitizers, and isolation. Many agricultural workers did access testing resources on either side of the US-Mexico border and worked with US-based Spanish-speaking community-based organizations to register for vaccine appointments. To better support agricultural workers and their employers in the future, we recommend the following: 1. Prioritize agricultural workplace conditions to increase agricultural worker physical and mental health, 2. Extend public health services into agricultural work sites of transit and the workplace, and 3. Lastly, trusted Spanish-speaking community-based organizations can play a critical role in public health outreach.

Work-Life Stress during the Coronavirus Pandemic among Latina Farmworkers in a Rural California Region.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the type and severity of stressors experienced among Latina farmworkers during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A survey containing the Migrant Farmworker Stress Inventory was administered to 77 female-identifying Latina farmworkers working in a US-Mexico border region. A sub-sample of five participants participated in key-informant interviews. Data collection occurred in Summer 2021. RESULTS: Nearly 40% of Latina farmworkers reported high stress levels indicative of clinical mental health risks. Health and safety concerns and experienced stressors identified included visible substance abuse and poor bathroom conditions at the field site, language barriers, and balancing work and home life demands. CONCLUSIONS: Latina farmworkers have unique health and safety needs, and COVID-19 has contributed to the experienced stressors. Understanding the familial and working environment sources of stress specific to female agriculture workers is imperative to implementing culturally and gender-responsive strategies to better support the health and safety of farming populations in future pandemics.

The Influence of Sentiments of Economic Agents on Pedestrians and Vehicle Crossings along the US–Mexico Border

This study aimed to investigate the impact of people’s sentiments toward border crossings on personal vehicle and pedestrian crossings along the US–Mexico border. This study focused on regional factors and employed data derived from Google Trends as a proxy for people’s sentiments. Monthly data from the first quarter of 2004 to February 2020 were used. Different regression models were used to address stationarity. After controlling for economic conditions and external events, the primary findings are as follows: first, pedestrian and personal vehicle crossings are sensitive to exchange rate fluctuations. Second, the economic cycle has a slightly higher impact on pedestrians than personal vehicle crossings. Third, an increase in the hostile environment toward immigration in the U.S. may negatively impact pedestrian crossings, especially in Texas. Moreover, a rolling regression was used to examine the impact of people’s sentiments on crossings over time.