Colonias
Encyclopedia
In Spanish, colonia means "Colony". The word has been adopted to refer to colonia rural settlements along the U.S.
-Mexican
border. Colonias in the U.S.-Mexico border region are often characterized by poor housing stock, inadequate physical infrastructure, and a weak social infrastructure. Concerned government entities, businesses, and non-profits frequently re-define "colonia" to serve their specific purposes.
The United States Code
defines a colonia as a community that (1) is in the state of Arizona
, California
, New Mexico
, or Texas
; (2) is within 150 miles (241.4 km) of the U.S.-Mexico border, except for any metropolitan area exceeding one million people; (3) on the basis of objective criteria, lacks adequate sewage systems and lacks decent, safe, and sanitary housing; and (4) existed as a colonia before November 28, 1990.
While the various definitions of "colonia" by numerous federal agencies can be confusing, rural border communities display an array of housing and infrastructure characteristics found in the federal code. It is therefore more practical to begin with a generic, academic definition. The argument has been made that colonias are but a specific example of an irregular, largely self-help housing practice that have been increasingly prevalent on a global scale, over the course of the twentieth century.
The manner in which irregular settlements are settled and develop around the world varies greatly. In general, these settlements are on low-quality land passed over by developers and individuals with access to financing. Many of the homes found there are frequently constructed by self-help practices. That is, contractors and construction companies are not hired to build the homes—residents, relatives, and even neighbors help with construction. Self-modifications to existing and manufactured homes are also encountered in irregular settlements.
Public works and utilities are frequently absent for a number of reasons. Lots are usually acquired informally: no subdivisions are recorded, financing is provided by the selling party (if the lots are sold, not squatted), and there is generally no community planning office involvement. Some settlements, particularly irregular settlements in Mexico, eventually acquire essential infrastructure as the government recognizes these settlements, utility companies invest, or residents pool sufficient money to purchase infrastructure for services themselves.
And there are undoubtedly many more ...
had 87 judgments against developers who created properties without services. The office of the Texas Attorney General said by 2011 that Texas had about 2,294 colonias and estimates that about 500,000 lived in the colonias. Of all of the Texas counties, Hidalgo County
, as of 2011, has the largest number of colonias. Emanuella Grinberg of CNN
said "Getting an accurate count of the population in any of" the state's colonias "is notoriously difficult, due to geographic isolation, shared addresses, swiftly changing development and mistrust of government data collectors."
Spanish conquistadores encountered Suma, Manso, Jocome, and Jumamo tribes on their journey northward from New Spain (Mexico) in the El Paso region. The dwellings would probably not be considered safe by any modern standard, and there was no infrastructure. Europeans and other foreign groups assuredly encountered resident natives in other parts of the border region. If these interactions and subsequent European settlements were anything like those in the El Paso region, trade and agriculture were the bases for sedentary life by Europeans.
People that would come to be known as El Pasoans and New Mexicans were frequently awarded land grants by the Spanish crown and Mexican government. Several grants have lent their names to many New Mexico communities and been the subjects of controversial land claims disputes in the Mesilla and Rio Grande valleys of New Mexico.
The differences between state subdivision regulations have influenced the historic development of colonias by state. Independent historical accounts would be appropriate by state.
The word colonia itself originally comes from Spanish
for "neighborhood" or "community". In Spanglish
, the English-Spanish mix, colonia began to be used to refer primarily to Mexican
neighborhoods about thirty years ago. In 1977, the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, UT Austin, published the first manuscript using "colonia" to describe rural desert settlements with inadequate infrastructure and unsafe housing stock. In this way, the word "colonia" acquired the specific meaning for which it is used herein. Since these Hispanic neighborhoods were less affluent, the word also connoted poverty and substandard housing.
