Canasta Basica: Defined by the Mexican Central Bank (Banco de Mexico) as the cost of basic good and services for the average Mexican based on 80 essential items. A December 2000 hearing of the Mexican Senate put the cost of the official canasta basica at approximately $3,300 Mexican Pesos (US$330/month).

Culturally Competent Care: Health and human services are offered and delivered in a way that are sensitive to the language, culture and traditions of non-native immigrants, migrants and ethnic minorities with the goal of minimizing or eliminating long standing disparities in the health status of people with diverse racial, ethnic or cultural backgrounds.

Cultural Connectors:  Individuals who have a deep understanding of two different cultures and are able to work as the bridge between these two cultures and people. 

Hometown Associations (HTAs): Grassroots organizations that bring together Mexican born immigrants now living in the United States but hailing from the same villages, town or regions in Mexico. Today, there are over 1,500 HTAs in the United States with a growing number in Southern California.

Maquiladora: The term comes from the Spanish word maquila, which in colonial Mexico was the charge that millers collected for processing grain. Today, a maquiladora is an operation used for the production of goods based on the temporary importation of raw materials and equipment for transformation in Mexico with subsequent export to foreign markets including the United States.

Migrant Sending Regions: Refers to those regions in Mexico of extreme poverty from where the majority of migrants originate. In San Diego County, over 50% of all migrants came from just five Mexican states, Oaxaca, Guerrero, Jalisco, Michoacan and Baja California. Of these, all but one (Baja California) are considered migrant sending states. Baja California is a major migrant receiving state although many migrants arriving there ultimately do end up in the United States.

Poverty Line--Mexico: The level at which family income exceeds twice the cost of the basic food basket (Canasta Basica):

• Poverty: Family income is less than twice the cost of the basic food basket.
• Extreme Poverty: Based on the level of family income that is less than the Canasta Basica
(See definition above).

Note: There are over 40 million Mexicans living on less than US$2/day, a key factor driving human
migration to the San Diego-Tijuana region.

SENTRI: The acronym for the Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection, a pre-screened inspection program currently in use by approximately 50,000 individuals in the San Diego-Tijuana border region. Along the southern border with Mexico, the SENTRI program is in operation at San Ysidro, Otay Mesa and El Paso, Texas ports of entry.

Social Capital: The degree to which a community or society collaborates and cooperates (through such mechanisms as networks, shared trust, norms and values) to achieve mutual benefits. There are many definitions and discussions about social capital, for more information see Robert D. Putnam's Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community (Simon & Schusterk Publishing, 2000).

Trans-Border Residents: For the purposes of this study, trans-border residents are defined as individuals of U.S. or Mexican citizenship or residency that live in either San Diego or Baja California and that cross the international border to work, attend school, shop or visit friends and family on a regular and periodic basis. (See page 9 for a detailed description).

Transboundary Impact: A health, environmental or socio-economic impact that has cross-border consequences across international or political boundaries. While some transboundary impacts are regional, as in San Diego-Tijuana, others can be more far reaching as is the case with the destruction or disruption of critical habitats for migratory bird species that come from to this region from as far away as Canada.

Transnational Residents: Immigrants/migrants in the United States with sustained two-way contacts and links to friends, family and relatives in their place of origin. (See page 12 for a detailed description).