Language by the Border: A phenomenon worth learning about now!

The regions that outline the border between Mexico and the U.S. give off a palpable energy unique to the specific dynamics between the two countries. Although many people can feel or sense this energy, it is difficult to pinpoint and define one of the innumerable aspects that -along with a million other factors- work together to create this atmosphere. Sergio Gómez Montero takes on the task of researching particular facets of border atmosphere and delineates how each of them affect and shape the way people use language along the border. Montero believes that research into the border language phenomenon will become increasingly important and hopes to establish the basis for this branch of study in
The Border: The Future of Postmodernity

Anyone that spends time in the immediate area surrounding the U.S./Mexico border can attest to the existence of a real cultural, economic, and political synthesis that undoubtedly creates a manner of communicating that slightly deviates from the national norm of both countries. Montero recognizes this and seems to be one of the first to develop a scholarly investigation into the formof speech and writing emerging from the one of the busiest international borders in the world.

The Border: The Future of Postmodernity endows the reader with knowledge of this emerging field of communication, giving them an edge on a very novel area of language studies.

Purchase a copy of Montero's pioneering work here.

The Flight of the Eagle: Poetry of the U.S.-Mexican Border

The Flight of the Eagle: Poetry of the U.S.-Mexico Border transforms the voices of eight different poets from the U.S. and Mexico into a beautiful, unique, and moving project.  If we lost you at poetry- maybe you've had a bad experience with it in the past or it's just not your thing- whatever the case may be, these are not your standard poems and are far from what you're used to reading.  Each poet has his/her own unique flavor; there's something, if not more, for everyone inside.   Every section has a different story to tell and a different way of telling it; however, as a whole they seem to stand together as one and speak the same words.  This collection of poetry is for the most part easy to read and accessible to the general public, however, this is not to say that the poems lack literary or academic value; they are in fact full of complex cultural and literary references.

They deal with issues about life on and beyond the U.S.-Mexican border; it is a fusion of experiences specific to border life such as gaining citizenship, adapting to American life, culture clash, mistreatment, and everyday struggles, as well as those more universal such as family, love, sex, loss, heart break, struggle, pain, death, and war.  While border life is for the most part the central focus of these poems, they are relatable, applicable, and insightful to people of all cultures and creeds.  Moreover, this project is not merely a study of the U.S.-Mexican border, but rather of borders in general, dealing with a broad spectrum of borders and liminal spaces such as sexuality, race, culture, and gender, thus reaching out to

all audiences.

This creative compilation of memoir, history, and voice captures and speaks for and about a community/people that fall beneath the radar, that are underrepresented and mistreated daily, and most importantly that when heard can teach us new ways of seeing, understanding, and living in the world; all we have to do is listen, or in this case read.

Listen to Jose Montalvo, one of the featured poets and also an activist, talk about and read some of his poetry!