flood data and environmental racism in colonias on the U.S.-Mexico border

Keywords: Environmental Racism, Racial Capitalism, Informality, Colonias, US-Mexico Border
Abstract Type: Paper Abstract

Abstract

Colonias are informal, peri-urban, and largely Mexican and Mexican-American settlements along the US-Mexico border. These communities are characterized by high poverty rates, poor infrastructure, low public health outcomes and deeply rooted marginalization. In the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, at the southern tip of the Texas-Mexico border, a critical element of colonia marginalization is flood exposure. This flood exposure is, in turn, worsened by inadequate drainage, unpaved roads, and exclusion from post-flood FEMA support. While flood vulnerability is a known issue in Rio Grande Valley colonias, up-to-date and accurate flood data is virtually non-existent. The absence of flood data, coupled with the legacy of racial discrimination against Mexican and Mexican-Americans in the Southwestern US, is an example of environmental racism. Utilizing both qualitative methods, including focus groups, interviews and participation observation, and quantitative statistics, this paper analyzes the flood data gap that hinders disaster planning, deteriorates institutional trust and exacerbates environmental/racial (in)justice. Through collaboration with community-based organizations and colonia residents, this research reveals how state actors, at multiple scales, (re)produce the environmental vulnerability of Rio Grande Valley colonias through discriminatory policies. These policies, and the survival mechanisms flooded residents are forced to utilize, demonstrate how racial capitalism and environmental racism are interconnected in the Rio Grande Valley. This research connects to broader issues of racialized environmental justice, climate science and transdisciplinary research to better understand the ways that data, disaster mitigation and adaptation operate in tandem.