In the 1990s, colonias became a common American English
name for the slum
s that developed on both sides of the U.S.–Mexican border. Colonias have existed along the border for decades, but since the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement
in 1994, the number of people living in colonias has increased significantly, due, in part, to the increase in low-skilled jobs created on both sides of the border through the maquiladora
industry. The extent to which general world globalization, growing populations, and other economic or political factors have influenced this growth has yet to be quantified.
As of 2007, Texas
has the largest concentration of people (approximately 400,000) living in over 2,000 colonias on the U.S. side of the border. New Mexico
has the second largest, followed by Arizona
and California
. However, remote location and stealthy development characterize many colonias. It is therefore unlikely that an exact count is valid for an extended period of time.
From Mexico's point of view, however, a colonia is a regular division inside every city, meaning suburbs or fraccionamientos sometimes, aside from economic and sociocultural development. Every Mexican city is divided into different colonias for administrative purposes and sometimes a colonia belongs to a single postal code.
The Texan legislature has defined colonias as: a) subdivisions, b) lacking essential elements of infrastructure, and c) near the Mexican border.
The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development
(HUD) defines a colonia as an unincorporated community located within 150 miles (241.4 km) of the U.S.–Mexico border, with a population of less than 10,000 that is low and very low income, and which lacks safe, sanitary and sound housing, as well as services such as potable water, adequate sewage systems, drainage, streets and utilities.
Colonias are usually found in rural areas. Subdivisions are usually created out of cheap farmland. Usually it is not in a city's interest to annex a colonia because it would subsequently be required to provide such city services as water, electricity, and sewage, even though the tax revenue from annexed colonias would probably not cover the cost of installation and use of services. Counties, under whose jurisdiction colonias tend to be, are usually not required to render such services.
In contrast with shantytowns in other parts of the world, most residents legally own the land on which they reside.
such as the Texas Low Income Housing Information Service (TxLIHIS), an affordable housing advocacy nonprofit organization, and the Colonias Development Council in New Mexico, work to alleviate poverty in colonias by promoting self-help
housing programs that provide colonia residents with resources to build their own homes, fostering community empowerment and raising public awareness.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
border. Colonias in the U.S.-Mexico border region are often characterized by poor housing stock, inadequate physical infrastructure, and a weak social infrastructure. Concerned government entities, businesses, and non-profits frequently re-define "colonia" to serve their specific purposes.
The United States Code
United States Code
The Code of Laws of the United States of America is a compilation and codification of the general and permanent federal laws of the United States...
defines a colonia as a community that (1) is in the state of Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, or Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
; (2) is within 150 miles (241.4 km) of the U.S.-Mexico border, except for any metropolitan area exceeding one million people; (3) on the basis of objective criteria, lacks adequate sewage systems and lacks decent, safe, and sanitary housing; and (4) existed as a colonia before November 28, 1990.
While the various definitions of "colonia" by numerous federal agencies can be confusing, rural border communities display an array of housing and infrastructure characteristics found in the federal code. It is therefore more practical to begin with a generic, academic definition. The argument has been made that colonias are but a specific example of an irregular, largely self-help housing practice that have been increasingly prevalent on a global scale, over the course of the twentieth century.
Defining Colonias
There are many possible generic and legal definitions of colonias in the United States.Academic definition
A consensus on an academic definition of US border colonias is difficult to establish from the literature. The most prolific scholar, Dr. Peter Ward, published the most definitive work on the subject in 1999. Dr. Ward approaches the problem as a sociologist with a background in rural urbanization patterns around the world. Fortunately, these authoritative pieces incorporate both the physical, infrastructure characteristics of the communities themselves in addition to the societal characteristics created by the people that live in the communities. Considering academic work on the practice of housing now and throughout history, global and regional demographic movement, and scholarly investigation of colonias, colonia can be academically defined as a particular case of irregular settlement in the United States.The manner in which irregular settlements are settled and develop around the world varies greatly. In general, these settlements are on low-quality land passed over by developers and individuals with access to financing. Many of the homes found there are frequently constructed by self-help practices. That is, contractors and construction companies are not hired to build the homes—residents, relatives, and even neighbors help with construction. Self-modifications to existing and manufactured homes are also encountered in irregular settlements.
