In Spanish, "colonia" refers to a residential neighborhood. The word has been adopted to refer to colonia rural settlements along the U.S.-Mexican border. Colonias in the U.S.-Mexico border region are often characterized by poor housing stock, inadequate physical infrastructure, and a weak social infrastructure (though some feel that as communities have come together to solve their common problems, this social infrastructure has grown stronger). Concerned government entities, businesses, and non-profits frequently re-define "colonia" to serve their specific purposes.
The United States Code defines a colonia as a community that is in the state of Arizona, California, New Mexico, or Texas; is within 150 miles (240 km) of the U.S.-Mexico border, except for any metropolitan area exceeding one million people; on the basis of objective criteria, lacks adequate sewage systems and lacks decent, safe, and sanitary housing; and existed as a colonia before November 28, 1990.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonia_(United_States)
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