This past week I visited Tijuana Mexico with my Human Diversity class...it is an experience I will cherish for a lifetime and a place I plan to revisit in the future. It is so easy to take for granted the life we live, the freedoms we have, and the luxuries we are blessed with. Roughly thirty minutes from my house exists a different world...a place where people find a way to thrive on a minimum wage of $6.00 per day. Reflecting on my trip across the border and my anxieties before leaving...I am a humbled person. Traveling to Tijuana is my new leaf this week as it embodies the power of human connection, which is a core piece of wholehearted living.
Several months ago when my diversity class began it was announced that we would be traveling to Tijuana in April to complete a service project. The trip was what my professor deemed as an immersion experience where we would dive deep into a different culture. I remember having many mixed feelings about the excursion. I was worried and fearful. Never before have I thought to cross to TJ. According to what I saw on the news and the viewpoints of my parents, TJ was not a safe place. The reality was I had no idea what to expect and one of my biggest fears in life is to be in another country when chaos happens. Initially, I pushed those thoughts aside and would not address them until a few days before the trip.
In completing wholehearted work, I am learning to explore my emotions on a deeper level. I am making contact with uncomfortable feelings and addressing what is really going on. As my trip to TJ neared, I felt extremely anxious. What would it be like over there? What if something happened? How do I tell my parents I'm going? As I broke down my worries, I realized they were rooted in fear and ignorance. My judgment of TJ was based on what society had told me..not what I had seen for myself. I realized this trip was about so much more than crossing borders. It was about understanding and embracing a culture of people who were practically my neighbors, yet I had never ventured south of National City. Although my fears and anxieties were present, I knew this trip was not about me. I believe in the power of sharing, seeing, and hearing stories of others. What is more powerful than being immersed in an environment different than what I have ever known?
On Tuesday morning, i had the opportunity to engage in an experience with my whole heart. We arrived at the border and walked across to meet up with JC, our guide for the day, who took us to the yellow school bus we would be traveling on. The bus ride was uncomfortable and bumpy, but it allowed me to see a large portion of Tijuana. I could not stop looking out the windows...I was amazed by the diversity of the community. On one side of the road there were shacks on top of shacks and across the street there was well-maintained, upscale shopping center. What was considered a "middle-class" community could have passed for homelessness in the United States. What amazed me was how little people needed to live on. Owning property with a small shack on the land equipped with running water and electricity was luxury.
We spent the first part of our morning visiting a school in rural Tijuana. Several women were attending a nutrition program offered after they dropped their kids off at school. The organization JC worked for had put together educational programs for the community to cultivate healthy living. I learned that border towns like TJ have higher rates of obesity, heart disease and diabetes. What happens is the cheapest food is fast, processed food. The goal of the program is to educate families about nutrition, recycling, and other sustainable efforts. Nutrition is another one of those things I take for granted. I know how to eat healthy and am for the most part able to eat that way on a daily basis. One of the goals in the program is to help families establish their own vegetable garden for produce. One of the women shared how rewarding this has become for her family. It has helped them save money as well as brought them closer together. What seems so simple has such power for these women.
The highlight of the trip was visiting a community center that provides lunch for children. Many families have two working parents and/or cannot afford to provide lunch for there children. This center helps alleviate that burden, providing over 2,500 lunches per week for children in the community. Upon arriving at the center, the leaders were especially receptive and delighted to have us there. We helped out by painting walls in two of the classrooms and played with the children awaiting lunches. There is something so profound about providing service to others. Our painting skills were far from professional, but they were received with incredible gratitude from those at the center.
My favorite part of the day was playing with the children. One thing I realized during this trip was the power of play. Smiling, encouragement, and kindness has no limitations...it is the same language across cultures and it was amazing to see it in action. Human connection is an invaluable phenomenon...one thing I think children know how to do best. Their innocence allows them to love with their whole hearts. Playing soccer and jump roping with the kids will be a moment I'll hold onto forever. It was one of those times where I felt completely alive by simply being present.
"We build too many walls and not enough bridges" - Isaac Newton
Our final stop of the trip was at the beach...where the United States and Mexico meet...what separates the two is a large, metal wall. Never in my life have I witnessed or felt such a strong symbol of power. After being a part of the culture for the day and engaging with people in the community, the boundary and presence of the wall stung. To me it represented ignorance and intolerance. It was about creating separation, not unity, and sending the message that "I'm better than you" to those on the other side. It made me think twice about what I called freedom. I just had spent the day interacting with incredible, soulful people...children....who because of their nationality would never be embraced in my country. Those feelings were especially difficult to sit with.
It has been hard to wrap my head around everything I experienced a few days ago. The disdain cultivated against our neighbors gets under my skin. I am a dreamer, an individual who believes all people are capable of love and connection. If only we would open are hearts and minds to the experiences of those around us what would our world look like? I will never understand hate or cruelty. I will never understand why someone can decide they are better than others. But I will never lose hope. I have faith and value storytelling. I believe that through small, ordinary moments we can change lives...we just need to find the courage to step out. I am deeply grateful to the people I encountered in Tijuana. I am moved and inspired to be able to hold their stories.
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