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Dealing With Unbreakable Boarders

Hello all! Hannah here, sorry my recap post is a little late, but hey, better late than never.

For the last three years after leaving Esperanza, unlike most of the group, I am lucky and get to stay in the warmth of San Diego for a few extra days to visit family instead of going back to the cold of Ohio. This year, my one cousin was not busy the days I was there, so I figured one day, we could go see the border from the US side, since I never have before. This was a hard pill to swallow, and below I will reflect why, but first, let's go over the Mexican side of the border.

Here is a nice picture I took last Sunday at the Mexican side of the border.

When looking at this, you can see how the citizens have tried to make the best of the given situation. They don't let the border affect their land, however they do not avoid the border, in a way they accept it and fight against it through peace and happiness. Yes, it clearly is not a happy place to anyone by any means, but you will all know what I mean in a second. Instead of barren land and ignorance towards it, there is a boardwalk, shows, a family beach, and many other fun attractions around.

(I just liked this picture so I put it in as a transition)

So lets move on, here is the american side of the border.

Going to the American side was my idea, I found where to go, gave my cousin the information and we went. Let's just say neither of us was prepared, knowing the Mexican side is very casual, when planning what to wear, I wore casual things, jeans, a nice shirt, some sandals, however when we got to the address (it is a state park called Border Field), we were both a little surprised. The closest you can drive in to walk to the beach to get anywhere near the border is still a 1.5 mile hike away, not including the around 0.5 mile walk to the border on the beach. So what did we do? We walked, a lot, and what did we see? Absolutely nothing, maybe a few people, but other than that, absolutely barren, desolate land with many helicopters and border patrol vehicles everywhere. This was the first hit to me, I figured why are people so against this land, as we all know San Diego is a big city, so chances are they would utilize it if it wasn't a state park, but the nearest buildings on the coast had to be about 20 miles away. People are terrified of this land, at least that is what I got.

So next, my cousin and I walked down the beach toward the border. If you have ever seen the border from the Mexican side, you will notice there are 2 fences, and to answer questions, America owns the land in between. So, after walking all of the way to the border, you are forced to stop around 30 yards before the fence due to a restricted area... Why is this area restricted? I couldn't tell you, but you cannot get any where near the fence on the American side, very close, up to a sign, and then you are just staring at the yards of land in-between you and a place you stood only a week ago.

Here's the closest I could get to the border in America.

Nearest building? What's a building? 

So what does this mean to me? There is absolutely nothing around the American side of the border for miles, to me, this is an exact representation of the fear Americans have, and for what reason? Our country will not even attempt to go any where near the border, let alone go over it. This makes me feel an unknown amount of shame about the US. I am ashamed people are not more educated about this situation, that people are too stubborn to even listen most of the time (or they listen but refuse to believe), that people constantly reject others whenever they themselves came from immigrants. It is a hard pill to swallow because as much as we, those who have been and those who believe us, push others to look at other countries as our friends and family, since we all share the world together, people will always refuse. Standing around 30 yards away from a fence I once touched a week before was difficult, knowing that I have friends and people I consider family in that country and I cannot even touch a fence that separates us that my own country built! That is a hard pill to swallow, it creates some anger, but thinking about it, anger will not fix anything, and Mexico is a fantastic representation of this. Instead of being angry over the fact that this fence is blocking out their country because of America thinking of them as "menaces" or whatever else you may want to call it, they take the pill, swallow it, and turn it into peace, turn it into something that does not rattle war, but rattles bones. Rattles bone in the fact that they are able to fight with absolutely no war what so ever against a country that has put this fence in their faces rejecting them, and that is a lot to say in this day and age since there is almost nothing but war.

Here is a cool panorama of America's side, my cousin needed at least some debut because he is awesome for actually taking me there.

So, while some of you may be angry about this fence, may be angry about this post, may be angry about anything related, don't let the anger phase you, take the pill, swallow it, and turn it into peace. Those of us who do believe and who want things to change need to start by giving up war and giving into peace, without that, nothing will ever change, and change is needed more than ever.

Until next year,
-Hannah <3

 A final somewhat happier picture to end on.

Thoughts from John Muskopf

Hi, my name is John Muskopf and I first started working with Fundacion Esperanza de Mexico in November of 1999.  This year's group members probably got tired of my talking about the "old days" in the city, but since I had taken a three year respite from what had been annual trips from 1999 to 2012, trip leaders Phil Starr and Kevan Franklin were interested in what differences I had noticed between visits.  Since the city continues to evolve, you notice incremental differences from year to year.  There are always new grocery stores, housing developments, and highways sprouting up, but you might not notice large-scale changes unless you take a step back as I've done.

 

For the first time this year, I've seen a drastic increase in what you could consider the development of a "middle class" in Tijuana,  Back in 1999, most of the population growth was from squatters moving north and erecting shacks out of whatever building materials they could acquire.  Today you see shopping areas that are the equivalent of strip malls in the states with sushi bars, telephone stores and coffee shops.  I was a little bit shocked when we went to the soccer game Friday night and drove through parking lots reminiscent of those at OSU football games.  Thousands of people were tailgating with barbeque grills, sound systems, various kinds of alcohol, live bands, and dining canopies set up over their party sites.  I'm not sure where these people work, but there are enough of them with disposable incomes that they created quite a lively scene on a Friday night.

 

I've also seen that the economies of a couple of the colonias where Esperanza operates are not as healthy as they once seemed.  The town of La Gloria has not lost ground in that they have a new large-sized grocery store and several new taco stands, but some of the older businesses have the same paint jobs which are fading and peeling.  There were several buildings which were missing roofs, windows, and walls, which I'd never seen before.  Many of the houses along the street leading to the Posada (across from the Catholic Church), used to have women sweeping the dust from the street in front of their homes every morning.  This year, it was hard to tell if many of those homes were still occupied.  It's kind to sad to think that many of the people have moved out to the "suburbs" where the new housing allotments are, but I guess if you compare the new condos with indoor plumbing, modern kitchens, more floor space, clean streets, and so forth, I could see why people may have left.

