Run for the Border: Vice and Virtue in U.S.-Mexico Border Crossings

Citizenship and Migration in the Americas

by Steven W. Bender

Mexico and the United States exist in a symbiotic relationship: Mexico frequently provides the United States with cheap labour, illegal goods, and, for criminal offenders, a refuge from the law. In turn, the U.S. offers Mexican labourers the American dream: the possibility of a better livelihood through hard work. To supply each other's demands, Americans and Mexicans have to cross their shared border from both sides. Despite this relationship, U.S. immigration reform debates tend to be security-focused and centre on the idea of menacing Mexicans heading north to steal abundant American resources. Further, Congress tends to approach reform unilaterally, without engaging with Mexico or other feeder countries, and, disturbingly, without acknowledging problematic southern crossings that Americans routinely make into Mexico. In Run for the Border, Steven W. Bender offers a framework for a more comprehensive border policy through a historical analysis of border crossings, both Mexico to U.S. and U.S. to Mexico.In contrast to recent reform proposals, this book urges reform as the product of negotiation and implementation by cross-border accord; reform that honours the shared economic and cultural legacy of the U.S. and Mexico. Covering everything from the history of Anglo crossings into Mexico to escape law authorities, to vice tourism and retirement in Mexico, to today's focus on Mexican border-crossing immigrants and drug traffickers, Bender takes lessons from the past 150 years to argue for more explicit and compassionate cross-border cooperation. Steeped in several disciplines, Run for the Border is a blend of historical, cultural, and legal perspectives, as well as those from literature and cinema, that reflect Bender's cultural background and legal expertise.

Genres: Politics, Social Commentary

235 pages, Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Gretchen Pierce · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very comprehensive considering how short it is. It covers roughly the 19th century through 2010, more or less, though the emphasis is on the 1920s on, most specifically the first decade of the 21st century. I particularly liked the careful analysis and how the author came up with a number of solutions for how to better, if not totally fix, cross-border problems.

My biggest complaint is that the organizational structure lent itself to a great deal of repetition. It seemed unnecessary to have separate section intros, when some sections were composed of a single chapter and chapters only ranged from 3-20 pages anyway. And even within chapters there was redundancy as the topics of each chapter were all interrelated.

I do wonder how well this book has aged. One main recommendation was to legalize marijuana as a way of stripping the power of the cartels and thus reducing violence. Many more US states have legalized marijuana, even if just for medicinal purposes, in the decade since the book was published. However, by all accounts, cartel violence has continued to escalate.

In general, this book was a good introduction to border issues and will be easily understood by average people, not just those with advanced degrees. The solutions offered set this book aside as unique and quite useful, even a decade later.

[Kevin McAvoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Covers the border situation at El Paso/Cuidad Juarez.
A close look at the American addiction as being the main cause of the drug wars.
Reasonably discusses legalization of most drugs as a solution.
The book also reveals how Mexicans are portrayed in the media as criminals.
I enjoyed the read and will find more on the topic.

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best commentary about this book is the author's last sentence. "Especially in the interest of human survival, no border wall or impediment to entry will succeed in overcoming the human spirit, nor should it."