Footsteps on the roof sound like Santa Clause is in town, but is it really Christmas all year around?
I grew up in Calexico, California, one of the border cities in California.
Growing up in a border city has always been something that gets me many questions like, “Do you see people jumping the border everyday?” or the casual, “So, you live in Mexico right?” – Yes, I do see people jump the border but it is not everyday and no, I don’t live in Mexico..
1. Crossing between cities
For border cities, it’s very common for the people to cross back and forth between the cities. It’s easy to cross into Mexico, you hardly have to talk to any border patrol, you can just go ahead with crossing. Crossing back into the U.S is the hard part. You have to pass through inspection and there might be a line of cars waiting to pass that can range from minutes to hours. Leaving America is a piece of cake, but crossing back is a struggle for many, that is the story of many immigrants.
2. Languages
I used to think everyone in Mexico was able to speak Spanish and English – many don’t. Something I did not realize when I was a kid was that education in both the U.S and Mexico are different. However, it was never difficult to communicate with “el otro lado” (the other side) because there was always a language everyone knew, Spanish.
3. Border Patrol
The Border Patrol cars are the ones you will see more often than any other cars. They are a huge presence in border cities. They will be in every neighborhood, especially mine, seeing as the fence is literally my backyard.
4. Education
It’s very common for schools in border cities full with students who don’t even live in the United States. I mean, it’s a normal thing for everyone to see students crossing at 6 in the morning to get to school on time. I have lived in the border city for 7 years, it’s common to see students crossing between the cities to get to school.
5. Weekends
Friday night comes and it’s like everyone on the U.S side of the border has disappeared. Everyone leaves for Mexico during the weekend, Friday and Sundays tend to be the worst days to go into Mexico. There’s even wait to go into Mexico, you could be waiting for a over 2 hours to get into Mexico on a Friday night. Sunday afternoon comes and you’re waiting over 4 hours to cross back into the U.S.
Growing up in a border city has given me the opportunity to be apart of two cultures. I’m proud of where I have grown up and it’s taught me many lessons.
Accepting your culture is a step to self-acceptance.
