Texas Southmost College ( TSC ) is a public junior college located in Brownsville, Texas , United States.
54-648: Texas Southmost College was established in 1926 under the name of The Junior College of the Lower Rio Grande Valley , as a subsidiary of the local school district in Brownsville . On September 21, 1926, 84 students began classes, meeting in the old Brownsville High School. From 1928 to 1948, it was located in Brownsville High School and Brownsville Elementary School on Palm Boulevard between Washington Street and Jefferson Street. Despite hard times during
108-897: A bomb scare in San Benito, Texas . This followed the desecration of a Santa Muerte statue in the San Benito Municipal Cemetery in January of the same year. In addition to the Catholic Church, several other Christian denominations are present in the Rio Grande Valley, including several organized Protestant churches in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. There are also 26 congregations of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with about 17,000 members. Sikh , Muslim , Hindu , Jewish , Buddhist and Baháʼí Faith communities thrive in
162-435: A fair amount of Spanglish due to the region's diverse history and transborder agglomerations . It is home to some of the poorest cities in the nation, as well as many unincorporated, persistent poverty communities called colonias . A large seasonal influx occurs of "winter Texans" — people who come down from the north for the winter and then return north before summer arrives. Native peoples lived in small tribes in
216-576: A range of environmental organizations across the Rio Grande Valley, including the South Texas Environmental Justice Network, the South Texas Human Rights Center, TRUCHA, Voces Unidas, and Texas Rising RGV. The letter highlights the identities of Rio Grande Valley community members that are most often overlooked, including Indigenous voices. Now, there are large concerns regarding Elon Musk’s intentions to relocate
270-570: A surge of industrial development along the border, while international bridges have allowed Mexican nationals to shop, sell, and do business in the border cities along the Rio Grande. The geographic inclusion of South Padre Island also drives tourism, particularly during the Spring Break season, as its subtropical climate keeps temperatures warm year-round. During the winter months, many retirees (commonly referred to as "Winter Texans") arrive to enjoy
324-449: Is a popular waypoint for tourists visiting northeast Mexico. Popular destinations across the border and Rio Grande include: Matamoros , Nuevo Progreso , Río Bravo , and Reynosa , all located in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas . The region also attracts tourists from the Mexican states of Tamaulipas , Nuevo León , Coahuila , and Mexico, D.F. (México City). The ancestral lands of
378-505: Is often used in the western United States to refer to a large expanse with rivers. Most such valleys, including the Rio Grande, have good agricultural production. Early 20th-century land developers, attempting to capitalize on unclaimed land, utilized the name "Magic Valley" to attract settlers and appeal to investors. The Rio Grande Valley is also called El Valle , the Spanish translation of "the valley", by those who live there. The main region
432-505: Is within four Texan counties: Starr County , Hidalgo County , Willacy County , and Cameron County . The largest city on the American side of the region is Brownsville (Cameron County), followed by McAllen (Hidalgo County). Other major cities include Harlingen , San Benito , Edinburg , Mission , Rio Grande City , Raymondville , Weslaco , Hidalgo and Pharr . On the Mexican side of
486-464: The Great Depression , the college continued to maintain nominal levels of enrollment. The name of the college changed in 1931 to Brownsville Junior College , then to Texas Southmost College in 1950. During World War II , due to wartime mobilization, enrollment dwindled, with the number of graduates halved between 1943 and 1945. A major improvement came in 1948 when the city of Brownsville acquired
540-615: The Mexican–American War . The area along the Rio Grande was the source of several major battles, including the Battle of Resaca de la Palma near Brownsville. The war ended in 1848 with the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo which defined the United States' southern border as the Rio Grande. The change in government led to a mass migration from Tamaulipas to the United States side of
594-541: The Mexico–United States border . The residents of the Lower Rio Grande Valley are generally bilingual in English and Spanish often mixing into Spanglish depending on demographics and context. Government statistics for the region are often underreported due to underlying immigration issues. The Spanish language plays an important role in all aspects of life. In 1982 a statistically significant majority of people in
