With the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) looming large and imminent, this book explores the socio-economic fabric of the U.S.-Mexico border region as a measure of NAFTA's future. It presents the social and economic history of the Lower Rio Grande Valley on the Texas-Mexico border. .
Introduction -- An Overview of Demographic and Socio-economic Conditions in the Lower Rio Grande Valley -- The Measurement and Analysis of Poverty -- Colonias and Economic Development -- The Maquiladora Industry and Economic Development -- Border Migration and Economic Development -- NAFTA and the Economy of the Lower Rio Grande Valley -- Problems and Prospects: A Summary