Borderline Cases: Environmental Matters at the United States/Mexican Border

Encouraged by economic incentives from the Mexican government, the availability of cheap local labor, and lax environmental and workplace regulations, foreign corporations have built over 2,000 manufacturing and assembly factories (maquiladoras) along Mexico's northern border since 1965. In a sense, this broad swath of transnational territory has become America's "new industrial heartland"-a heartland without either sufficient urban infrastructure or effectively enforced regulatory protections for its citizens. Borderline Cases provides a disturbing and timely investigation of the environmental impact of this unbridled industrial growth on three neighboring urban areas: Brownsville, Texas and the Mexican city of Metamoros; San Diego, California and Tijuana; and El Paso, Texas and Ciudad Juarez. We're taken on a "toxic tour" of these regions which reveals the often catastrophic results of 25 years of unrestricted industrialization, criminal corporate practices, and governmental corruption (the short section on the high incidence of birth defects in Metamoros/Brownsville is particularly horrifying). To its credit, however, the film manages to stay even-handed throughout this politically and culturally volatile set of issues. There's even a bit of cautious optimism put forward, as various bi-national environmental coalitions and local grassroots programs are shown working toward sustainable solutions to these dire bio-regional problems. Post-NAFTA programs for infrastructure improvement, the evolving Mexican regulatory structure, and the rise of a young generation of environmentally-conscious activists within Mexican state and local governments are also revealed to hold possible promise for the future. Recommended for libraries with an interest in Mexico-U.S. relations, environmental issues, or city and regional planning. Aud: H, C, P. (G. Handman)