FAQs
Colonias
in Texas: A brief history
“Colonia” simply means “community”
in Spanish. In the United States, “colonias”
have been defined as impoverished, unincorporated areas
with inadequate infrastructure found largely along the
U.S.-Mexico border. Many colonias lack adequate water and
sewer systems, electricity, street lights, sidewalks, storm
drainage, paved roads, and of course, decent, safe and
sanitary housing.
Colonias in Texas date back to the 1950's. After
reconstruction, Texas adopted a state constitution to
minimize the powers of government. By taking all
rule-making authority away from the counties and putting it
in the hands of the state, rural areas outside city limits
became "regulation free zones". For over half a decade,
developers have been able to buy cheap parcels of land in
these unregulated areas—land with little value and no
public infrastructure— and sell it to low-income
people under “contract for deed” and
“rent to own” predatory financing schemes.
The result has been the development of thousands of
colonias with conditions so dire they are reminiscent of
the Third World. To this day, counties still have no
“ordinance-making power” and more colonias are
developed each year.
Most colonias in the United States are located in
Texas—a state with over 1400 colonias and
approximately 350,000 colonia residents. Almost 90 % of
Texas colonias are located along the Texas side of the
Texas-Mexico border, in Hidalgo, El Paso, Starr, Cameron,
Maverick, Webb and Zavala counties.
Colonia Facts
Demography
of Colonias
•
In 1995, there were 1,436 colonias in Texas.
•
That number grew to 1,450 colonias in Texas in 2000.
•
These settlements are home to an estimated 350,000 people.
•
97% of residents are Hispanic, compared with 32% in Texas
and 13% in the nation as a whole.
•
More than 75% of colonia residents were born in the U.S.
and 85% are U.S. citizens.
•
Two-thirds of residents speak primarily Spanish.
•
Typical families consist of 5-6 people.
•
The population within colonias appears to be growing at a
rapid rate. A high birth rate combined with a relatively
young population contributes to this phenomenon. In Cameron
County outside Corpus Christi, the population grew by 25%
during the 1990s, compared to the state average of 16%.
Housing
& Infrastructure in Colonias
•
Residents construct housing in the colonias little by
little, using whatever materials are available.
Improvements are made as finances allow, and older colonias
usually have better quality housing because residents have
had more time to renovate.
•
A large majority of colonias have dirt roads, without even
gravel surfaces, and have no surface drainage systems.
•
The incidence of household crowding along the border is
more than twice the national average: 13% of border
households live in crowded units. Among the regions
Hispanic households, crowding rates are four times the
national rate as over 26% of border Hispanic households
live in units with more than one person per room.
•
As of June 2000, only 54% of Texas colonia residents
surveyed by the Texas Department of Health had sewer
service and more than 50% drank water from sources other
than taps.
Health
in the Colonias
•
Incidence of health problems is high. Flooding is common in
many colonias, making the existence of privies an
additional health problem. Waterborne diseases are very
common in colonias for this reason.
•
The rate of Tuberculosis in the colonias is 3.9% and
hepatitis 6.2%, well above the average for the rest of
Texas.
Education in the Colonias
•
Education levels are quite low and school dropout rates are
high in the colonias. A combination of long commutes to
school, work, peer pressure, and health problems make it
difficult for many colonia children to stay in school
regularly.
•
Nearly 70% of colonia residents never graduated from high
school.
•
A snapshot of colonia Rio Bravo in Webb County offers
insight into educational shortfalls in colonias versus
non-colonias. In the U.S. as a whole, more than 80% of the
people who are 26 years of age and older have at least
graduated from high school, but in Rio Bravo, this figure
is only 21.5%.
Economy
of the Colonias
•
In 2001, the poverty rate of the 14 counties along the
border was 34% — double the statewide poverty rate of
17%.
•
According to a survey conducted in 2000 by the Texas
Department of Health, in 96 colonias in six border counties
(Cameron, El Paso, Hidalgo, Maverick, Val Verde and Webb),
almost half of the colonia households make less than $834 a
month.
•
Median annual income is estimated at $7,000-$11,000 per
household.
•
Of jobs in the colonias, 30% are agricultural and 24% are
in construction. Both of these occupations are seasonal,
causing unemployment rates to rise and fall precipitously.
•
The unemployment rate stands at 18% for colonia residents,
compared at 11% for border neighbors.