Public works and utilities are frequently absent for a number of reasons. Lots are usually acquired informally: no subdivisions are recorded, financing is provided by the selling party (if the lots are sold, not squatted), and there is generally no community planning office involvement. Some settlements, particularly irregular settlements in Mexico, eventually acquire essential infrastructure as the government recognizes these settlements, utility companies invest, or residents pool sufficient money to purchase infrastructure for services themselves.
Legal Definition
United States federal statute is probably the best legalistic definition of colonia, particularly for a discussion of US colonias. The code defines a colonia as a community that (1) is in the state of Arizona, California, New Mexico, or Texas; (2) is within 150 miles (241.4 km) of the U.S.–Mexico border, except for any metropolitan area exceeding one million people; (3) on the basis of objective criteria, lacks adequate sewage systems and lacks decent, safe, and sanitary housing; and (4) was in existence as a colonia before November 28, 1990.Federal agencies
It is unclear how the federal statute influences federal agencies' definition of colonia. Each interested agency seems to define the concept for itself in spite of commonalities between definitions.The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
HUD defines colonias as "rural communities and neighborhoods located within 150 miles (241.4 km) of the U.S.-Mexican border that lack adequate infrastructure and frequently also lack other basic services.The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
The EPA defines colonias as "rural U.S. settlements with substandard and poor living conditions along the U.S.-Mexico border. These communities typically lack potable water, wastewater treatment, drainage, electricity, and paved roads."The United State Department of Agriculture (USDA)
The USDA defines colonia as "any identifiable community designated in writing by the state or county in which it is located, which is determined to be a colonia based on specific criteria to include lack of potable water, adequate sewage system, and decent, safe, and sanitary housing. The community must lack adequate roads and/or drainage and the community must have come into existence or be generally recognized as a colonia before October 1, 1989."And there are undoubtedly many more ...
Colonias in Texas
Around the 1950s developers began creating subdivisions along the U.S.-Mexico border on agriculturally poor properties, divided land in small parcels, and provided few services; the development of the properties, intended for low income buyers, is the beginning of the Texas colonias. By 1995 the state passed laws against developing subdivisions without services. During that year, and in the period between 1995 and 2011 the office of the Texas Attorney GeneralTexas Attorney General
The Texas Attorney General is the chief legal officer of the State of Texas.The department has offices at the William P. Clements State Office Building at 300 West 15th Street in Austin.-History:...
had 87 judgments against developers who created properties without services. The office of the Texas Attorney General said by 2011 that Texas had about 2,294 colonias and estimates that about 500,000 lived in the colonias. Of all of the Texas counties, Hidalgo County
Hidalgo County, Texas
Hidalgo County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. Located in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, Hidalgo County is one of the fastest-growing counties in the United States, and is the seventh most-populous county in Texas. Its population in 2010 was 774,769, a 35% increase from 2000...
, as of 2011, has the largest number of colonias. Emanuella Grinberg of CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
said "Getting an accurate count of the population in any of" the state's colonias "is notoriously difficult, due to geographic isolation, shared addresses, swiftly changing development and mistrust of government data collectors."
History
The history of colonias is complicated because it refers to the history of human settlement as well as a concept redefining housing according to a modern standard.Human inhabitants
The unique circumstances of colonia development across the border region complicates the historical discussion of colonias. The geographic location of each of the U.S. border states has influenced human settlement patterns throughout history. The dual concept stems in part from the idea of a beginning. If the reader accepts the axiom that colonias originated with the first human habitats, then colonias "began" with native North American tribes.Spanish conquistadores encountered Suma, Manso, Jocome, and Jumamo tribes on their journey northward from New Spain (Mexico) in the El Paso region. The dwellings would probably not be considered safe by any modern standard, and there was no infrastructure. Europeans and other foreign groups assuredly encountered resident natives in other parts of the border region. If these interactions and subsequent European settlements were anything like those in the El Paso region, trade and agriculture were the bases for sedentary life by Europeans.
