Fronteras: Tijuana has long been a magnet for migrants from across Mexico, but the city’s rapid growth means urban planning is often a second thought. Bishops along the border collaborate on a call for immigration reform. A quinceañera is an important milestone for many young Latinas, and it's become good business in the U.S. Border fence construction continues in Texas near a historical site. And we look at an experiment designed to re launch destroyed rural border economies on both sides of the Rio Grande.
Squatters Built Tijuana, But They Still Frustrate City Planners
Tijuana is a city of migrants and for decades, people from all over Mexico have come to Tijuana in pursuit of jobs and a new life. The city’s rapid growth has kept urban planners on the run in an effort to keep the city livable. Jill Replogle from our Fronteras Desk brings us the first in an ongoing series exploring the history of Tijuana and its neighborhoods. On this program, we hear how the city’s squatter settlements have come to define the city.
Border Bishops Collaborate To Create Immigration Reform Letter
Catholic bishops on both sides of the Texas-Mexico border are releasing a letter to their parishes and elected officials to address what they call the "human tragedies" of the current immigration system. From our Fronteras Desk, Joey Palacios reports the clergy hope the letter will change misconceptions about undocumented immigrants.
The Cost Of Tradition: Holding On To Quinceañeras In The US
Waves of Latino immigrants have introduced the quinceañera or "sweet 15" into the American mainstream. It's often a glitzy affair with rituals to mark a girls transition into womanhood. As the Latino population in Las Vegas has grown over the past decade or so, so has the business of quinceañeras. Families empty their pockets to throw a party, sometimes bigger than a wedding, for their little girls. From our Fronteras Desk in Las Vegas, Kate Sheehy reports.
- See more pictures at: www.flickr.com/photos/fronterasdesk/10928244133/
Dearth of Latinos signing up for Obamacare in California
Nearly 80,000 people have signed up for health insurance on Covered California since Oct. 1. But as Kenny Goldberg reports from San Diego, Latino enrollment in the online health exchange has been dismal.
Border Fence Construction Begins Near Historic Site
Construction has begun on one of the final phases of the border fence located within the city limits of El Paso, Texas. Mónica Ortiz Uribe reports locals are concerned the fence may interfere with a historically significant site.
The Big Bend And Boquillas: An Experiment On The Border
Back in April, the U.S. government opened a formal pedestrian border crossing that links Big Bend National Park in Texas with a tiny Mexican village called Boquillas. With 100,000 dollars in seed money from the U.S., Mexico and Canada as part of NAFTA, a tourism cooperative was funded to train villagers as tour guides and hosts. Fronteras reporter Lorne Matalon of Marfa Public Radio returned to Boquillas to see how this experiment in cross-border traffic is going.
Navajo Families To Finally See Rebuilding Funds
About 8,000 Navajo families under a decades-long development freeze may finally see some money to rebuild their homes next month. But as Laurel Morales reports from Flagstaff, the tribe says it’s not nearly enough.
