I’m from one of those old Spanish families-AKA Tejanos.
I grew up on a small family ranch in remote SW Texas-like most from families who bought and sold livestock and other stuff on both sides of the border, we learned Spanish as a 2nd language in early childhood. Ranchers and other small business owners on this side sold, bought, traded with small ranchers on the other side, and trucked goods back and forth-it was all easily done, reasonably priced and safe-no narco mafia, no kidnapping and ransom demands, etc-but that was pre-NAFTA-now it is all changed for the worse-small rural ranch/trucking operations like my family’s only haul local cartage now because of the high new fees and ruinous regs-and there is precious little to be hauled anyway.
My family votes GOP-and no, we do not have any use for mojados, their coyotes-who are part of the narco mafia, etc. If we elect Trump and get rid of these awful trade agreements, I believe both the bleeding of jobs and the flood of illegals will be stopped-after awhile, economies on both sides will right themselves again, making commerce safe and affordable again for even the smallest family ranch or other business on both sides of the border...
Thank you for your history and observation. My uncle lives in Midland and it always a pleasure to visit him there. NAFTA was big news in Berkeley when discussed in the early 1990’s. Sad how political correctness blocks sound judgment. NAFTA is a mess. Even Ralph Nader knew it was horrible. The damage of NAFTA to the old style small ranchers is tragic and sad.