Date of Award

2026-05-01

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Latin American and Border Studies

Advisor(s)

Josiah M. Heyman

Abstract

Energy poverty in the U.S.-Mexico border region remains understudied, and much of the existing literature overlooks the lived experiences of households in this region. This thesis examines the lived experiences and coping strategies of residents in El Paso and Laredo, Texas, while also analyzing the sociodemographic variables associated with electric disconnection in Brownsville, Texas. The study employs a mixed-methods design that combines a quantitative ZIP code-year panel of electric disconnections in Brownsville, Texas from 2015 to 2024 with 14 qualitative interviews conducted with residents in El Paso and Laredo, Texas who had experienced electric disconnections or shutoff notices. These two components do not operate as direct one-to-one confirmation of one another; rather, they address different levels of analysis and are interpreted alongside one another. The quantitative findings suggest that limited English proficiency was one of the most consistent variables associated with higher electric disconnection rates, while Social Security income also appeared in several models, although statistically significant in fewer models. The qualitative findings show that energy poverty is experienced as financial hardship and emotional burden. Participants described shame, embarrassment and reluctance to seek help, which at times contributed to delayed responses and increased disconnection risk. At the same time, support networks emerged as important in helping households avoid repeated disconnection. Overall, this research expands energy poverty scholarship in U.S.-Mexico border communities and shows that energy poverty is lived as both a material and emotional hardship.

Language

en

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

File Size

211 p.

File Format

application/pdf

Rights Holder

Felipe Israel Martinez

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