Border cities have a unique culture that sets them apart, even from either of the countries they border. Not only do they display aspects of each culture, but they also often exhibit their own individual culture created by the history of the city and the communities that call it home. In some cases, as in the case of Chinesca, a third community has the opportunity to leave its mark, enriching the culture even more. Mexicali, the capital city of the Mexican state of Baja California, a border city between Mexico and the United States, also shares a strong Asian culture caused by migration from Chinese societies. In the 1900s, Chinese communities travelled to North America looking for opportunities. When several of these communities were deported from the US, they travelled until they arrived in Mexicali, where they found work constructing an irrigation system for the Imperial Valley and lived in an underground alley called Chinesca.