It is often said demographic’s is destiny, and I could not agree more. A new book by Robert Kaplan says we also need to look a geography when it comes to everything from international relations to a changing political landscape. In his book THE REVENGE OF GEOGRAPHY Kaplan attributes our country’s growing Latino population to nothing more than an artificial boundary line that has separated a people into the haves here in the U.S. and the have nots South of the border.

It is only in the last five years we have seen a slowing of what was the greatest immigration wave to ever roll though the U.S. Since the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994, Mexico’s economy is increasingly linked to ours. This has provided jobs in Mexico that slowed the march of people heading Northward for work.

A University of New Mexico professor predicts that by 2080 the Southwestern states of the U.S. will band together with the Northern state of Mexico to form “La Republica del Norte.” While I may disagree, I think the professor makes a good point. That part of our country has long been culturally similar and, with economic ties growing, it only makes sense that a blurring of nationalities will occur.

In this week’s video blog I travel into the heart of Texas to examine demographic trends that could be headed our way.

Rob McClendon