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Institute for Regional Studies of the Californias
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covers of various IRSC publications

Publications

The IRSC publications that are in print are indicated below. Those that are out of print are available in pdf format at no charge. Some pdfs are linked to the title of the item; others may be located on Google Books.  

NEW BOOK

Loreto, Mexico: Challenges for a Sustainable Future.
Loreto, Mexico: Challenges for a Sustainable Future. Paul Ganster, Oscar Arizpe C., and Vinod Sasidharan, eds. San Diego: SDSU Press and IRSC, 2020. Paperback $23.95, Kindle $12.95. Available through SDSU press and Amazon.
General Publications

  • Tijuana 1964: A Photographic and Historic View /Tijuana 1964: Una visión fotográfica e histórica. 2nd edition. Edited by Paul Ganster.  Updated with 20 additional photographs and a new essay from 2014. Tijuana and San Diego: Centro Cultural Tijuana and SDSU Press, 2014. Available through Amazon.com.
  • Los Cabos: Prospective for a Natural and Tourism Paradise. Edited by Paul Ganster, Oscar Arizpe C., and Antonina Ivanova. 25 essays by scholars from the United States and Mexico that discuss the natural history and currentchallenges faced by Los Cabos, Baja California Sur. Five major themes are: (1) natural resourcesand environment; (2)history, society, and culture; (3) economy and regional development (4) tourism; and (5) government and quality of life. 2012. 522 (English). Available through Lulu.com or Amazon.com.  Also available in Spanish: Los Cabos: Prospectiva de un Paraíso Natural y Turístico. Pp. 544. Available only through Lulu.com.
  • Loreto: The Future of the First Capital of the Californias / Loreto: El Futuro de la Primera Capital de las Californias. Edited by Paul Ganster, Oscar Arizpe, and Antonina Ivanova. In Spanish and English. A collection of 17 essays written by scholars from the United States and Mexico that discusses the historical development as well as challenges that Loreto, Baja California Sur, faces. Six major themes are: (1) natural resources and environment; (2) history, society, and culture; (3) economy and regional development (4) tourism; (5) government and quality of life; and (6) the challenges ahead. 2007. Pp. 704. Available through Amazon.com.
  • A Teacher's Guide to Historical and Contemporary Kumeyaay Culture. A Supplemental Resource for Third and Fourth Grade Teachers. By Geralyn M. Hoffman and Lynn H. Gamble, Ph.D. ( The guide was coordinated closely with San Diego Unified School District and members of the Kumeyaay community. It includes color illustrations and photographs, maps, a list of references, and suggestions for teaching and activities). 2006.
  • The Tijuana River Watershed Atlas. (This bilingual atlas is the result of the collaboration of many organizations and individuals from the United States and Mexico, especially from El Colegio de la Frontera Norte and San Diego State University). 2005.
  • Imperial-Mexicali Valleys: Development and Environment of the U.S.-Mexican Border Region. Edited by K. Collins, P. Ganster, C. Mason, E. Sánchez López, and M. Quintero-Núñez. (30 essays from regional scholars were selected that discuss these central themes and provide an understanding of the regional dynamics). 2004. Pp. 462. Available on Google Books.
  • Tecate Baja California: Realities and Challenges in a Mexican Border Community. Edited by Paul Ganster et al. (This book is a bilingual publication of 19 essays describing current trends and challenges in Tecate, Baja California). Pp. 576. Out of print.
  • A Description of Distant Roads: Original Journals of the First Expedition into California, 1769-1770. by Juan Crespí. Edited and Translated by Alan K. Brown. San Diego State University Press, 2001. ISBN 1-879691-64-7. Pp. 848. Available on Google Books.
  • Cooperation, Environment, and Sustainability in Border Regions. Edited by Paul Ganster. 2001. Pp. 432. Available on Google Books.
  • San Diego-Tijuana International Border Area Planning Atlas/ Atlas de Planeación del Área Fronteriza Internacional Tijuana-San Diego. Edited by Paul Ganster and Richard Wright. (A bilingual/binational atlas containing 15 color maps, each with thematic essays, and 35 black-and-white photos of the San Diego-Tijuana border region.) 2000. Pp. 64 (14 1/2 x 26 1/2 inches). Out of print.
  • Tijuana 1964: A Photographic and Historic View. Photographs by Harry Crosby. Essay by Paul Ganster, David Piñera Ramírez, and Antonio Padilla Corona. (A bilingual catalog of 42 black-and-white photographs and an interpretive essay with two maps of Tijuana provides a view of Tijuana in 1964.) 2000. Pp. 58. (12" x 12"). Out of print. 
  • Tipai Ethnographic Notes: A Baja California Indian Community at Mid-Century. By William D. Hohenthal, Jr.; Edited by Thomas C. Blackburn; with contributions by Margaret Langdon, David Kronenfeld, and Lynn Thomas. Produced as a cooperative publication of Ballena Press and the Institute for the Regional Studies of the Californias. (This book provides a richly detailed ethnography, native toponyms, kin terms, ancient enmities, and traditional material culture of work that has been obscured for over 50 years. It is useful both as a primary source and a compendium of information on the Tiapi/Diegueño communities of Northern Baja California. An accompanying map circa 1950 aids the reader in locating the ethnography in a historical and geographical setting.) 2001. Pp. 378. Available on Google Books.
