Frontera norte: los contrastes de la calidad de vida

In this essay, Tonatiuh Guillén describes contrasts between the quality of life on Mexico’s northern border and in non-border regions. In demographic, social, economic and geopolitical terms, Mexico’s northern border is a region of increasing relevance, due to the steady growth of its population and economy in recent decades. More than a point of entry to the United States, cities along the northern border are attracting migrants in search of better-paid jobs in the lucrative in-bond and technological industries that  produce goods for domestic and international markets. According to the author, this region is where both the positive and negative aspects of Mexico’s complex relationship with the United States manifest themselves most clearly. Migration, the labor market, human rights, environmental protection and the efficient use of natural resources are familiar issues here, while others, such as security and drug trafficking, have come into the spotlight more recently. The economic bonanza, combined with an embracing of internationalization, has given Mexico’s border cities an unprecedented vitality and dynamism, although the exponential growth of
their populations has resulted in pressures, contrasts and unresolved problems. Paradoxically, says Guillén López, this vanguard, globalized mentality, fueled by cutting-edge technological industries, coexists alongside nuclei of underdevelopment. A lack of basic services is a severe problem for these cities, one that affects the quality of life of their inhabitants. While it is true that migrants who come here generally find better jobs with higher salaries than in other parts of the country, their standard of living in terms of basic services such as drinking water, electricity, urban infrastructure and particularly security, is frequently lower than in their hometowns. Tonatiuh Guillén concludes that the rapid economic growth of the region has facilitated high levels of employment and relatively higher income for its inhabitants, while sectors of the population with lower income and whose quality of life is affected by
limited access to basic household services is offset by complementary goods that act as a counterweight of sorts. It is now up to public institutions and those with political clout to balance the scales by making services available across the board.