Amigos sin Fronteras?

Amigos sin Fronteras?
Originally uploaded by MarcelTam.

If you take Interstate 5 California Exit 4 and head straight for 2-3 miles, you will find Border Field State Park. Previously known as Friendship Park (named by former First Lady Pat Nixon in 1971), this park sits on the western-most segment of the dUS-Mexico border. The border fence seperates the park from a lighthouse and the Plaza Monument bullfight ring (the second largest in the world), which are both located in Tijuana.

Oftentimes, for my work, I take volunteer groups to the Tijuana side of this park show the stark contrast between one side and the other. Having never been to the dUS side, I decided to venture over there on my day off. Direct access via car to the hilltop picnic area near the fence was barred due to "construction," so I took advantage of the sunny weather and walked the mile from the outer parking lot to the fence. Upon arrival, I noticed two border patrol agents on 4x4's and a third sitting in a Ford Explorer. Closer to the fence, there were some handwritten signs (see picture) from a protest rally a couple days prior. Just after taking some pictures, I heard my name called from the other side of the fence. It was Juan and two of the Los Niños muchachas, Becky and Emily! Juan is a resident of the La Morita colonia whose house was built by Esperanza five years ago. He now offers his bus as transportation to volunteer groups that come down. Becky and Emily are both long-term volunteers, like myself, living in Tijuana for a year. The also host volunteer groups that come from the dUS to help build schools and take care of kids. The three of them happened to be taking a group of volunteers to the border fence at the same time that I was visiting the other side (el otro lado). We greeted each other and chatted through the fence for awhile. It felt strange. I wanted to shake hands, shift my body position to their side, and go get some fish tacos in Tijuana, but the fence held me back. I imagine that prison visits might feel similar.

While the coincidental cross-fence encounter was strange, it solidified in my mind the fact that friendships can cross barriers. Like the sign said, "AMIGOS SIN FRONTERAS" ("Friends without borders"). The fence made no difference in our sentiment towards one another...only towards the pinche fence that stood in our way.