Monday, February 28, 2005
Domingo Dominoes
Truly a "sun" day. I went with Selso's family (Selso is the groundskeeper for La Posada) to visit a park in downtown Tijuana, on the good side of town. I spent hours people-watching and enjoying performances by dancers, singers, and clowns. Little by little, the feeling that I should be somewhere else getting work done left me as the warm afternoon breeze enveloped my body. I was being de-United-States-ified. That, of course, is a luxury that not everyone of my Tijuana neighbors can afford.
preferential option for the poor
Liberation theology talks about a preferential option for the poor - "an O for the P" in Paul Farmer's lingo. More and more, I am adopting this perspective on my still few experiences here in Tijuana. Last week, students from a private Catholic high school in Bellevue, WA volunteered their spring break to "serve the poor" here in Tijuana. At a final reflection, many spoke of being glad they were able to "help out." Prima facie, their gesture is a noble one. After all, they worked hard (and paid money) to provide labor for a family that might not have been able to afford it. But why couldn't they just pay money to buy a backhoe that could have done the same job in 1/5th the amount of time? Wouldn't that have been more efficient?Wouldn't that have been a better gift? That is the question that was not confonted and was left unanswered by many. Giving is a two-way street, my friends.
Having this group of students from my home (from a rival high school, no less) forced me to re-discover my own experiences at an affluent, private Catholic high school. Thinking especially about how each of us are "gate-keepers" to certain resources (university, select sports clubs, etc.) – something I learned from my non-university education while at the U. of Washington – it is obvious that a significant counter-force (i.e. "O for the P") is necessary to combat institutionalized racism, inadequate health care systems, educational discrepencies, and the increasing gap between rich and poor. In my eyes, these are not so much many seperate problems as one single problem with many faces. I can only hope that my compatriots will, en masse, correct the tunnel vision that has plagued our eyes for so much of our country's history.
"The real burden to society is not the poor but the corporate rich. We simply no longer can afford them."
- Michael Parenti, Dirty Truths
(Some) Relevant Reading:
- "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracey Kidder
- "Dirty Truths" by Michael Parenti
- "No Logo" by Naomi Klein
Having this group of students from my home (from a rival high school, no less) forced me to re-discover my own experiences at an affluent, private Catholic high school. Thinking especially about how each of us are "gate-keepers" to certain resources (university, select sports clubs, etc.) – something I learned from my non-university education while at the U. of Washington – it is obvious that a significant counter-force (i.e. "O for the P") is necessary to combat institutionalized racism, inadequate health care systems, educational discrepencies, and the increasing gap between rich and poor. In my eyes, these are not so much many seperate problems as one single problem with many faces. I can only hope that my compatriots will, en masse, correct the tunnel vision that has plagued our eyes for so much of our country's history.
"The real burden to society is not the poor but the corporate rich. We simply no longer can afford them."
- Michael Parenti, Dirty Truths
(Some) Relevant Reading:
- "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracey Kidder
- "Dirty Truths" by Michael Parenti
- "No Logo" by Naomi Klein
Saturday, February 19, 2005
A foundation
The end of my second week working for Fundacíon Esperanza de Mexico (FEM) feels like a solid foundation for my future work here. My Spanish is getting tolerable, my public speaking abilities are maturing, and I'm feeling more happy overall.
The second volunteer group has come and gone. I will miss some more than others. This group confirmed that age and experience do not necessarily amount to wisdom and maturity. A 14 year old boy, his first year as a volunteer with Esperanza, was one of the most admirable, while a man in his 50's, a veteran volunteer with 8+ trips, had much growing up to do. Humbling!
Currently listening to: Waxwing, Juanes, Maná
Currently reading: "Complications: A Surgeon's notes on an Imperfect Science" by Atul Gawande
The second volunteer group has come and gone. I will miss some more than others. This group confirmed that age and experience do not necessarily amount to wisdom and maturity. A 14 year old boy, his first year as a volunteer with Esperanza, was one of the most admirable, while a man in his 50's, a veteran volunteer with 8+ trips, had much growing up to do. Humbling!
Currently listening to: Waxwing, Juanes, Maná
Currently reading: "Complications: A Surgeon's notes on an Imperfect Science" by Atul Gawande
Sunday, February 13, 2005
When it rains, it pours...
The past week was rainy, with the clouds only clearing up on Ash Wednesday (see previous post). Poor conditions forced us to stay home from work on Friday, leaving us with nothing to do but prepare that afternoon's fiesta (I'm not complaining).
