The U.S.-Mexican Border in the Twentieth Century: A History of Economic and Social Transformation (review)

286 Arizona Journal of Hispanic Cultural Studies y en multitud de casos sus empeñados endechas y trinos siguen la misma, desleÃ-da ruta? Here, the role of and importance of poets and their poetry is considered within the context of their mortal lives. Other selections which also explore the notion of poetic creation are "ArtesanÃ-a y calor" (25), and "Dos tipos, entre otros, de elocución poética" (29). As alluded to at the onset, the book offers a look at humankind's temporal existence on earth and glances back at the past with the newly informed perspective of self knowledge that the poet has acquired late in life. Not surprisingly, the predominant tone is one of subdued resignation. However, in spite ofthe rather somber thematic component ofthe collection, the poet's use of vibrant and elegant poetic language bring the text to life and make it a pleasutable read. In the opinion of this teviewei, Antonio MartÃ-nez Sarrión's latest contribution is a welcome addition fot readers of contemporary Spanish poetry in the new millennium. Joe Deters University of Puget Sound The U.S.-Mexican Border in the Twentieth Century : A History of Economic and Social Transformation S.R. BOOKS, 1999 By David E. Lorey Having spent 22 years living on the U.S.Mexico border and working as a teacher of Spanish and French in an American high school with a majority of Mexican-American students, I am always interested in reading about the phenomenon known as the border. Professor Lorey has done a very good job of introducing the cultural entity that we often call the 'border' to those who know nothing or very litde about it. An outstanding feature of his work is that he discusses the subject from both the perspective ofthe United States border region and also that ofthe Mexican border region, realizing that the 'border region' is really a binational, bicultural atea that has, to an extent, developed its own cultural, linguistic and financial perspectives with the passage of time; a distinct region that must be studied in its whole in order to be better understood. All too frequently, audiors from both sides ofthe international line study this interesting phenomenon only from the perspective of one country or the other. Professor Lorey has attempted to present a balanced treatment of the many issues involved in learning about this fascinating region. The author begins his work with an introduction in which he outlines his objectives and the approaches he will use in his study and suggests that "the border be approached as a laboratory for the study of transboundary economic, social, and cultural phenomena in the new global economy." The work is divided into seven chapters in which he discusses what he sees as the main issues pertinent to a study ofthe region: boomand -bust cycles, federal subsidization of borderregion economic development, the resourcefulness ofthe inhabitants ofthe region and the cultural richness of this very unique region. Chapter One, entitled "Distinguishing Characteristics and Eady History: Frontier, Borderlands , Border Region" gives a thorough historical background for the region from its colonial roots. The author comments on the historical background ofthe region as he describes the development ofthe region from frontier to borderlands and then on to what we know as the border region of today. He begins his study ofthe region by explaining that there are three geographical factors that have shaped the region: its vast size, the often inhospitable mountains that crisscross it and the lack of rainfall. In subsequent chapters, Professor Lorey discusses the various periods of'boom and bust' and how they have affected life on the border, not only from an economic perspective, but also from the social and cultural one as well. Among the important aspects he discusses are the Mexican Revolution, Prohibition, the Great Depression, Arizona Journal of Hispanic Cultural Studies 287 World War II, the advent ofthe maquiladoras, the impact of migration both on the United States and on the Mexican communities from which the immigrants came. Finally, he discusses current issues such as water, the environment and the problems of drug trafficking and illegal immigration from Mexico. The immigration problem, he maintains , was...