Mission

The School of Transborder Studies promotes academic excellence and social change by developing cutting-edge interdisciplinary knowledge regarding the populations of the U.S.-Mexico transborder space and beyond. Our aim is to affect social change by developing and nurturing integrated transborder scholarship and teaching, leading to more prosperous and sustainable transborder communities. We strive to affect transborder policy and social practice to promote individual, group, and regional prosperity in a globalized world.

The School of Transborder Studies will accomplish this mission by:

• Educating, training, and empowering students at the undergraduate and graduate levels using a rigorous student-centered approach that provides the tools to understand past and current transborder processes and their overall implications for U.S. and Mexican societies and for Mexican origin and Latina/o communities and their respective nations of origin.
• Conducting empirical and reflective research and transformative creative work that positively impacts the collective understanding of transborder processes, strengthens the interdisciplinary base of the field of transborder studies, and enhances the lives of individuals, groups, and communities in transborder contexts and especially through engaged and embedded projects.
• Advancing innovative programs and entrepreneurial initiatives that enhance the capacity of these populations to utilize their cultural capital to enrich the diversity, prosperity, and sustainability of their communities.
• Providing national and international leadership in transborder studies.

In support of these endeavors, the School of Transborder Studies values students for their individual strengths and diversity and convenes faculty and staff committed to academic excellence and innovation. While our faculty’s research and academic training represent a broad spectrum of the social and behavioral sciences and the humanities, we encourage interdisciplinary research and teaching.

I grew up on the U.S.-Mexico border in the community of Nogales, Arizona and understand the opportunities and challenges that border communities face. Over time, I have become convinced that binational problems require binational solutions; hence the importance of conducting research in border regions through an interdisciplinary lens. Additionally, I believe that understanding the political and cultural diversity of the Latino/a/x and Chicano/a/x experiences in communities throughout the United States is of paramount importance to enhancing our democracy.

“Borders are scars that history has left on earth's skin.” – Josep Barrell, former European Parliament president. With our central focus on borders, we are mindful of the importance of ASU’s Charter to focus on the continued inclusion and success of ASU students and our fundamental responsibility to the overall well-being of our communities. The School of Transborder Studies is firmly committed to fostering civic and democratic engagement, cross-border cooperation, and the continued scholarship effort necessary to produce much-needed changes and advancements.

We are proud to also house two important programs in our School: the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) – an academic support to students from migrant and seasonal farmworker backgrounds; and the Migrant and Rural Student Achievement and Inmigration Innovation Program. Please explore deeper on our website to learn more about these fantastic efforts.

I look forward to meeting you in the coming year, and to learn about all you do, hope for, and are striving to achieve; the School of Transborder Studies will give you the tools to succeed.

Best wishes for a successful school year,

Irasema Coronado