Border Soundscapes: Listening at the U.S.-Mexico Divide

Presentation of a research project as part of the "Jeudis de la Maison Suger", a residents' research seminar.

During this session, Miguel Olmos Aguilera will present a facet of his fieldwork conducted among Indigenous peoples in northwestern Mexico and the southern United States. This presentation explores the soundscapes of this border region, highlighting the acoustic expressions of migrant cultures. It examines how emblematic sounds associated with border crossing contribute to the construction of identities, forms of resistance, and the dynamics of inclusion and exclusion within borderland societies.

The theme of the session 

"Borders are a source of uncertainty for those who cross them daily, especially for migrants seeking to settle in one of the neighboring countries. Borderland societies continuously reshape territories, cultures, and social structures in transition. In Mexico, the border reveals the deep wounds of peoples struggling to cross in search of a better life. On both sides, the cultures of displaced populations exhibit distinct sensory characteristics, shaped by their uprooting and resettlement.

This presentation offers an overview of the soundscape of the Tijuana–San Diego region, focusing on the acoustic expressions of migrant cultures that contribute to the broader sonic environment. Each migrant brings their own sound, and each society either integrates or excludes it from its particular symphony. The act of crossing the border is marked by emblematic sounds—such as the rhythmic clicking of the revolving gate heard by all who return to Mexico: click clack, click clack, click clack. These sonic universes are integral to the identities, resistances, everyday experiences, joys, and tragedies of life at the border".

Speaker

Miguel Olmos Aguilera earned his PhD in Ethnology and Social Anthropology from the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS). He also holds degrees in Ethnology, Ethnomusicology, and Physical Anthropology from UNAM. Since 1988, he has been a professor and researcher at El Colegio de la Frontera Norte in Tijuana (Baja California).