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#1732876487111648-1198: The Rio Grande Valley FC Toros (soccer) One of the Valley's major tourist attractions is the semi-tropical wildlife. Birds and butterflies attract a large number of visitors every year all throughout the entire region. Ecotourism is a major economic force in the Rio Grande Valley. The Rio Grande Valley is served by three commercial airports: Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport in Brownsville, Texas, Valley International Airport in Harlingen, Texas, and McAllen Miller International Airport in McAllen, Texas. American Airlines and United Airlines provide service to all three airports, with Avelo Air also providing service to Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport, Allegiant Air also providing service to McAllen Miller International Airport, Southwest Airlines , Sun Country Airlines and Delta Air Lines also providing service to Valley International Airport. There are several bus lines that run through
702-491: The St. Louis, Brownsville, and Mexico Railway in 1903 and the irrigation of the Rio Grande allowed the Rio Grande Valley to develop into profitable farmland. Droughts in the 1890s and early 1900s caused smaller farmers and cattle ranchers to lose their lands. Rich white settlers brought by the railroad bought the land and displaced the Tejano ranchers. Meanwhile, across the river, Mexico
756-658: The Union Pacific Railroad . In Mexico, Kansas City Southern de México runs freight service and crosses from Matamoros into Brownsville over the Brownsville & Matamoros International Bridge . Sea trade runs through the deepwater seaport, the Port of Brownsville and the Foreign Trade Zone 62. SpaceX South Texas launch site is located near Brownsville. The region is represented by Ted Cruz and John Cornyn in
810-694: The University of Texas at Brownsville/Texas Southmost College . After 1991, UTB/TSC continued to grow, eventually boasting over 10,000 students. On November 2, 2004, voters in the Texas Southmost College district voted yes to a $ 68-million bond package so the college could do a number of building projects. On November 10, 2010, the University of Texas System Board of Regents voted to end the University of Texas at Brownsville's educational partnership with Texas Southmost College as it stood. On February 17, 2011,
864-583: The "mythologies of Indigenous ‘disappearance’ appear as ahistorical as they are problematic." Scholars like Blackhawk work to address the narrative of Native peoples as passively disappeared and of existing solely in the past by amplifying the intentional and strategic projects of dispossession and settler colonialism in their goals to erase, harm, and destabilize a group of people. Therefore, the Carrizo/Comecrudo tribe's work to establish their presence and continually advocate for their way of living and place in
918-521: The International Boundary and Water Commission has ordered We Build the Wall to stop until they can review whether or not the construction violates a Treaty to resolve pending boundary differences and maintain the Rio Grande and Colorado River as the international boundary between the United States and Mexico signed in 1970. The Rio Grande Valley is not a true valley , but a river delta . "Valley"
972-846: The Northern Americas has been communally constructed on the Native Land webpage. The Carrizo/Comecrudo tribe is recognized on the Native Land webpage, represented across South Texas. The visibility and recognition of Native communities like the Carrizo/Comecrudo are paramount and require a constant fight by many Indigenous tribes worldwide, especially when histories of vulnerable groups like Indigenous communities are essentially contested and being attacked legally by state governments. As historian and scholar Ned Blackhawk outlines in "The Centrality of Dispossession: Native American Genocide and Settler Colonialism," in World History of Genocide: Volume II ,
1026-441: The Rio Grande Valley have been home to historic Native groups, which today include the Carrizo/Comecrudo tribe of Texas. While not recognized under the government, this tribe and other communities have existed on the lands predating European settlement and the acquisition of Texas from Mexico. The tribe speaks of their existence as a way of life. Today, a working map of Native and Indigenous nations and tribes across Turtle Island and
1080-499: The Rio Grande Valley is resilient and vital. The Carrizo/Comecrudo tribe of Texas has long fought with SpaceX over the environmental protection of their lands. Elon Musk established Starbase, one of the engineering hubs, in Boca Chica Beach, a coastal beach of the Rio Grande Valley. Alongside the Carrizo/Comecrudo tribe of Texas, local RGV environmental organizations have opposed SpaceXs business and activities at Boca Chica, citing
1134-416: The Rio Grande Valley spoke Spanish. People speak Spanish to communicate in all aspects of life including business, government, and at home. County County County County People often prefer Spanish to English when interacting with government officials as seen in the response to the region's 2018 flooding. The Catholic Church has been present in the Rio Grande Valley since the Spanish colonization of
