U.S. border cities are often some of the safest in the country. Mexican border cities across are considered the most violent.
Juárez, El Paso’s Mexican sister city, averaged eight murders a day in 2010 and was dubbed the “murder capital of the world.”
Howard Campbell, anthropologist and professor at the University of Texas at El Paso, spent over three decades in Juárez speaking to victims and perpetrators of violence about their experiences.
He includes their stories in the book, Downtown Juárez: Underworlds of Violence & Abuse.
It includes stories like that of Tun-Tun, an Alabama-born truck driver who transported drugs across the border, and Paloma, the middle-aged sex worker who survived several close calls with violence while doing maquila and bar work in Juárez.
Campbell said informants were remarkably open about telling him about their lives.
“People told me exactly what they were doing and how they were living and the problems they had,” Campbell said. “I don’t want to reduce it to the problem of violence and drugs, but of course, we have to address this problem.”
The book examines several factors that have contributed to the ongoing cycle of violence, including corruption, abuse, addiction, and the role the U.S. plays in it.
Campbell said while the stories he included highlight the realities of living in Juárez and the causes behind them, he was also aware of the claim that he may be perpetuating a violent narrative of the border city.
He said that while much of Juárez lives normal lives, the city still continues to see high amounts of violence.
“Unfortunately, we have to perpetuate this narrative because it continues,” he said. “We need to fight stereotypes, but we also need to face realities. And it’s a complicated situation -- there aren’t simple answers.”
Hear part 1 of the conversation with Campbell here.
