The US-Mexico Border is a region that consists of 3,145 kilometers or 1,954 miles. There are many twin cities across the border, that is, cities that are neighbors and share similar characteristics. For example, Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas is the twin city of Laredo, Texas and the border people (fronterizos/as) often move from one city to the other for many different reasons. Fronterizos usually call the other side of the border “El otro lado.”

Some border cities are big and have populations that exceed a million people, such as Tijuana, Baja California that is very close to San Diego. However, other cities are smaller and have fewer inhabitants. Border cities have one or multiple international bridges that connect both countries, like the Puente Internacional Paso del Norte that connects Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua and El Paso, Texas. Almost all of these bridges charge a fee to cross, but they can differ according to the city or bridge.

Currently, there are big groups of people from different parts of the world waiting in the Mexican border to request asylum in the U.S. Most of them are fleeing their country of origin due to the violence, and lack of opportunities back home. As we continue to learn about the border, we will analyze some of the causes for immigration to the U.S, including the role of the U.S and in the politics of many Latin American countries.