This episode explores the winding, complex history of the US-Mexico borderlands region over the centuries. From early Native tribes and Spanish conquistadors to the Mexican-American War, Prohibition, Bracero migrant workers, NAFTA trade, and today’s immigration debates, the cross-border area has continually shifted in response to economic, political and social forces. Tensions have flared through generations, leaving a complicated legacy. By taking the long view, the episode provides context on how we arrived at present-day border conflicts and the constant reinventing of America’s southern frontier.