Introduction

Summer 2008

Ever since "Mr. Polk's War" led to the appropriation of a huge section of Mexico in 1848-including California- the nature of the U.S.-Mexico border has been in question. As Mexican Americans will often say, "We didn't cross the border, the border crossed us." The articles in our Beyond the Border section in this issue explore different dimensions of this struggle over the line between Mexico and the United States. While the U.S. government seems intent on "securing the border" with bigger walls, educators have a different role: to help our students explore the nature of those walls and their impact on people's lives-and to work for justice for our students.

Summer 2008