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#17328764871111188-442: The Rio Grande Valley. The Lower Rio Grande Valley experiences a warm and fair climate that brings visitors from many surrounding areas. Temperature extremes range from triple digits during the summer months to freezing during the winter. While the Valley has seen severe cold events before, such as the 2004 Christmas snow storm and 2021 cold snap , the region rarely experiences temperatures at or below freezing, especially by
1242-460: The TSC Board of Trustees voted 4-3 to separate from UTB. On August 31, 2015, UTB was officially dissolved and UTPA's name was changed to The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley . Brownsville Independent School District Brownsville Independent School District is a school district based in Brownsville , Texas, United States. BISD serves most of the city of Brownsville and a portion of
1296-847: The TSC athletic program experienced a great decline and many competitive programs did not survive into the 1970s. In the 1960s, despite the declining competitive situation of the sports programs, the college gained the Rancho Del Cielo research center, located 300 miles south of Brownsville, in Mexico. This few acre research center has abundant plant life and rain forest climatic conditions. In 1973 Texas Southmost College began offering its first bachelor's degree programs and graduate courses in cooperation with Pan American University (later known as University of Texas–Pan American and located in Edinburg, Texas ). This
1350-508: The United States , but later moved to detaining illegal aliens. The region had a significant increase of Border Patrol agents during World War I in conjunction with the Zimmermann Telegram . The Texas Rangers also increased their presence as law enforcement in the region with a new class of Ranger that focused on determining Tejano loyalty. They were often violent, carrying out retaliatory murders. They were never held accountable to
1404-606: The United States is well developed in the Lower Rio Grande Valley and connects Brownsville, Hidalgo, McAllen, Raymondville , Edinburg , Pharr , and Laredo . On the Mexican side, there are several major highways between Matamoros , Reynosa , and Nuevo Laredo . As of 2015 car travel on the Mexican side was considered dangerous and the Mexican Federal Police offered a police escort between Ciudad Victoria , Matamoros, and Reynosa. Freight trains run between Harlingen , Mission , Edinburg, and Santa Rosa connecting to
1458-546: The United States side of the Lower Rio Grande Valley including Metro Connect ( McAllen ), McAllen Paratransit, McAllen Metro Services, Brownsville Metro/ADA Paratransit Service Island Metro ( South Padre Island ), and Greyhound Lines . On the Mexican side of the border there are several bus companies that run including Greyhound, Tornado, Ave Senda Ejecutiva, Enlaces Terrestres Nacionales, Futua, Noreste, Omnibus de Oriente, Transpais, Transportes del Norte, Transportes Frontera, and Turistar Lujo. The Interstate Highway System in
1512-691: The Valley citrus crop, which also includes orange , tangerine , tangelo and Meyer lemon production each Winter. One minor professional sports team plays in the Rio Grande Valley: The Rio Grande Valley Vipers (basketball). Defunct teams that previously played in the region include: the Edinburg Roadrunners (baseball), La Fiera FC (indoor soccer), Rio Grande Valley Ocelots FC (soccer), Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings (baseball), Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees (ice hockey), Rio Grande Valley Sol (indoor football) and
1566-478: The Valley usually experiences the catastrophic effects of tropical cyclones in the form of flooding. The Lower Rio Grande Valley encompasses landmarks that attract tourists. Popular destinations include Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge , Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge , Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park , South Padre Island , Brazos Island , and the Port Isabel Lighthouse . The Valley
1620-488: The area before the Spanish conquest. The native tribes in South Texas were known to be hunter-gatherer peoples. The area was known for its smaller nomadic tribes collectively called Coahuiltecan . Native archaeological excavations near Brownsville have shown evidence of prehistoric shell trading. Initially, the Spanish had a hard time conquering the area due to the differences in native languages, so they mainly focused on
1674-415: The border Matamoros , Río Bravo , and Reynosa are major cities in this region. As of 2020, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the population of the Rio Grande Valley at 1,368,723. Hidalgo County has the largest population with an estimate of 861,137. Cameron County has the second-highest population estimated at 422,135. Starr County has the third-largest population estimated at 64,032. Willacy County has
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1728-635: The coast of the Gulf of Mexico also known as the Seno Mexicano . Also, a major conflict existed on who would conquer the region. Antonio Ladrón de Guevara wanted to colonize the region, but the Viceroy of New Spain José Tienda de Cuervo doubted Ladrón de Guevara's character, eventually leading to a royal Spanish declaration preventing Ladrón de Guevara from participating in colonization efforts. The first villas in
