Arizona-Mexico Commission

The state that borders Arizona on the south isn't part of the United States of America ... it's part of the Republic of Mexico! Arizona and the Mexican state of Sonora began working together formally in the 1950s to address issues that affected them both. This working group became known as the Arizona-Mexico Commission, and when Arizona and Sonora opened trade offices in one another’s state capitals in the 1990s, the Commission gained new importance.

Read About It

Use the document analysis sheet and the photograph analysis sheet to uncover clues about the people that created the documents.

• Memo from John Coyle to Governor Symington, March 9, 1995
• Copy of a letter from Margie A. Emmermann to Arizona Senator Carol Springer, February 21, 1995
• Copy of a letter from Governor Symington to Sonoran Governor Beltrones, December 17, 1993

Understand It

1. What are some of the major issues that the Arizona-Mexico Commission addressed in the 1990s?
2. Who created the documents linked above? How did they participate in the Arizona-Mexico Commission? Does their role affect their perspective on the work of the Arizona-Mexico Commission?
3. If you were on the Arizona-Mexico Commission, what issues do you think would be important to address, and why?