Mexican & Mexican American History in the Borderlands

Photograph of the League of Mexican-American women in costume for Fiesta en Xochimilco from the Jack Sheaffer photographic collection

The Borderlands are both geographical and cultural spaces. This fluid space between worlds is a place of cultural wealth that hosts several communities. This libguide, one of many centered on the people of the Borderlands, looks at the experiences of Mexican & Mexican American people in the Borderlands, from California to Texas, and Baja California to Tamaulipas, Mexico. 

Origin of the Libguide

The Mexican & Mexican American History in the Borderlands Libguide is the second installment in a series of libguides focused on the history of marginalized groups in the U.S./Mexico borderlands. The other libguides have focused on the experiences of Black, Asian & Asian American, and Indigenous communities.

An extensive survey of Mexican & Mexican American-focused materials held at UA Libraries Special Collections was first conducted in 2011 and has now been updated to include recently processed collections. This libguide has been constructed using this survey in celebration of the contributions that Mexican & Mexican American communities specifically have made. As one of the nation’s premier repositories for Borderlands-focused archival materials, Special Collections holds an extensive and exciting collection of materials, many of which focus on Mexican and Mexican Americans as they have traversed throughout the U.S./Mexico borderlands, from California to Texas, and Baja California to Tamaulipas, Mexico.

A Note on Language and Method 

The use of ‘Mexican & Mexican American’ is intentional as this guide seeks to highlight materials focused specifically on individuals who reside along the U.S./Mexico borderlands.  We are cognizant of how language changes over time, especially language related to identity. Many of these terms can be found within the collections and the stories contained in them. Given the long and complex history of indigeneity and Mexican identity, some materials in this guide also address indigenous Mexican identities.  

The intentional choice to highlight Mexican & Mexican American history narrows the scope of possible borderlands research and highlights the specific ways that this group has moved throughout the borderlands. With this approach, we are able to highlight Mexican & Mexican American activities, organizations, educational ventures, families, and folklore and cultural expressions. The approach to this guide includes specific and sole attention to materials related to Mexican and Mexican American life in and around the U.S./Mexico borderlands. This guide is not an exhaustive list of all materials related to Mexican and Mexican American history held at Special Collections and will continue to grow as collections are processed and made available. Other materials recording the history of Mexican and Mexican American activities beyond the borderlands are available at UA Libraries Special Collections and we encourage researchers to work with the archivists to locate this material.  

The Importance of Student Research  
This guide builds on previous research that was conducted by UA Libraries Special Collections staff in 2011. In 2023, Graduate Assistant Zoe Harrison helped to create the structure of the Mexican & Mexican American History in the Borderlands Libguide and engaged in the work of pulling additional research, collections, and resources together in one location to better help scholars, public historians and archivists, and the various communities we serve.  

This guide was created by Graduate Assistant Zoe Harrison in collaboration with Special Collections staff.

Land Acknowledgement

We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples. Today, Arizona is home to 22 federally recognized tribes, with Tucson being home to the O’odham and the Yaqui. Committed to diversity and inclusion, the University strives to build sustainable relationships with sovereign Native Nations and Indigenous communities through education offerings, partnerships, and community service.