1782-656: The coast, which transitions into a Tropical climate. The region's proximity to the Gulf of Mexico makes it a target for hurricanes . Though not impacted as frequently as other areas of the Gulf Coast of the United States, the Valley has experienced major hurricanes in the past. Hurricanes that have made landfall in or near the area include Hurricane Beulah (1967) , Hurricane Allen (1980) , Hurricane Gilbert , Hurricane Bret , Hurricane Dolly (2008) , Hurricane Alex (2010) , and Hurricane Hanna (2020) . Having an especially flat terrain,
1836-589: The fourth-largest population estimated at 21,419. According to the U.S. Census Bureau in 2008, 86 percent of Cameron County, 90 percent of Hidalgo County, 97 percent of Starr County, and 86 percent of Willacy County are Hispanic . The major metropolitan areas in the Rio Grande Valley are surrounded by smaller rural communities called colonias. These communities are primarily poor and Hispanic. The areas often lack basic services like sanitation and sewage, and suffer from flooding. Many of these colonias are mixes of mobile homes and self-constructed houses owned by
1890-554: The headquarters of SpaceX to the Starbase site in Boca Chica Beach. The Valley is historically reliant on agribusiness and tourism . Cotton , grapefruit , sorghum , maize , and sugarcane are its leading crops, and the region is the center of citrus production and the most important area of vegetable production in the State of Texas. Over the last several decades, the emergence of maquiladoras (factories or fabrication plants) has caused
1944-408: The lands formerly comprising the decommissioned army base known as Fort Brown , which had been closed in 1946. By 1948, when the college had an enrollment of around 1,250 students, its own campus, and a generous budget, talks had started within the school district about creating a separate district for the college. It was decided that the new district would cover southern Cameron County . In 1950, on
1998-564: The law even though charges were brought in the Texas senate. There were two major military training facilities in the Valley in Brownsville and Harlingen during World War II . The North American Free Trade Agreement , also known as NAFTA, was established in 1994 as a trade agreement between the three North American countries, The United States, Mexico, and Canada. NAFTA was supposed to increase trade with Mexico as they lowered or eliminated tariffs on Mexican goods. Exports and imports tripled in
2052-523: The north end of the Rio Grande Valley. This allows for a second line of defense in the ever increasing subtlety of smuggling. More recently the organization We Build the Wall has begun construction on a section of the border wall in the Valley. Local residents have expressed concerns about the project including the site's proximity to the National Butterfly Center and the Rio Grande with its potential for seasonal flooding. The U.S. Section of
2106-527: The peace between Mexicans and Americans. The region played host to several well-known conflicts including the backlash from the Plan of San Diego , and the racially fueled violence of Texas Ranger Harry Ransom. In 1921 the United States Border Patrol came to the region with less than 10 officers. Initially the agency was focused on import and export business, especially alcohol during Prohibition in
2160-598: The region and accounted for a trade surplus of $ 75 billion. The Rio Grande Valley benefited from NAFTA in retail, manufacturing, and transportation. Due to the influx of jobs and exportation, many people migrated to the RGV, both documented and undocumented. According to Akinloye Akindayomi in Drug violence in Mexico and its impact on the fiscal realities of border cities in Texas: evidence from Rio Grande Valley counties , NAFTA also indirectly aids
2214-581: The region were settled in Laredo and Reynosa in 1767. In 1805, the Spanish government solidified the autonomy of the region by defining the territory of Nuevo Santander as south of the colony of Tejas from the Nueces River south to Tampico , Charcas , and Valles. The local government of the region had a rough start with various indigenous wars up until 1812. In 1821 after the Mexican War of Independence ,
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2268-520: The region. In San Juan, Texas the Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle is a major Catholic shrine. One of the offshoots of the Catholic Church, worship of Santa Muerte , has a small but significant following in the valley. There has been public outcry against followers erecting shrines at their homes and in public places. In 2015, a Santa Muerte statue was involved with
2322-593: The residents. The Bracero program enacted in the 1940s allowed Mexicans to cross the border and work in the agricultural fields. Most worked in the Rio Grande Valley, and due to a shortage of affordable houses, developers started selling them land in unincorporated areas; these clusters of homes over time became what are now known as colonias. According to the Housing Assistance Council, a nonprofit organization that tracks rural housing, approximately 1.6 million people live in 1,500 recognized colonias alongside
