The Giner Family (Ed. note: Oh. My. God!) split their time between their home in the swanky Upper Valley neighborhood of El Paso, Texas and their work and school in Juárez, Mexico. And those Giners simply can’t get enough of it. In fact, they represent a growing segment of the Mexican-American population currently enjoying their dual citizenship by living and working in both the U.S. and Mexico.

Straddling the divide between the large, pulsating members of the American buying public and the cheap, easily accessible labor to be found in Mexico, towns close to both sides of the “New Texico” border have enjoyed a giant swell in population. And these rapidly growing populations thoroughly enjoy having it both ways:

…for dual citizens like Ms. Giner, which side of the border she lives on is a matter of personal choice. “Crossing the border is a normal part of life for us,” she said. “I want my kids to be bilingual and bicultural. It’s important for me that they know the Mexican holidays and culture, not just the language.”

The Giners have taken advantage of Mexico’s dual nationality law instituted in 1998. (Mexicans living in the United States, along with their American-born children, could acquire or reacquire rights as Mexican citizens.) Until recently, the family lived in Juárez and Ms. Giner commuted to her previous job in El Paso.

Which just goes to show, when you take the time to cross the border correctly, you end up with a lot of happy Giners.

Two Border Cities, One Shared Lifestyle [New York Times]