‘We’re writing about the Valley’

Faculty to publish book on local politics

Political science faculty from UTRGV and El Colegio de la Frontera Norte discussed their upcoming book on regional politics during a talk Feb. 28 on the Edinburg campus.

 The event featured some of the book’s contributing authors presenting their research on governance, economic issues and political engagement in the Rio Grande Valley.

“Politics of the Rio Grande Valley: An Insider’s Perspective to Regional Politics” brings together multiple perspectives on the region’s historical and contemporary challenges.

Each chapter, authored by a different person, explores themes such as labor conditions, criminal organizations, cross-border governance and the evolution of local political structures.

UTRGV associate professor Alexandre Couture Gagnon and lecturer Carlos Gutierrez-Mannix served as the book’s editors and hosts of the event. Other contributors from the university also include assistant professor Alvaro Corral and lecturer Ruth Ragland.

Professors José Andrés Sumano Rodríguez, Xavier Oliver González and Arturo Zárate-Ruiz, contributors from El Colegio de la Frontera Norte, were also present to share each of their chapters.

Zárate-Ruiz’s part focuses on the historical experiences of Mexican Americans in Brownsville and how political and social structures have shaped their place in the community.

Ragland’s chapter further goes into the history of Brownsville, providing the first comprehensive account of Texas Southmost College’s separation from the University of Texas-Pan American and the University of Texas at Brownsville, highlighting how the community college challenged Texas legislation and contributed to the creation of UTRGV.

Cross-border governance was another key theme. González examines binational parks and the challenges of governing twin cities along the Lower Rio Grande/Bravo. Sumano Rodríguez analyzes the evolution of criminal organizations in the Rio Grande Valley, exploring how economic factors have reframed the issue from a security concern to an economic one.

The book also explores labor and economic struggles. Corral and José Villagrán, a California State University, Bakersfield assistant professor, authored one chapter. “The Wall: The Politics of Low-Wage Work” details the long history of economic targeting of Latino communities, using real-world examples and personal accounts.

Gutierrez-Mannix said the event successfully engaged students and encouraged them to explore regional politics.

“I think the event did a good job of including as many students as we could,” he said. “We’re so proud because, then, everyone will get to read it. The goal is that students will know we’re writing about the Valley. Hopefully, some of [the students] will be interested in learning a bit more about the politics.”

Political science graduate student Zanela Bajanas said she found the discussion interesting.

“It’s been really interesting to me so far, especially the chapter on the twin cities because of my experiences and background,” Bajanas said.

The authors said they hope the book will encourage further research into the Valley’s political landscape.

“The Rio Grande Valley is known across the United States,” Couture Gagnon said. “Researchers come here because they want to study the Rio Grande Valley … but they don’t really know what to expect. We need more academic literature to start research on the Rio Grande Valley. … We just started with the book. We just want more people to research the Rio Grande Valley because the politics of it are so interesting.”

The book will be published by Lexington Books Saturday.