Complicating the Narrative of Hispanic Migration Through a Healthcare Lens

Hispanic migration and the southern border that concerns it pervade the political sphere as a point of controversy. Spurred on by recent presidential races, the narrative of Hispanic migrants and their role in the country has increased border tensions and attitudes. This honors thesis attempts to shift the standard view of migration, beginning with the 2016 election and continuing through to the present. Instead of just focusing on migration to the United States, the movement and narratives of individuals to Mexico are analyzed for access to alternative healthcare. In addition to personal experience, photojournalism pieces from a recent trip to Nuevo Progreso, secondary and archival data analysis from both countries contribute to understanding medical tourism along the southern U.S. border. Migration across the U.S.-Mexico border is not as simple as saying that movement is a one-way street ending in the theft of American jobs. It is a more complex dynamic that flows in both directions and encompasses an ethnically and geographically unique community.