Troublesome Border

A PROFEX Monograph This book uses conflict as a unifying theme to examine historical and contemporary relationships in the U.S.-Mexico borderlands. Well into the twentieth century, Mexico and the United States faced many troublesome issues at the border that often erupted into armed confrontation. Settling the final boundary between the two countries in itself caused long-term contentiousness, leaving a legacy of bitterness on both sides, but particularly in Mexico. Unauthorized armed incursions from the United States into Mexico for the purpoe of formenting revolution and detaching land from the latter country likewise created serious friction. The border partitioned a distinguishable geographic and cultural region inhabited by Indians and Mexicans, creating untold predicaments for both groups. Indian raids across the border became a source of international strife until the 1880s. For Mexicans who remained south of the boundary as well as for those who became Mexican Americans by virtue of their incorporation into the United States, the border shaped frontier life-styles that differed markedly from those of the mainstream societies in each nation. After discussing each of these themes, the author provides an overview of current-day border issues. The book concludes with general comments that place the U.S.-Mexico border experience in perspective. --- from editor's introductory notes