The Border Crossed Us: The Case for Opening the US-Mexico Border

by Justin Akers Chacón

The aggressive exploitation of labor on both sides of the US-Mexico border has become a prominent feature of capitalism in North America. Kids in cages, violent ICE raids, and anti-immigrant racist rhetoric characterize our political reality and are everyday shaping how people intersect at the US-Mexico border. As activist-scholar Justin Akers Chacón carefully demonstrates, however, this vicious model of capitalist transnationalization has also created its own grave-diggers.

Contemporary North American capitalism relies heavily on an inter-connected working class which extends across the border. Cross-border production and supply chains, logistics networks, and retail and service firms have aligned and fused a growing number of workers into one common class, whether they live in the US or Mexico. While money moves without restriction, the movement of displaced migrant workers across borders is restricted and punished. Transborder people face walls, armed agents, detention camps, and a growing regime of repressive laws that criminalize them. Despite the growth and violence of the police state dedicated to the repression of transborder populations―the migra-state― migrant workers have been at the forefront of class struggle in the United States. This timely book persuasively argues that labor and migrant solidarity movements are already showing how and why, in order to fight for justice and re-build the international union movement, we must open the border.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, Social Justice, History, Immigration, Race, Social Issues

Unknown Binding

About the author

Justin Akers Chacón is a San Diego-based professor, labor unionist, and activist specializing in Chicano Studies. He co-authored No One is Illegal with Mike Davis and wrote Radicals in the Barrio, exploring Mexican-American labor militancy. His recent work, The Border Crossed Us, advocates for opening the U.S.-Mexico border through transnational working-class solidarity and anti-capitalist grassroots movements.

Reviews

[Julia Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone with a limited understanding of economics, this book was a bit dense, especially at the beginning. That being said, the book makes a really solid argument illustrating the fact that the shared neoliberal economy between the US and Mexico is already borderless for all intents and purposes. The border is only enforced when it’s advantageous for capital. Both US and Mexican government systems and major political parties support this, too.

I thought Chacón’s most significant contribution was his analysis of unions— how much positive change they’ve made in cross-border and inter-worker solidarity, and how much we’re missing out by living in an increasingly de-unionized society (thx again, neoliberalism). Lots of food for thought especially as we enter 2025…

[Juan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an excellent working-class overview of issues related to the border between Mexico and the United States, presented by Professor Akers Chacón. He guides us through the historical developments that led to the current political framework of labor-control measures by helping us understand the idea of the border. By offering solutions and recommendations from a working-class perspective, he goes beyond merely reiterating historical facts and attempts to alter the course of the oppressive conditions. Anyone who wants to learn how to destroy capitalism's methods and techniques for subjugating and abusing laborers and resources must read this book.

[Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t enjoy this for quite a while, but I think it ended on a strong note.

Tbh a lot of the data was poorly presented. There were often just raw figures that lacked contextualization. This was mostly evident in mentions of trade and government spending over a significant period. Without describing the rate of inflation or the total market share, a lot of these statistics weren’t all that strong.

Overall, many of the material examples were really helpful and supported the argument, but would have resonated more if they were situated in clearer main idea per chapter. Unfairly, I think I’m going to compare every book about migration to Harsha Walia’s absolute belter, Border and Rule, because it is the perfect example of how to organize an argument.

Despite that, discussions about the weaponization of the dollar and the depression of domestic currencies were great and particularly relevant at the time of reading. The final section that provided some hope for the future was a great way to end the book.

[J Earl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall I think this book offers a lot to those wanting both a more comprehensive understanding of the border issue as well as ideas on how to make things not just better but more humane, more compassionate for the individuals involved.

Too often arguments across the entire spectrum ignore the big picture to focus on their specific concern. This is fine when doing research but when you want to make change you have to think more holistically. What is the history? What systems are in place and how do they help or hinder the change you want? And how can you present information, accurate and fair information, in a way that might sway people's opinions and move them to action? These are the areas where this book succeeds the most.

Some of the writing seemed to be geared for academics rather than either policymakers or the general public. That said, it didn't get bogged down in it and is still an accessible read for anyone with an interest.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via Edelweiss.

[Wyatt Parks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This a great book for understanding the border, the migrant issue, and how almost everything we're told about is a lie. It seems like it is more a documentation of history as opposed to a real manifesto, as the title would suggest. But still, it accomplishes its goal.

The writing style and the format will sometimes make you feel as if you were reading a high school essay, but past that I highly recommend it.

[Gemini · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a fan of this book or the writing as it's basically a bit all over the place & unexpected considering the title. What a disappointment. So it is actually pretty boring, like academic boring & basically could only read a page at a time. I am not sure why or how the author chose to write about this in the way he did, but so not a fan. I was expecting more out of the author & how this issue has been such a hot topic for years. It was at least a better read towards the end.

[Mariah Almquist · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the thesis of this book. However I felt that the thesis got extremely lost throughout the book where I wasn't exactly sure what was being arguing until the conclusion, which I honestly was quite sad about as once I had the arguement I wanted more information on it.

I also did not enjoy how heavy this book was on economic jargon. It was not for me.

2.5

[Ryan O'Malley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was expecting a book strictly on immigration. What I got in stead was an in-depth look at how capitalism has shaped issues north and south of the “border”. I learned a lot about the effect capitalism has had on hurting immigrant workers and keeping the border militarized.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[kathryn donovan · Rating 4 out of 5]

We have open borders for transnational corporations and financial institutions but not for humans and laborers -- Because profit for the few over people is the way our country operates. What is okay for capitalism, is criminalized for humans.

In an ideal world, we'd have transnational unions.

[Ibid. · Rating 5 out of 5]

They're doing the holocaust again. The entropy of education has permitted this. Hey Chatgpt what do you think would give our country lots of money? Looks like those brown people are costing us a bit, we can just cut those off. #Grindset. Go fuck yourself man