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Social Justice and Sustainability Efforts in the U.S.-Mexico Transborder Region

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Handbook of Sustainability and Social Science Research

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Abstract

The 1983 La Paz Agreement originally defined the U.S.-Mexico transborder region as 62.15 miles (100 km) on each side of the international border. The La Paz Agreement between the U.S. and Mexico created the first bilateral cooperation program on issues of environmental quality along the U.S.-Mexico border. Prior to La Paz, cities throughout the U.S. adopted and have continued to adopt various sustainability policies to address environmental concerns. However, in the U.S.-Mexico transborder region where cities are fundamentally unique from communities in the interior United States, local sustainability policies and issues of environmental social justice are still in their infancy and deficient environmental conditions continue to exist in some border areas. While sustainability and social justice are two important goals for city governments, harmonizing both values is challenging due to their conflicting policy natures. This study examines if transborder cities pursue social justice and sustainability simultaneously despite the challenge of balancing nebulous goals. This study focuses on factors that influence different levels of environmental sustainability measured by greenhouse gas (GHG) amounts among transborder communities. The results indicate that U.S. transborder cities with densely populated areas and the geographical size of the community contribute to higher levels of GHG emissions and less equitable sustainability.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Political Science, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, One West University Boulevard, Brownsville, TX, USA

    Sylvia Gonzalez-Gorman

Authors
  1. Sylvia Gonzalez-Gorman
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Correspondence to Sylvia Gonzalez-Gorman .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Life Sciences, HAW Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

    Walter Leal Filho

  2. Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

    Robert W. Marans

  3. Graham Sustainability Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

    John Callewaert

Appendix 1: Cities in the U.S. Transborder Region

Appendix 1: Cities in the U.S. Transborder Region

State

City

AZ

Bisbee

AZ

Douglas

AZ

Gadsden

AZ

Nogales

AZ

Patagonia

AZ

Picture Rocks

AZ

San Luis

AZ

Sierra Vista

AZ

Somerton

AZ

Tombstone

AZ

Yuma

CA

Brawley

CA

Calexico

CA

Chula Vista

CA

Desert Shores

CA

El Cajon

CA

El Centro

CA

Escondido

CA

Heber

CA

Holtville

CA

Niland

CA

Oceanside

CA

Ramona

CA

Valley Center

CA

Vista

CA

Westmorland

NM

Anthony

NM

Columbus

NM

Deming

NM

Gage

NM

La Union

NM

Las Cruces

NM

Lordsburg

NM

Salem

NM

Santa Teresa

NM

Separ

NM

Sunland Park

TX

Alamo

TX

Alton

TX

Brackettville

TX

Brownsville

TX

Cameron Park

TX

Carrizo Springs

TX

Clint

TX

Combes

TX

Comstock

TX

Crystal City

TX

Del Rio

TX

Donna

TX

Dryden

TX

Eagle Pass

TX

El Paso

TX

Escobares

TX

Fabens

TX

Fort Hancock

TX

Harlingen

TX

La Feria

TX

La Grulla

TX

La Joya

TX

La Pryor

TX

Laguna Vista

TX

Laredo

TX

Los Fresnos

TX

Marathon

TX

Marfa

TX

McAllen

TX

Mercedes

TX

Mission

TX

Palmview

TX

Pharr

TX

Port Isabel

TX

Presidio

TX

Primera

TX

Progreso

TX

Raymondville

TX

Ranch Viejo

TX

Rio Grande City

TX

Roma

TX

Ryan

TX

San Benito

TX

San Juan

TX

Santa Rosa

TX

Sierra Blanca

TX

Socorro

TX

South Padre Island

TX

Sullivan City

TX

Tornillo

TX

Uvalde

TX

Valentine

TX

Van Horn

TX

Weslaco

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Gonzalez-Gorman, S. (2018). Social Justice and Sustainability Efforts in the U.S.-Mexico Transborder Region. In: Leal Filho, W., Marans, R., Callewaert, J. (eds) Handbook of Sustainability and Social Science Research. World Sustainability Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67122-2_16

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