Transborder lives are becoming increasingly common as the definition of state lines becomes blurred and those same lives become easier to cross (Smith, 2006). The idea of transnationalism is not a new one, and refers to the several million people that exist within and between two different states. These individuals repeatedly cross state lines in order to achieve an education, for work, or for personal reasons and therefore exist in a hypo-national state (Smith, 2006). In one exploration of these lives, “Transborder Lives: Indigenous Oaxacans in Mexico, California, and Oregon” Lynn Stephen argues that the concept of a transnational identity is now an outdated concept.

The idea presented within “Transborder Lives” is that these communities cross many more borders than the physical line of the nation-state – their entire lives change dramatically through crossing borders of regions, cultures, ethnicity and class (Stephen, 2007). These individuals are a true transnational community, but their existence is far more complex than this and the word transborder is more apt. Stephen argues that transborder implies that there is more than a crossing of the state line between the U.S. and Mexico involved in the creation of the community and this is more appropriate in the case of these Mexican-US existences (2007).

Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of Stephens’ research and discussion is the way that traditional Mexican identities tend to replicate themselves in these transborder communities (2007). The main concept identified is that the indigenous peoples in Mexico had their hierarchy defined by their racial and ethnic identities. These structures are then replicated in homogenous societies within the US, although they are not present in communities where they are integrated more thoroughly with the population of the city (2007). This suggests that transborder communities keep a strong sense of Mexican identity when living abroad and their relationships with each other do not change despite the other changes that influence them.

It is also interesting to consider the fact that digital technology has also begun to play a strong part in transborder communities. The internet, where applicable, helps the communities to keep a strong relationship with those living in Mexico. Stephens (2007) suggests that this may help to perpetrate the strong sense of identity within the communities living abroad. It is also interesting that this may help the re-integration of the migrants back into Mixtec and Zapotec communities upon their return as their lines of communication were continually open.

Stephens’ work is not the only discourse on migration and displacement to be relevant to the discussion of transnational and transborder lives. Perez (2004) explores the relationship between Puerto Ricans and their new lives in Chicago. The argument here is similar in that it emphasizes the way that these new communities that have created barrios in Chicago continue to experience many of the same social networks as they did at home. The transnational lives identified by Perez (2004) are marred by discrimination and poverty which makes the relationships with those back in San Sebastian more meaningful and necessary.

In “The Near Northwest Side Story”, Perez explores the way that these new communities create links with their communities at home as a mechanism to avoid globalization and gentrification. This suggests that Perez believes that the creation of transnational communities exists as a protective mechanism rather than a way of creating meaningful transborder lives, as suggested by Stephens (2007). Overall, the creation of these bi-national communities is an interesting concept because it really illustrates the way that migration plays a part in lives and the need to continue to preserve culture within a transborder existence.