“Ni de Aquí, Ni de Alla:” Analyzing Identity Formation in the Bordertown of San Ysidro Policing Suburbia: A Case Study of Racist Policing Practices in San Mateo, California “Ni de Aquí, Ni de Alla:” Analyzing Identity Formation in the Bordertown of San Ysidro

Scholars, policymakers, and the media often frame the U.S.-Mexico border region as an access point to the United States. But millions of residents build a home in these border regions. How do they understand and relate to their place of residence? This study analyzes how living along the U.S.-Mexico border shapes the identities1 of San Ysidro residents. It examines whether and how the physical and social features of the border district impact the way in which San Ysidro residents come to define their identity. Drawing on interviews, surveys, and community drawing exercises with 25 San Ysidro residents, I show that San Ysidro residents share an identity that is as liminal2 as the border town they live in. In particular, I argue that a perceived lack of representation by San Diego city leadership and a mix of push and pull factors from Mexico impose a feeling of liminality on San Ysidro residents. Wedged between borders, San Ysidro residents feel a sense of belonging and alienation from both the United States and Mexico.