People that would come to be known as El Pasoans and New Mexicans were frequently awarded land grants by the Spanish crown and Mexican government. Several grants have lent their names to many New Mexico communities and been the subjects of controversial land claims disputes in the Mesilla and Rio Grande valleys of New Mexico.
The differences between state subdivision regulations have influenced the historic development of colonias by state. Independent historical accounts would be appropriate by state.
Colonia—a Concept Based on a Modern Standard
Speaking strictly about the word colonia and the concept as defined above, colonias are a relatively new phenomenon in the U.S.The word colonia itself originally comes from Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
for "neighborhood" or "community". In Spanglish
Spanglish
.Spanglish refers to the blend of Spanish and English, in the speech of people who speak parts of two languages, or whose normal language is different from that of the country where they live. The Hispanic population of the United States and the British population in Argentina use varieties of...
, the English-Spanish mix, colonia began to be used to refer primarily to Mexican
Mexican people
Mexican people refers to all persons from Mexico, a multiethnic country in North America, and/or who identify with the Mexican cultural and/or national identity....
neighborhoods about thirty years ago. In 1977, the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, UT Austin, published the first manuscript using "colonia" to describe rural desert settlements with inadequate infrastructure and unsafe housing stock. In this way, the word "colonia" acquired the specific meaning for which it is used herein. Since these Hispanic neighborhoods were less affluent, the word also connoted poverty and substandard housing.
In the 1990s, colonias became a common American English
American English
American English is a set of dialects of the English language used mostly in the United States. Approximately two-thirds of the world's native speakers of English live in the United States....
name for the slum
Slum
A slum, as defined by United Nations agency UN-HABITAT, is a run-down area of a city characterized by substandard housing and squalor and lacking in tenure security. According to the United Nations, the percentage of urban dwellers living in slums decreased from 47 percent to 37 percent in the...
s that developed on both sides of the U.S.–Mexican border. Colonias have existed along the border for decades, but since the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement
North American Free Trade Agreement
The North American Free Trade Agreement or NAFTA is an agreement signed by the governments of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America. The agreement came into force on January 1, 1994. It superseded the Canada – United States Free Trade Agreement...
in 1994, the number of people living in colonias has increased significantly, due, in part, to the increase in low-skilled jobs created on both sides of the border through the maquiladora
Maquiladora
A maquiladora or maquila is a concept often referred to as an operation that involves manufacturing in a country that is not the client's and as such has an interesting duty or tariff treatment...
industry. The extent to which general world globalization, growing populations, and other economic or political factors have influenced this growth has yet to be quantified.
As of 2007, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
has the largest concentration of people (approximately 400,000) living in over 2,000 colonias on the U.S. side of the border. New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
has the second largest, followed by Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
and California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. However, remote location and stealthy development characterize many colonias. It is therefore unlikely that an exact count is valid for an extended period of time.
Descriptions
Colonias are basically, from the U.S. point of view, illegal subdivisions created by rural settlers and are found near the U.S.–Mexican border. The lack of clean water and proper plumbing infrastructure is due primarily to the fact that the settlements were established spontaneously without the approval or assistance of the proper governmental authorities. The population of a colonia will usually grow rapidly well before its infrastructure needs are realized by the closest established towns or government officials.From Mexico's point of view, however, a colonia is a regular division inside every city, meaning suburbs or fraccionamientos sometimes, aside from economic and sociocultural development. Every Mexican city is divided into different colonias for administrative purposes and sometimes a colonia belongs to a single postal code.
The Texan legislature has defined colonias as: a) subdivisions, b) lacking essential elements of infrastructure, and c) near the Mexican border.