  • BORDERLINK 2000. The Alamar River Corridor: An Urban River Park Oasis in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. Edited by Suzanne Michel (The report endeavors to increase public awareness and understanding of the Alamar River, its natural resources, and the importance of stream restoration for Tijuana's development, the quality of life of its residents, conservation of its water resources, and preservation of natural habitat.) 2000. Pp. 50. 
  • Borders and Border Regions in Europe and North America. Edited by Paul Ganster, Alan Sweedler, James Scott, and Wolf Dieter-Eberwein. (A collection of essays on issues affecting the political, economic, social, and cultural significance of international borders.) 1997. Pp. 376. Available on Google Books.
  • Resource Guide for Child Care and Family Planning Services in the Maquiladora Industry. By Paul Ganster and Dana Hamson. (Published in English and Spanish, this guide provides an introduction to the important subjects of child care and family planning in Mexico's border cities and describes the efforts of the maquiladoras in these areas.) 1995. Pp. 40. Available on Google Books.
  • Energy and Environment in the California-Baja California Border Region. Edited by Alan Sweedler, Paul Ganster, and Patricia Bennett. (Experts from the United States and Mexico analyze in detail the energy sector and its impact on the environment.) 1995. Pp. 192. Available on Google Books.
  • Directory of Spatial Datasets to Support Environmental Research along the United States-Mexico Border. By Christopher Brown and Richard D. Wright. (An inventory of U.S. and Mexican agencies along the Baja California-California segment of the border.) 1995. Pp. 116. Available on Google Books.
  • Borderlink 1994. Economic Profile of the San Diego-Tijuana Region: Characteristics for Investment and Governance Decisions. Edited by James Gerber. (Research on San Diego-Tijuana regional development issues conducted by teams of SDSU and UABC graduate and undergraduate students.) 1994. Pp. 84. Available on Google Books.
  • San Diego-Tijuana in Transition: A Regional Analysis. Edited by Norris C. Clement and Eduardo Zepeda Miramontes. (Proceedings of the Second Annual Symposium: San Diego-Tijuana in Transition, Tijuana. The first-ever collaborative study of the San Diego-Tijuana region carried out by leading U.S. and Mexican experts from SDSU and COLEF.) 1993. Pp. 130. Available on Google Books.
  • Identifying Priorities for a Geographic Information System (GIS) for the Tijuana River Watershed: Applications for Land Use, Planning and Education. Edited by Richard Wright, Kathryn Ries, and Alain Winckell. (Proceedings of a workshop held November 1994 in San Diego). 1995. Pp. 94. Available on Google Books.
  • Geographic Information Systems for Mexico-United States Border Environmental Research and Management. Edited by Richard D. Wright, George Hepner, and Christopher Brown. (Proceedings of a second workshop of U.S. and Mexican GIS and database experts, San Diego.) 1994. Pp. 32. Available on Google Books.
  • Integrating Higher Education in North America: From Wingspread to San Diego. Edited by Norris C. Clement and Glen Sparrow. 1998. Pp. 56. Available on Google Books.
  • A United States-Mexico Border Environmental Geographic Information System. Edited by Richard D. Wright, George Hepner, and Clifton G. Metzner. (Proceedings of a workshop of U.S. and Mexican GIS and database experts, San Diego.) 1993. Pp. 44. Available on Google Books.
  • The Mexican-U.S. Border Region and the Free Trade Agreement. Edited by Paul Ganster and Eugenio O. Valenciano. (Proceedings of the workshop on the Mexico-United States Free Trade Agreement and Its Impact on the Border Region, Tijuana.) 1992. Pp. 118. Available on Google Books.
  • Encuentro Internacional de Literatura de la Frontera/Borderlands Literature/Towards an Integrated Perspective. Edited by Harry Polkinhorn and José Manuel Di-Bella. (Proceedings of the Third Borderlands Literature conference, Calexico.) 1990. Pp. 338. Available on Google Books.
  • Literatura de Frontera México/Estados Unidos. Mexican/American Border Writing. Edited by José Manuel Di-Bella, Sergio Gómez Montero, and Harry Polkinhorn. (Proceedings of the First Conference of Writers from the Californias, Mexicali.) 1987. Pp. 212. Available on Google Books.
  • Literatura de las Fronteras. Border Literature. Edited by José Manuel Di-Bella, Paul Ganster, Sergio Gómez Montero, Harry Polkinhorn, and Gabriel Trujillo M. (Proceedings of the Second Border Literature Conference, Tijuana.) 1989. Pp. 504. Available on Google Books.
  • Otay Mesa: Its Potential for Industrial Development. (Summary of a conference held October 24, 1985, cosponsored by the IRSC and the County of San Diego Department of Planning and Land Use.) 1985. Pp. 49. Available on Google Books.
  • El Acuerdo de Libre Comercio México-Estados Unidos y repercusiones en la frontera. By Eugenio O. Valenciano with the collaboration of Paul Ganster. (Analysis of impacts of free trade on the border region. Co-published with the Instituto para la Integración de América Latina.) 1991. Pp. 50. Available on Google Books.
  • Baja California 1901-1905. Considerations and Data for Its Demographic History. Edited by David Piñera and Jor Jorge Martínez Zepeda. (Important information on the early social and demographic history of Baja California and Alta California. Co-published with the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California and the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.) 1994. Pp. 334. Available on Google Books.


