Living Between Lines: Transborder Commuters, Violence, and Belonging

About this episode

Dr. Estefanía Castañeda Pérez discusses her research and experiences as a transborder commuter, focusing on the impacts of violence and immigration policies on belonging.

In this episode, 2025 Kroc School Women Peacemakers Fellow Dr. Estefanía Castañeda Pérez, a professor at USC and lifelong transborder commuter, shares her research and lived experiences navigating life between the U.S. and Mexico. She unpacks how violence at the border is not only physical, but also structural and psychological, shaped by state power, discretionary enforcement, and immigration policies that deeply impact transborder commuters’ sense of belonging and inclusion. Estefania explores transborder justice as a framework that centers the fragmented realities of living between two nations, reflects on the importance of giving back to her community, and emphasizes the need to amplify women’s voices in peacemaking, drawing from her experience as the first Transfronteriza selected for the Women Peacemakers Fellowship at the KROC IPJ. Estefania is looking for transborder commuters willing to participate in a confidential interview to discuss their border crossing experiences for a research study from the University of California (USC) Department of Political Science and International Relations. If you are interested fill out this survey to check eligibility…

People in this episode

Guest: Dr. Estefanía Castañeda Pérez

Topics covered

• transborder commuting
• violence
• belonging
• immigration policies
• peacemaking
• transborder justice

Keywords

• transborder commuters
• border violence
• structural violence
• psychological violence
• immigration
• women's voices
• peacemaking
• community
• transborder justice

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of San Diego's Kroc School of Peace Studies, USC, University of California (USC) Department of Political Science and International Relations, KROC IPJ

Places: U.S., Mexico

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