Graduation Semester and Year

1989

Language

English

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Architecture

Department

Architecture

First Advisor

Hamilton Todd

Second Advisor

Maruszczak John

Third Advisor

Boswell Bill

Abstract

The increasing influx of Latin Americans into the Southwest United States as a result of social, political and economic upheaval in their homelands is a growing concern for the state of Texas. A new immigration station is proposed for the Texas - Mexico border which would be essential to the journey of the international migrant. Serving simultaneously both as an administrative and educational facility, this place of entry into the United States would serve to enhance the immigrant's arrival and adaptation to their new world. The complex would represent the freedoms provided by the Constitution, serving symbolically as a haven of opportunity for the American immigrant. A paradox exists in the placing of opposing gateways, one of opportunity with one of control, in close proximity to each other. The complex proposes to celebrate the continued traditions of the United States' acceptance of new immigrants, examine the consequences of the country's right to maintain the flow of migration and finally to establish a prototype for which the two gateways can coexist. These goals would be realized in the design of the following facilities: (1) Management of the Border crossing and Border patrol facilities. (2) Educational centers for the benefit of the immigrants' desires for opportunity and advancement in their new environment. (3) Resource centers for the aid of displaced persons and refugees. (4) Temporary housing for political refugees seeking asylum in the United States. (5) Immigration and Naturalization processing facilities with public spaces for the celebration of the immigrant's arrival and naturalization toward American citizenship. (6) A market area for the sale of Mexican goods to the abundant tourist trade. **UTA Libraries seeks the author of the publication about the status of their work**

Keywords

Brownsville(Tex.), Texas - Mexico border, immigration

Disciplines

Architecture

Comments

Degree granted by The University of Texas at Arlington

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