Good Byes

Tonight, we said goodbye to Centro Romero, to Carlos and Mari and the rest of the staff. We said good bye to each other, one by one. Yet, even though we depart, we remain connected. We are bound by this week of living together. We are bound by shared experiences on both sides of the border. We are bound by inside jokes and lots of laughter. And we are bound by a common call to integrate this expierience into our lives going forward. Today we talked about what we might do after this trip. There was energy and optimism despite the growing awareness of all that awaits us in our lives when we return. We committed to meet again in a couple of weeks and we are looking forward to sharing stories from this trip to the First Congregational Church of Berkeley community on April 19 (everyone is welcome to attend!) Personally, this trip fueled my desire to expand my sense of community in Berkeley by reaching across the racial borders that exist there. The five walls separating Tijuana and the US are not just about citizenship, but also race. And the border is not just here. It is in our communities, it is in our conversations, it is in our economic system, and it is in our church, and it is in our hearts. I am called to try to heal those divisions in my own life and community through the power and possibility of loving relationships. I am also called to continue to support the Romero Center and their ministry. It is an amazing center of learning and transformation. It changed all of us on this trip and for that we are eternally grateful. I want to thank all of the amazing participants on this trip for their dedication, openness, and insights. Good night Centro Romero. God bless you!

Adam

Chilpancingo y La Playa

Yesterday, we went to Tijuana for the last time. What an amazing day! There were two experiences from my day that I will not forget. The first was in Chilpancingo. Our group had made bracelets to give to the children in order to establish a sense of community. I was a bit hesitant at first because I am not fluent in Spanish and did not want to make a fool out of myself. I opened my hand to present the variety of bracelets and the first girl knew exactly what she wanted. There were so many children around the area. It was during the school day and I was a bit curious as to why they were not in school. I was told by one of our immersion leaders that the children often are alone while their parent/s are at work and so, they do not go to school. On the way out of Chilpancingo, one of the girls who I had earlier given a bracelet to came back with a companion! A bracelet goes a long way...
Another experience I was particularly fond of was on a beach in Tijuana. After seeing how visible and real the wall is (it extends into the ocean!) a group of us took a picture in front of it with our thumbs facing down. One of the girls later brought up an interesting point that when tourists take pictures of somber conditions, it often seems to exploit them and the people living there. As I thought about it, I realized that in our case taking pictures is a form of media in which we could circulate in our communities to bring awareness to the situation at the border. Not everyone will have the opportunity to go to Tijuana but if we are able to share our experiences with others through making them visible (photos, documentaries, etc), people can choose if they want to take action. This trip has been very enlightening and I plan to bring some ideas for action back to my club in Berkeley, so that we can execute the next step...

Bridges and Walls

Today was our second border crossing into Tijuana, so we got up early and headed to the center. As always, we were greeted by a delicious breakfast of egg scrambles, fluffy bread, pound cake, and the ever appreciated coffee. After a brief morning devotion, where we sang "Circle Round" and expressed our gratitudes for the day, twenty of us piled into the Mexicoach and headed for the border. Before crossing, we went to a shopping center called "Mall of the Americas" that runs flush with the border fence and boasts stores like Neiman Marcus, Sketchers, and Gap. The sprawling no-man's-land between walls lies literally feet away from such an affluent site, and after that, the poverty-stricken Tijuana. We crossed the border, and his time across, we saw some heavily armed Mexican Marine equivalents searching some furniture laden trucks. Our first stop in Tijuana was at a strip of border fence on which activist groups have hung crosses with the names of those who have died trying to cross in the San Diego region. Over 4500 have fallen victim to heat, rattlesnakes, scorpions, and thirst. Then we went to Chilpancingo, a neighborhood in Tijuana where over 12,000 families live in homes built with discarded crates, cinderblocks, fencing, and garage doors. They are a community of squatters, unrecognized by the local municipality and with no access to sewer systems, regular electricity, or other basic services. Their water is polluted by factories on the hill, and we crossed a bridge over a river that runs green and foamy. Most of the people there work at the Maquilas (factories), and are paid less then 60 dollars a week. We met a few of the people living there, and gave out some friendship bracelets we had made together the night before. I think we left with mixed feelings; we are navigating between being intruders, ambassadors, tourists, and activists, and it is uncomfortable. Uncomfortable, but productive and transformative.