The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development
United States Department of Housing and Urban Development
The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, also known as HUD, is a Cabinet department in the Executive branch of the United States federal government...
(HUD) defines a colonia as an unincorporated community located within 150 miles (241.4 km) of the U.S.–Mexico border, with a population of less than 10,000 that is low and very low income, and which lacks safe, sanitary and sound housing, as well as services such as potable water, adequate sewage systems, drainage, streets and utilities.
Colonias are usually found in rural areas. Subdivisions are usually created out of cheap farmland. Usually it is not in a city's interest to annex a colonia because it would subsequently be required to provide such city services as water, electricity, and sewage, even though the tax revenue from annexed colonias would probably not cover the cost of installation and use of services. Counties, under whose jurisdiction colonias tend to be, are usually not required to render such services.
In contrast with shantytowns in other parts of the world, most residents legally own the land on which they reside.
Advocacy groups
Housing and community advocacy organizationsAdvocacy
Advocacy is a political process by an individual or a large group which normally aims to influence public-policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions; it may be motivated from moral, ethical or faith principles or simply to protect an...
such as the Texas Low Income Housing Information Service (TxLIHIS), an affordable housing advocacy nonprofit organization, and the Colonias Development Council in New Mexico, work to alleviate poverty in colonias by promoting self-help
Self-help
Self-help, or self-improvement, is a self-guided improvement—economically, intellectually, or emotionally—often with a substantial psychological basis. There are many different self-help movements and each has its own focus, techniques, associated beliefs, proponents and in some cases, leaders...
housing programs that provide colonia residents with resources to build their own homes, fostering community empowerment and raising public awareness.
See also
- Colonia (country subdivision)Colonia (country subdivision)-See also:*Colonia *Colonia *Colonia * Colony...
- Pueblos jóvenesPueblos jóvenesPueblos jóvenes is the nickname given to the vast shanty towns that surround Lima and other cities of Peru. Many of these towns have developed into significant districts in Lima such as Villa El Salvador and Comas.- Population :...
: name given to the vast shantytowns that surround LimaLimaLima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
, PeruPeruPeru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean.... - FavelaFavelaA favela is the generally used term for a shanty town in Brazil. In the late 18th century, the first settlements were called bairros africanos . This was the place where former slaves with no land ownership and no options for work lived. Over the years, many freed black slaves moved in...
: name given to a Brazilian shantytown or slum, primarily in Rio de JaneiroRio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. - CortiçoCortiçoCortiço, or gueto , is a Portuguese term commonly used in Brazil and Portugal to describe an area of urban housing where many people live in conditions of poor hygiene and poverty. Some cortiços can be seen in big Brazilian cities such as São Paulo, Salvador, Rio de Janeiro,and Recife...
: Portuguese term commonly used in Brazil and Portugal to describe a poor area of urban housingHouseA house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...
.
External links
- Texas Low Income Housing Information Service(TxLIHIS)
- Colonias Development Council
- Census Designated Place Program
- Texas colonias
- Jonathan Treviño: An American Life from the Bosque Boys
- Protest credited for progress at colonias - Houston ChronicleHouston ChronicleThe Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
- November 22, 2008 - "Colonias Prevention." Texas Attorney GeneralTexas Attorney GeneralThe Texas Attorney General is the chief legal officer of the State of Texas.The department has offices at the William P. Clements State Office Building at 300 West 15th Street in Austin.-History:...
- Video: Health and Conditions in Texas' Colonias - The Texas TribuneThe Texas TribuneThe Texas Tribune is a nonprofit news organization headquartered in Downtown Austin, Texas, devoted to state government and public policy. It aims to promote civic engagement through original, explanatory journalism and public events...
- July 8, 2011 - Red Tape, Catch-22s Impede Progress in Texas' Colonias - The Texas Tribune - July 8, 2011
- Conditions, Health Risks Sicken Colonias Residents - The Texas Tribune - July 11, 2011