The ties to Mexico are not recent. Hidalgo County was part of Mexico in the 18th century, and some of the local families trace their roots back many generations. Others in the area have been here a few months or a few years, and some kids cross the river each day to attend a school in Texas by using a false address of a relative living on this side of the border. Driving from the airport in McAllen, less than an hour from the MIRA sites, I first saw the usual national brands of chain stores and hotels, but when I pulled off the highway for the business route into Edinburg there were more local names, more signs in Spanish, and businesses that reflected the local reality. I tuned into KBUZZ, the school radio station set up as part of the MIRA project. Though it was out of range for the low-powered transmitter, I was able to hear the cadence of some aggressive rap music. I decided to find a room in a local motel rather than a Best Western or Holiday Inn Express, so I stopped at the Amigo Motel. This was a cash-only establishment where the rooms were clean and new. Many of the cable channels were Spanish, but the owner was one of the Patel extended family from New Delhi! The extended Patel family owns dozens of inexpensive hotels in big cities as well as motels all across America.