We also visited the "Casa de los Pobres," a center run by Franciscan nuns that provides meals, health care, and social services for people in need. We were given a tour by one of the nuns, who explained all the things they do with little or no money and resources. It reminded me of the true meaning of the loaves and fishes story: Faith can make something out of nothing. Our final stop in Tijuana was at the beach, where the border fence runs straight into the Pacific Ocean. I was torn between the devastating symbol of the fence and the natural feel of the environment. On one hand, we were encountering steel that cuts through both the beauty of the landscape and the human rights of our brothers and sisters in Tijuana, but on the other hand, I was on a beach eating ice cream with friends. It was a poignant end to my day's experience. I was overwhelmed both by the frustration of this impossible situation, and the support of the community that our group has created. We touched the fence. We danced on the beach to distant music from the hills. We laughed--something we've been able to do even in the face of this devastating situtation.

Now we're back at the church after a couple games of volleyball, a delicious dinner out, rousing games of Guesstures and Mafia, and double fudge brownies with ice cream. We have a final day of reflection and discussion tomorrow, and then we'll be back on the road up north Thursday. Till then!
-Tinley

Two Photo Moments

Group Photo at

Centro Cultural de Tijuana

Ben and Adam talk with a border patrol near Friendship Park

Finding a solution?

It has been an excellent day for reflection and discussion for the group. The topic of advocacy and awareness about the US-Mexican border and the building of the wall, raises questions about how our government officials are taking full advantage of our environmental laws and acts, with the destruction of the ecosystems along the borderlines and possible extinction of endangered species. The "Real Id Act" of 102 has given power to the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, to build a wall without any regards from previously passed environmental acts that exist to protect the wild and the borderline community. It has been important to bring up the issue of awareness about the serious cause and effects from the building of a "wall", and the consequences to our environment. The general public needs to get educated about these major issues, as well as questioning the government about the fiscal budget and the future spending from taxpayers funds. It is essential to raise those questions so we can hold the government accountable for their actions against human rights, our ecosystem, and our immigration policies.

So far, so...

Our time here, after 2 days, has been filled with a rich variety of experiences. The immersion has taken place with respect to: Our locale (San Ysidro, next to the border); learning about the political and economic forces that have heightened immigration problems; some understanding of the human toll at the border; Tijuana (with a trip there today), and the dynamics of being in a group of diverse individuals. Carlos, the director of the study center at which we've planted ourselves, arranged for 3 musicians (singer, violin, guitar) to be with us tonight, capping our dinner and our day together with fun and heart-felt music. And now we've returned to the church at which we've been sleeping. The night will end with reading, homework (for the students), and possibly some common games. The game "Mafia" has been a hit so far.
Stan Boghosian

Crossing Over

Today, we cross the border into Tijuana. Here is a poem we read yesterday that offered a powerful vision of what it means to live in the borderlands.

To Live in the Borderlands

To live in the Borderlands means you
are neither hispana india negra espanola
ni gabacha, eres mestiza, mulata, half-breed
caught in the crossfire between camps
while carrying all five races on your back
not knowing which side to turn to, run from;

To live in the Borderlands means knowing
that the india in you, betrayed for Soo years,
is no longer speaking to you,
that mexicanas call you rajetas,
that denying the Anglo inside you
is as bad as having denied the Indian or Black;

Cuando vives en la frontera
people walk through you, the wind steals your voice,
you’re a burra, buey, scapegoat,
forerunner of a new race,
half and half-both woman and man, neither
a new gender;

To live in the Borderlands means to
put chile in the borscht,
eat whole wheat tortillas,
speak Tex-Mex with a Brooklyn accent;
be stopped by la migra at the border checkpoints;

Living in the Borderlands means you fight hard to
resist the gold elixir beckoning from the bottle,
the pull of the gun barrel,
the rope crushing the hollow of your throat;

In the Borderlands
you are the battleground
where enemies are kin to each other;
you are at home, a stranger,
the border disputes have been settled
the volley of shots have shattered the truce
you are wounded, lost in action dead, fighting back;

To live in the Borderlands means the mill with the razor white teeth
wants to shred off your olive-red skin,
crush out the kernel, your heart pound you pinch you
roll you out smelling like white bread but dead;
To survive the Borderlands you must live
sin fronteras be a crossroads.

Reprinted from Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza. Copyright I987 by Gloria Anzaldua