Southwest Consortium for Environmental Research and Policy (SCERP) Monographs

SCERP published 16 volumes of collected research papers through San Diego State University Press.  Paul Ganster was General Editor of the series with SCERP researchers as individual volume editors. Now out of print, all of these monographs may be downloaded in pdf format from Google Books.  See the SCERP page for a complete list of monographs.


Border Studies Series

  • Border Literature/Literatura Fronteriza. Edited by Harry Polkinhorn. (Seminar proceedings with prose, narrative, and criticism of border literature.) 1987. Pp. 80. 
  • Doomed to Fail. Gaspar de Portolá's First California Appointees. By Harry W. Crosby. (Based on documentary research, analysis of men appointed to administer Baja California missions after expulsion of Jesuits in 1767.) 1989. Pp. 36.
  • El Norte: The U.S.-Mexican Border in Contemporary Cinema. By David R. Maciel. (Analysis of how the U.S.-Mexican border has been portrayed in Hollywood and Mexican cinema.) 1990. Pp. 95. Out of print.
  • The Unionization of the Maquiladora Industry: The Tamaulipan Case in National Context. By Edward J. Williams and John T. Passé-Smith. (Analyzes reasons for lack of effective unionization in the maquiladora industry, particularly in the state of Tamaulipas.) 1992. Pp. 134. 
  • American and English Influence on the Early Development of Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. By David Piñera. (The story of the emergence of the city of Ensenada in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.) 1995. Pp. 162. 


Border Issue Series


BorderLink Projects