Dates: June 2, 2024 - July 7, 2024

By appointment only

 

Just south of the Salton Sea in south-eastern California’s Imperial Valley, the U.S. city of Calexico straddles the border alongside the Mexican city of Mexicali, creating a single community despite the wall that divides it. Roughly 35,000 people cross daily to work or attend school in California, and to spend weekends enjoying fun and family in Mexicali’s metropolis. The Imperial Valley is the cherished home of thousands of people and the place where many more make their living; but the needs of those who live there are disregarded by the very entities that rely upon their labor. 

 

The New River is the locus of this indifference. It carries raw sewage, industrial waste, and pesticides past homes, schools, and parks. The overwhelming odor of sulfur dioxide burns your lungs, throat, and eyes. Smoke and waste pour from maquiladoras—U.S.-owned factories just on the other side of the border in Mexico, where U.S. companies ship hazardous materials, and Mexican workers assemble commercial goods at sweatshop prices. 

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As it moves northward, the river collects more waste and, at its terminus, leaves toxic dust behind on the playa of the drying Salton Sea. These conditions have not been addressed, creating some of the unhealthiest air in the United States and causing record levels of asthma, bronchitis, and heart attacks. Children as young as 11 have died of cardiovascular disease. The cases in the Imperial Valley are yet another manifestation of a continuing trend across the United States where environmental health threats from pollution and ecological degradation disproportionately affect economically disadvantaged communities, tribal lands, and communities of color (regardless of their economic status).

 

The twin cities are centers of production through agriculture and the maquiladora system, but these industries have had mounting consequences in the form of air pollution, water pollution, poverty, and human rights issues. The Imperial and Mexicali Valleys are beloved for their strong communities and for the beauty of the Salton Sea. Residents of the region have fought valiantly for their health and future in the face of overwhelming resistance to change. 

Their story cannot be ignored. 

 

This project was made possible with support from California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Visit www.calhum.org.