 

The town of Lomas de San Antonio seemed to show the worst of this economic shift.  Back in the early 2000's (there I go again), Lomas was an exciting place to be.  There were little kids riding their big wheels around the town square and watching us work.  We had a big fiesta when we built Hilda's foundation and we didn't have enough toys or gifts for all the children who showed up to celebrate with us.  This year was the first time that I've been at a fiesta with no children.  I didn't see any babies in town, and only a couple of teenagers.  What happened to Lomas?  Did the people move north to be closer to work?  Did the drug cartels chase everyone away (like they did Hilda)?  I'm glad we completed building a new floor and got a good start on the walls for the woman we were helping, but it was sad to see such little progress in a colonia that once seemed to have much promise.

 

On a positive note, I was again amazed at the students from the U.S. who went with us to Mexico with open minds and open hearts.  You parents who allowed them to venture out into what for you is an unknown should be proud of them.  They did physical labor that you'd think was impossible and would not consider doing in the states.  They chipped in and did it without complaint, bearing the sun and sweat, scrapes and bruises with smiles on their faces.  They have new friends and a new appreciation of Mexico and it's culture.  I'm glad I went back and look forward to going again next year (once my own body recovers).

 

Thank you,

John Muskopf

Emily's thoughts from the last couple of days and final thoughts.

From Emily Velichka:  Here is a blog post about our activities Thursday, Friday, and my final thoughts. Hope this helps!

Hi everyone! Emily again. I just wanted to give a recap of our days Thursday and Friday as well as some final thoughts after our wonderful week spent in Tijuana.

Thursday we returned to the worksite we had previously been to on Monday in San Antonio. This time, we were preparing the walls of the home prior to the cement pour on Friday. This day was more tedious than we were used to, with several small jobs that required careful attention. I learned I was surprisingly good at wiring the foundation together, and was excited to have a new skill. We then lifted a lot of cement blocks up over these wires to create the wall. Even though the blocks were heavy, we listened to music, talked to each other, and kept the atmosphere light. After this workday, we went to Casa Migrante, a temporary home for deported males. We first spoke with several staff members, and then had dinner with a few of the residents. It was extremely difficult to speak to someone who had just been deported from the country I have known and loved all my life. One of the men at my table, Carlos, had a positive attitude, which he said kept him going despite the sadness occurring all around him. I truly appreciated his mentality and story during this time. After this visit, we spent the evening with some students from the Boston group, and even made a late-night bacon snack. J

Friday we again returned to San Antonio, and poured the cement to solidify the walls. This again required a large amount of cement, but we got a good workline going and had it almost completed in no time. We then had a fiesta with the family, where we enjoyed some delicious food and cake. Unfortunately, there were no children around for the piñata, but we left it with the family to use at a later time. Before leaving, the family thanked us for our work and told us to come back and visit. I can only hope to see them and their finished home someday. Friday night we went to a Xolos soccer game, which was amazing! It was fun to relax with the Boston group and cheer for the team, as well as eat some delicious churros. I am so happy to have been able to go. We then returned to the posada for some last-minute packing and started our all-nighter from the border to the airport.

Prior to this trip, I had no idea what to expect, but I am eternally grateful for all that it has offered me. Tijuana is a city unlike any other, and I am amazed by its rich history and compassionate residents. I feel comfortable, at-home, and included there. I love the strong sense of community, family, and the bigger picture. In addition, I also learned a lot about myself this week. Who knew that I would be able to be lifting cement blocks and heavy buckets? Now I know what I am capable of, and how to help others in ways I never thought possible. Towards the beginning of the week, I wasn’t sure if I would return next year, but now I am already looking forward to being back. This was such a unique service opportunity and I cannot wait to return to it again.

At the bunker - deported veterans home

Thursday night we made our annual visit to La Casa Del Migrante - a shelter that provides short term housing to deported men.

Information on La Casa Del Migrante

Youtube video on Casa

During their introduction speech we talked about their being shelters in Tijuana and Rosarito that house USA Military veterans that have been deported to Mexico because they were not USA citizens.
Information on the deported veterans home shelter in Tijuana


At the bunker facebook page

Phil Starr

Great week

We finally have wifi again.  The wifi at the Posada has been down for two days.  It finally came back on a few minutes ago.  We are all doing well - tonight we are going to the Xolos Soccer game - the other group from Boston Mass is also going.

Phil

Note from Heather, Rachel and William

Hey everyone!

It's Heather and Rachel, your friendly neighborhood Psychology majors! This is the first time on this trip for both of us, and we are having a BLAST.

Hey. It's William. On a serious note, I've found that I've grown immune to the poverty that surrounds me. I was shocked when I first saw it, but as I said in my earlier post, this is another world, and for those who live in it, it's the world they know, and my world is foreign to them. Today, we went to the orphanage and it was saddening to realize that all those girls don't have a home or a family, or they have a family that can't take care of them such as the girls who go home on weekends. On the other hand, they seem to be well cared for and well loved by the nuns. They seem really happy, which makes me happy.

On a lighter note, I'm having so much fun. We went to Guissepi's tonight, which is an Italian resteraunt which was fantastic and I really bonded with the few of the orphans, particularly one who took my hand and showed me around, including taking me to her room. Everyone in our group is working very hard, harder then some of the others and I feel like we really are making a difference in the families, orphans, members of the community, and ourselves.

On a tired note, goodnight.