Precarity, Poverty, & Predatory Lending
Post-Flood Survival in the Colonias of the Rio Grande Valley
Topic
Informal settlements along the US-Mexico border, known as colonias, developed in the latter half of the 20th century and are characterized by poverty, a lack of infrastructure, and spatial marginalization. The marginalization of these communities is multifaceted and stems from socioeconomic poverty, racial and spatial stigma, lack of infrastructure, and environmental hazards. The result is a layered vulnerability that compounds a lack of access to traditional financial institutions and an increased risk of flooding. Given this multilayered vulnerability, how do colonia residents financially cope with environmental hazards such as flooding? My MS thesis explores the nexus between flooding, economic precarity, informal and predatory lending, community-institution relationships, and survival in the Rio Grande Valley. This thesis uses a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative data gained through focus groups and interviews with quantitative spatial data pertaining to housing finance, poverty, and colonias.
Methodology
I began this research by connecting with federal policymakers, local non-profit organizations, and labor organizers in the Rio Grande Valley. Through key informant interviews I enriched my understanding of the area, which guided me toward post-flood survival practices in the colonias. To conduct field research, I attained IRB approval, wrote a successful grant proposal, and organized and facilitated focus groups and interviews with colonia residents about their flood experiences. Afterward, I transcribed and translated the conversations and identified thematic commonalities across the research participants. My research also included a significant quantitative/GIS approach where I utilized federal datasets (FEMA floodplain, Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, and American Community Survey) and state datasets (colonia locations, payday and car title lenders) to analyze the connection between social vulnerability, housing finance, and flooding.