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News/Noticias Film premiere of Colonias to be held at Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. San Marcos, Texas (November 15, 1999) — An insightful documentary film on the conditions of American communities along the Mexican border will be premiered March 17, 2000, in the nation's capital. Members of the House of Representatives and Hispanic Congressional Caucus, state and local officials, and Latino community-based organizations from communities along the U.S./Mexico border will share their perspectives, and present position papers, on the conditions and effects of colonias on a growing number of Americans. In hopes of owning their own homes, a growing number of U.S. citizens are carving out their little piece of the "American Dream" in an estimated 1,400 unregulated housing subdivisions along the U.S./Mexico border. The unincorporated settlements often lack basic public services and are marked by high dropout rates and low income levels. Health problems are a crucial concern, with higher than average rates of hepatitis, tuberculosis and other diseases that can be fatal when untreated. "We have deplorable third-world conditions right here in the United States and nobody seems to be concerned with them," explains Jaime Chahin, Ph.D., Colonias Project Director and Dean of Applied Arts at Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. "The health and safety dangers resulting from lack of standard public services‹paved roads, running water, sewage systems, utilities and home construction codes — require appropriate governmental agencies to enact and enforce policies to stop the spread of colonias and endangerment of American families," he added. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation earlier this year awarded a $994,000 grant to Chahin to identify the issues and solutions to the problems created by the uncontrolled developments. There is a need for over 215,000 affordable housing units in the U.S./Mexico Border region. A component of the project is to research and document the unregulated housing subdivisions and their amazing growth rates along the U.S./Mexico border, from Texas to California. According to Chahin, over 350,000 women, children and families live in colonias in the U.S./Mexico border regions in Texas. Despite state and federal legislation and intervention from numerous agencies, the lack of a comprehensive coordinated plan has resulted in piecemeal solutions. An objective of the film's premiere is to inform policy makers — and the general public — about the lack of comprehensive legislation and implementation of existing policies related to colonias. The documentary not only depicts the conditions within these settlements, but captures the American spirit of hope and aspirations. With media exposure and participation of governmental and community leadership, the project proposes to secure much needed attention from public officials at municipal, county, state and national levels. The hour-long film is being directed by award-winning documentarian Hector Galan. It will be completed later this fall and offered for broadcast to the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) network. Galan has extensive experience producing numerous programs and specials for PBS, including eleven episodes of the PBS series Frontline, two projects for the PBS series The American Experience, and independent specials, including the landmark PBS series, Chicano! History of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement, Songs of the Homeland and most recently, collaborated on the PBS special, The Border.
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