26. The Borderless Border Town
Until 1918, a newcomer to the border town of Nogales, divided between an American part in Arizona and a Mexican part in Sonora, would have seen little to distinguish where America ended and Mexico began. The two towns were known as Ambos Nogales, Spanish for “Both Nogaleses”. Officially, a wide and open boulevard named International Street separated the US from Mexico. In practice, few paid attention, and historically, the border had been open and unrestricted, with no impediments to crossing from one Nogales to the other.
That changed in 1918, when crossing into Nogales, Arizona, was restricted to inspection points, and US soldiers were posted on International Street. In the preceding months, two Mexicans were killed while attempting to cross International Street, including a deaf-mute who was unable to hear American border guards’ orders to halt. That built up a store of resentment against US border agents by their Mexican counterparts, and things finally came to a head in late August of 1918.