THE BORDER

As a result of the Revolution, development on the Mexican side of the border largely came to a halt while the U. S. border area boomed. Because of communications and transportation bottlenecks, Mexican border cities found themselves cut off from the rest of Mexico. As a result, they became commercially, economically, and socially dependent on the U. S. side of the border. In 1921, the largest Mexican border city was Ciudad Juarez, with a population of 19,457.108

Prohibition in the United States, which lasted from 1920 to 1933, led to an explosion of tourism in the border cities. During the 1920s, the population of Juarez more than doubled while Tijuana’s more than octupled. Juarez benefited from El Paso being a stopping point on a major transcontinental rail passenger route, while Tijuana was within easy reach of San Diego and Los Angeles residents. Along with liquor for thirsty U. S. tourists came gambling, drug smuggling, and prostitution. American celebrities frequented Tijuana’s horse and dog race tracks.109

Tourism brought the impoverished border cities economic prosperity and an unsavory reputation. Gambling in Juarez became the main source of revenue for the state of Chihuahua, yielding 700,000 pesos in 1932. Prohibition-era tourism financed a wide range of urban services there, including sewage, electricity, pavement, trolleys, and water distribution.110

The end of Prohibition and the onset of the Depression dealt a severe blow to border tourism. Within a single month after the repeal of Prohibition, 150 commercial establishments related to liquor ceased operation in Tijuana. President Cardenas (1934—1940) further undermined tourism

Table 20.1 Border state populations, 1921-1940

State

1921

1940

Percent

Change

Source: INEGI (1994: 15-24)

By cracking down on vice, especially gambling, in border cities. The number of border crossings declined from 27.1 million in 1928 to 21.1 million in 1934.111

During the 1920s, the population of the Mexican border states increased slightly faster than that of Mexico as a whole. These states benefited from both increased tourism and massive government-funded irrigation works. During the 1930s, population growth in the border states continued to outpace that of Mexico as a whole as government-funded reclamation projects continued. Many Mexicans who left the United States during the Depression either could not afford transport south or remained in the border area with the intention of returning north. Finally, Tijuana was declared a duty-free area, which stimulated commerce there.112

Part Seven

The Rise of the “Perfect Dictatorship,” 1941-1970