Final Script

Video 1: “Tonight we look at communities who’s beaten path is harder than most and arguably
the most difficult in the country.”
Video 2: “Communities along the border that sometimes lack basic infrastructure, like sewage
systems, electricity.”

1. Those who live in Colonias face greater challenges than those in their neighboring
communities
a. These communities have third world living conditions in a first world country
2. These poor conditions cause the residents to have extremely poor health
a. 82.5% of Hidalgo County Colonia residents reported they have at least one
chronic disease in their household
b. Cyndie Park II had an outbreak of Cancer due to the Arsenic in the drinking water
c. The county knew about the contaminated water, but failed to inform the residents
and provide clean water
3. “Why these neighborhoods do not have city water is because there are not enough people
living (there).” -Timothy Collins, Sociology and Anthropology professor
4. Call your representative and advocate for more governmental assistance in these tax
paying communities
5. Speak for those who can't...
6. Find your representative here: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-
representative
7. Credits
a. Videos:
CBS 4 News Rio Grande Valley. (2018). "Texas has the highest poverty rates in
the country."
Washington Post. (2013). "Near the U.S.-Mexico border, poverty and obesity tip
the scale."

b. Images:
i. Kinder Institute (2015)
ii. The Atlantic (2016)
iii. American Academy of Pediatrics (2018)
iv. BabyCenter (2017)
v. Wendy Jepson (2013)
vi. Maria Esquincia News 21 (2017)
vii. The Texas Tribune (2011)
c. Produced by: Taylor Toronto, Lianna Onate, Ana Beltran and Michael Kneeskern
d. References:
i. Dallas Fed. (2015). Texas colonias: A thumbnail sketch of the conditions,
issues, challenges and opportunities. Retrieved from
https://www.dallasfed.org/~/media/documents/cd/pubs/colonias.pdf
ii. Tsou, P. (2018). Assessing health status and housing quality of families
living in model subdivisions (colonias) of the Rio Grande Valley.
 Retrieved from
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/142/1_MeetingAbstract/514
iii. Abt, P. (September 22, 2017). There’s a third-world America that no one
notices. In the Washington post. Retrieved from
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/theres-a- third-world-
america-that-no-one-notices/2017/11/21/640c4c1a-c499-11e7-aae0-
cb18a8c29c65_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.5f2c33c7861a
iv. Valle, K. “Living on the edge.” The prospector 5 Sept. 2014: (p. 23).
DigitalCommons@UTEP. Oct. 2018. Retrieved from
https://digitalcommons.utep.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1193&contex
t=prospector