October 13, 2017 / Modified oct 13, 2017 5:08 p.m.

Episode 337: Honorably Discharged from the Military, and Deported

Custom wheelchairs made for bumpy roads, and a system of math education developed south of the border.

The people, politics and proposals touching the U.S.-Mexico border very often dominate the news cycle. On Arizona Week, we visit the borderlands, just south of the international line in Mexico.

“I still feel like an American. I’ve never felt like a Mexican in my life,” said Joel Rincon.

Rincon was born in Mexico and raised in the U.S. He served in the Marine Corps, from which he was honorably discharged. Then, he was deported.


A system of math education called Metro-Mathematicas was developed in Mexico and has been moving into some schools in Arizona.

“[It is] sneaky math. We teach math backwards,” said teach Tom Maddox of the system.


Ultra-sleek, innovative wheelchairs are being made just south of the border at ARSOBO. The custom wheelchairs are designed to navigate the rough terrain of Mexican city streets.

“No one is going to help us until we prove that this is a reality,” said ARSOBO Executive Director Francisco Trujillo.

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