Overall, my first week came with a lot of excitement about having a new position in a different city and country. That, however, was largely overshadowed by my lack of Spanish speaking ability. I'm mentally exhausted and find myself sleeping in the breaks that I get. Poco a poco, it will get better.
On another note, a public announcement about increased violence - specifically, drug gang related kidnappings of dUS citizens in Nuevo Laredo - at the dUS-Mexico border by the dUS Department of State has caused 2 volunteer groups to cancel their trips to this organization. Is the threat real? Really small, perhaps. The public announcement basically states the precautions that one should normally take when visiting a Mexican border town: don't hang out in neighborhoods with a lot of drug-related activity and be cautious in red-light districts (esp. at night). Just another example of how even slight changes in dUS policy can greatly affect lives in other countries.
Overall, my first week came with a lot of excitement about having a new position in a different city and country. That, however, was largely overshadowed by my lack of Spanish speaking ability. I'm mentally exhausted and find myself sleeping in the breaks that I get. Poco a poco, it will get better.
On another note, a public announcement about increased violence - specifically, drug gang related kidnappings of dUS citizens in Nuevo Laredo - at the dUS-Mexico border by the dUS Department of State has caused 2 volunteer groups to cancel their trips to this organization. Is the threat real? Really small, perhaps. The public announcement basically states the precautions that one should normally take when visiting a Mexican border town: don't hang out in neighborhoods with a lot of drug-related activity and be cautious in red-light districts (esp. at night). Just another example of how even slight changes in dUS policy can greatly affect lives in other countries.
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
Un dia con sol
Today, Ash Wednesday and my third day on the job, was satisfying. On Ash Wednesday devout Christians mark their foreheads with a cross of ashes to symbolize that they belong to Jesus Christ. For me, this day marked a reaffirmation of my committment to this organization, Esperanza International. A discussion with my boss/partner, Eduardo Zavala, on the drive to the worksite brought me back to my goals while in Tijuana: to learn as much as possible about the lives of the people of Tijuana, to better understand my own country, and to help build the organization for which I am working. The worksite is my church. The people I work with are my congregation.
Happy Chinese New Year! It's my year, the year of the Rooster (aka the Cock), and big things are happening in my life. We'll see how it turns out.
In other news, Mexico beat Costa Rica (2-1) in a 2006 World Cup qualifying match. I'm looking forward to playing some soccer here. At least I can speak that language more fluently than Spanish, but I'm getting better at the latter.
Happy Chinese New Year! It's my year, the year of the Rooster (aka the Cock), and big things are happening in my life. We'll see how it turns out.
In other news, Mexico beat Costa Rica (2-1) in a 2006 World Cup qualifying match. I'm looking forward to playing some soccer here. At least I can speak that language more fluently than Spanish, but I'm getting better at the latter.
Sunday, February 06, 2005
News affecting my new home
"Border fence could skip rules" (Feb. 5th, 2005)
By Terry Rodgers, San Diego Union-Tribune
The dis-United States (dUS) Congress is voting next week whether or not to install a THIRD border fence between the dUS and Mexico near Imperial Beach (~20 minutes from my home), which the proponents believe will be impenetrable to "illegal" immigrants. This law would override a decision by the California Coastal Commission to deny the project due to environmental concerns. It's incredible how the Right is able to negatively affect immigration (more deaths), the environment (excess erosion & destruction of rare habitat), the economy (maintenance of low wages/cheap labor), and preservation of culture (covering of American Indian archeological site) in a single bill.
Although the environmental advocates can still battle the proposed project in federal court, "final authority rests with President Bush, who could overrule a federal court ruling in the interest of national security."
More comments (and pictures) about the border fence later...
By Terry Rodgers, San Diego Union-Tribune
The dis-United States (dUS) Congress is voting next week whether or not to install a THIRD border fence between the dUS and Mexico near Imperial Beach (~20 minutes from my home), which the proponents believe will be impenetrable to "illegal" immigrants. This law would override a decision by the California Coastal Commission to deny the project due to environmental concerns. It's incredible how the Right is able to negatively affect immigration (more deaths), the environment (excess erosion & destruction of rare habitat), the economy (maintenance of low wages/cheap labor), and preservation of culture (covering of American Indian archeological site) in a single bill.
Although the environmental advocates can still battle the proposed project in federal court, "final authority rests with President Bush, who could overrule a federal court ruling in the interest of national security."
More comments (and pictures) about the border fence later...
First Impressions
The view from my bedroom at Pueblo Esperanza.
Originally uploaded by MnMnTam.
Currently listening to: Maná, Juanes, and Eliades Ochoa
Currently reading: "Dirty Truths" by Michael Parenti
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