2376-597: The rise in immigration and drug smuggling practices between cartels in the region, with cartels profiting with over $ 80 billion. The Trump Administration decided to make new accords with Mexico and Canada and replaced NAFTA with the new trade agreement, United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) in 2018. After the September 11 attacks , the Customs Border Security Act of 2001 established United States Border Patrol interior checkpoints with some situated at
2430-503: The river. From the end of the Mexican-American War, the population of the Valley began to grow, and farmers began to raise cattle in the area. Despite the end of the formal war in 1848, interracial strife continued between native peoples and the white settlers over land through the 1920s. At the turn of the 20th century trade and immigration between Mexico and the United States was a normal part of society. The development of
2484-636: The school district was rated " academically acceptable " by the Texas Education Agency . Rio Grande Valley (Texas) The Lower Rio Grande Valley ( Spanish : Valle del Río Grande ), commonly known as the Rio Grande Valley or locally as the Valley or RGV , is a region spanning the border of Texas and Mexico located in a floodplain of the Rio Grande near its mouth. The region includes
2538-487: The silver anniversary of the college, the Brownsville Independent School District handed over the deed to the college over to the newly formed Southmost Union Junior College District. The Texas Southmost College athletics program flourished in the 1950s: the school had football, basketball, boxing and track teams and many of these teams won accolades for their performance. In the mid- to late 1960s,
2592-461: The southernmost tip of South Texas and a portion of northern Tamaulipas , Mexico. It consists of the Brownsville , Harlingen , Weslaco , Donna , Pharr , McAllen , Edinburg , Mission , San Juan , and Rio Grande City metropolitan areas in the United States and the Matamoros , Río Bravo , and Reynosa metropolitan areas in Mexico. The area is generally bilingual in English and Spanish, with
2646-458: The state was renamed Tamaulipas . The Texas Revolution of 1835-1836 put the majority of what is now called the Rio Grande Valley under contested Texan sovereignty. The area also became a thoroughfare for runaway slaves fleeing to Mexico. In 1844, the United States under President James K. Polk annexed the Republic of Texas, against British and Mexican sentiments, contributing to the onset of
2700-526: The town of Rancho Viejo as well as unincorporated areas in Cameron County , including Cameron Park , Reid Hope King , San Pedro , South Point , and Villa Pancho . It is the largest school district in the Rio Grande Valley metropolitan area. BISD won the 2008 Broad Prize for Urban Education , the largest school district award in the country, based on improving student performance, closing achievement gaps, and strong district-wide policies. In 2009,
2754-537: The tribe's claims to land and destruction to the local terrain and natural life. On August 5, 2024, a group of local organizations including the Carrizo/Comecrudo tribe wrote a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration raising concerns about SpaceX operations in Boca Chica Beach and requesting a meeting to discuss the FAA's process of incorporating community voice into the conversation. The group includes
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#17328764871112808-430: The warm weather, access to pharmaceuticals and healthcare in Mexican border crossings such as Nuevo Progreso . There is a substantial health-care industry with major hospitals and many clinics and private practices in Brownsville , Harlingen , and McAllen . Texas is the third largest producer of citrus fruit in the United States, the majority of which is grown in the Rio Grande Valley. Grapefruit make up over 70% of
2862-581: Was dealing with the Mexican Revolution . The revolution spilled over the border through cross-border supply raids, and in response President Taft sent the United States Army into the region beginning in 1911 and continuing until 1916 when the majority of the United States armed forces were stationed in the region. Texas governor Oscar Colquitt also sent the Texas Rangers into the area to keep
2916-544: Was the origin of the entity known as Pan American University at Brownsville, which worked independently from Texas Southmost College. In the late 1980s, Pan American University created a partnership with the University of Texas System and the entity in Brownsville became known as The University of Texas–Pan American at Brownsville. Texas Southmost College and The University of Texas–Pan American at Brownsville combined their educational functions as The University of Texas at Brownsville on September 1, 1991. This created
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