Writen by Natalia Hidalgo (Border Trip 2024)
I could not agree more with our chaplain Adrian Bird's words: "The heartbeat of the border immersion trip is the opportunity to cross the U.S/Mexican border." After visualizing this moment for over three months in class, today the wait was finally over. Early in the morning we excitedly headed to the Raul Castro Port of Entry to spend the day in our Mexican neighboring city of Agua Prieta, Sonora.
Getting to Agua Prieta was shockingly easy. No passport control, no questions asked. Nothing. In the blink of an eye, we found ourselves in a new country, a different continent. From the van's window, Agua Prieta seemed a dynamic city with cars passing and residents walking by the streets.
One of the most surprising things was encountering the opposing ways Americans and Mexicans have defined the border on their respective sides. While Americans have portrayed the eighteen-foot fence as a lifeless, containment barrier whose razor wire emphasizes who is in and who is out, Mexicans have transformed it into a canvas of beauty and hope.
They have embellished the border with murals and paintings that incorporate their cultural identity. The fence has thus become a powerful statement of resistance and an invitation to dream of a future that will someday no longer be out of reach.
Our first stop in Agua Prieta was in Café Justo, a grower-owned coffee cooperative founded 20 years ago in response to the drastic drop in coffee prices experienced in the 1990s. Born to provide living opportunities for the coffee growers of Salvador Urbina, Chiapas, Mexico, farmers control every stage of production, from cultivation to sales, ensuring that the majority of profits stays within the community.
After delighting us with chilaquiles, a traditional Mexican breakfast, and of course, its coffee, they took us to witness how Café Justo roasts its beans. As a coffee lover, I was amazed by watching for the first time the beans being transformed into pure brown Arabica medium roasted grain, whose intense aroma suddenly impregnated the room.
We then visited DouglasPrieta Works, a center that empowers women by teaching them tactical skills and supporting one another. We heard the moving stories of Trini and Matilde, who were both positively impacted by the center. We got to support their work by buying some of their beautiful handmade bags, placemats, and pot holders.
Following lunch, we visited one of the three education enrichment centers that DouglaPrieta Works hosts. These centers provide additional educational support to children, either by helping them with school assignments or by catching up on their education level. Interacting with the kids was an overjoy. They genuinely came to each of us, seeking a hug with arms wide open and an ear-to-ear smile.
Our next stop was the Migrant Resource Center (MRC), which assists migrants deported daily from the United States and asylum seekers by offering them food, water, first aid, access to a shower, a change of clothes, and a place where they can rest before continuing their journeys.
Finally, we visited CAME (Centro de Atencion al Migrante "Exodus") which provides shelter to recently deported migrants and asylum seekers. We had the precious opportunity to share dinner with the asylum seekers and hear their stories. Most of them had been victims of organized crime, being forced to run away and leave their lives behind. We wrapped up the evening by playing kickball with the kids. As Camryn says, "Playing with the children at the migrant shelter was inspiring. It was impactful seeing these kids’ resilience through the trials of their lives."
As we try to reflect on all the experiences we encountered today, we find ourselves emotionally challenged, with diverse emotions melting in our minds and hearts.
As Germán shares, "I have become the first of my parent's children to cross the border that had separated us from our native culture for so long. I shared laughs, shed tears, and felt empowered all in one day, and it is such a privilege to share this moment with amazing people. I dream of the day that I can return to Mexico with my parents."
Throughout the day we dropped tears of frustration and sadness, but also of joy and hope. I am grateful that I could encounter those not-so-sweet moments. How can we become the change we seek to see in the world if we turn our backs on the reality of migration? Quoting chaplain Adrian again, "The stories shared by a variety of voices are the transformative encounters that inspire, drive, and equip us to be a part of the struggle for a better world."
Witnessing and sharing the reality of migration is difficult, but once again we are grateful for the precious opportunity to see a sliver of what these human beings experience.
There is another exciting day waiting for us tomorrow. But let's get some sleep first. Hasta mañana!
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