Vol 60 NEWSLETTER August 2024 | |
The Border Community Alliance is a 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to bridging the border and fostering community through education, collaboration and cultural exchange. | |
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We have some exciting news!
After struggling for more than 10 years to provide transportation for our very popular tours, Border Community Alliance (BCA) is moving ahead to purchase a 15-passenger van to “moooooove” us forward! You can help our programming with your tax-free donation.
Some background:
Over the years, Border Community Alliance (BCA) has had to rely on rental vans for transportation—which has not been easy.
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There are no rental companies in Tubac or Green Valley, the independent companies come and go, renting vans from the airport is particularly difficult, and at times, there are simply no vans available. Meanwhile, renting a van for our summer intern program costs $7,000, and we’ve had to raise these funds every year on top of the other expenses for this program. Rental costs are rising, and while we’d love to organize more tours on this side of the border particularly, the hassle and expense of renting a van gets in the way.
So the time has come for us to purchase our own BCA van. We will utilize the van 12 months of the year for our programming such as U.S. tours, tours into Mexico, for our Borderlands Ambassador intern program, to shuttle borderlands tour groups who visit us from across the country, as well as many other opportunities that will open up to us with our own van.
In order to purchase a van we need to raise approximately $60,000 for a used 15-passenger van. Will you help us?
Please join us in increasing the BCA’s capacity to bridge borders and create a cross-border community through our educational and cultural exchange work by donating to this van purchase. It is a critical component to increasing our programming and maintaining costs as we move forward.
For a limited time, we have several board members and donors who have agreed to match all donations up to $6,000. So every $1 you contribute now will be doubled thanks to the generosity of these donors.
If you’d like to donate online, please do so here or by clicking on the button below. Under “Campaign”, please designate “BCA Van Purchase”.
If you’d like to write a check, please do so by sending a check to: BCA, P.O. Box 1863, Tubac, AZ 5646. Please add “van purchase” to the Memo line.
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How Art and Culture are Reviving Morley Avenue | |
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Soon, when the temperatures cool, Border Community Alliance’s “Renaissance of Nogales” tours will begin again, where we’ll get to see the new street art, murals, art installations, and art galleries in Nogales, Arizona’s Morley Arts District. But first, we’d like to offer some history about Morley Avenue, and why Border Community Alliance (BCA), along with many others, is working to bring the avenue back to life:
“Every building has a story of its own,” says Evan Kory, Nogales, Arizona native and president of the La Linea Art studio and the Wittner Museum on Morley Avenue. “And those stories, in many cases, have been lost.”
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BCA Nogales, AZ tour group standing next to a beautiful new mural in downtown Nogales | |
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Since the early 1900s, Kory explained, many immigrant families moved to Nogales and began opening retail stores on Morley Avenue, bringing together the people and the cultures from both sides of the border, as well as from all corners of the world.
“It’s multicultural,” Kory said about the avenue. “It was a mix of backgrounds and people from all over the world that came to Nogales to open their shops.”
And for the following century, the avenue was busy. So busy, in fact, Kory remembers that only two to three decades ago, he could not make it through the avenue’s crowded sidewalks.
However, at the turn of the century, Kory explained, things started to change. After 9/11, border policies curbed people’s access from one side of the line to the other. Foot traffic waned. Commerce plummeted. Many decades-old family businesses on Morley Avenue closed up shop, one by one, especially after the border closed for 19 months during the height of the pandemic. And today, only a few buildings remain occupied by their original owners.
Nonetheless, Kory had seen a hole in his community, and not only found a way to fill it but to revive Morley Avenue, too.
“Curiously, although there wasn’t a lot of art happening publicly and not a lot of art venues, there were a lot of artists,” Kory said.
To compensate for what the community was missing, Kory, along with others, opened both La Linea Art Studio and the Wittner Museum, where artists can collaborate with community members to hold exhibits, concerts, plays, and other community events.
And with that, and the support from Border Community Alliance and many others, Kory hopes to bring life back to Morley Avenue.
“I think it’s growing and moving in the right direction,” Kory said. “It’s easy to get bogged down on the challenges we face. But through the art and cultural programs, we’re celebrating the good things about our culture and the border region.”
Click here to see Morley Arts District’s upcoming events.
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Evan Kory presenting about Nogales at the Wittner Museum. | |
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ARSOBO’s
First Trip by Van
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We have good news! This past June, with support from many generous donations, Arizona Sonora Border Projects for Inclusion (ARSOBO) fulfilled their first request using their new van, fitting 12 children with cerebral palsy for wheelchairs in Hermosillo, Sonora. They’ll return sometime this September to deliver the devices. | |
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New ARSOBO van will travel in Mexico
to bring needed services
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“This has been a dream of ours for a long time,” said Francisco "Kiko" Trujillo, co-founder and executive director of ARSOBO. “We get lots of calls from people in cities south of the border in great need of prosthetics or orthotics, but who can’t make it all the way to Nogales. Well, now that the van is ready, we can go to them.”
ARSOBO purchased the van last November, Trujillo explained, but met one major roadblock: the cost of importing the van from the U.S. into Mexico. The van sat across the border for some time until Trujillo mentioned this obstacle during one of Border Community Alliance’s cross-border tours. A few days later, Trujillo received news that a few generous donors from the tour had raised $1,800 to help cover the import cost.
“Public transportation in Mexico is not equipped to accommodate people with disabilities, and now we can make up for that,” Trujillo said. “But costs are another challenge.”
Along with material and manufacturing expenses, ARSOBO must be able to recover the costs associated with travel, Trujillo explained. And although ARSOBO offers durable and low-cost medical equipment, patients can not always afford the device, let alone the travel expenses.
To curb expenses, ARSOBO plans to service people in bulk, reaching multiple people in a certain community all in one day. But even then, Trujillo explained, further support from donors is necessary ARSOBO’s mission is to continue.
For more information, reach out to ARSOBO's staff here. Or to sponsor one of ARSOBO’s trips, you can donate here.
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Celebrating the School Year’s End
at La Casa de La Misericordia y Todas las Naciones
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In late July, nine students staying with their families at La Casa de la Misericordia y Todas las Naciones (Casa), a migrant shelter in Nogales, Sonora, graduated from kindergarten. And to celebrate, the entire community, along with three of Border Community Alliance’s Ambassador interns, got together to hold a ceremony for the graduates. | |
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“It was an amazing event and an incredible honor to witness the end of the school year celebration at Casa,” said BCA Intern Program Supervisor, Amy Tice, who also attended the event. “The memories the children and parents made that night will remain in their hearts for a lifetime, as will my memories from the evening.”
For days and weeks before the ceremony, the students, teachers, and families at Casa worked tirelessly to prepare for the event, explained Ambassador Mira Zaslow, one of Border Community Alliance’s interns who has been working at Casa for the last five weeks.
Students of all ages arranged dance routines, poems, and speeches. The teachers and staff assembled decorations and diplomas. Parents prepared food and organized seating and outfits. Some mothers and older sisters of the students took part in the dance routines. Our Ambassadors helped anywhere they could. And when the day finally came, the community rejoiced in their work.
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“From the parents I’ve talked to, many have said how difficult their migrant journey has been, wanting to give their children stability and community and safety,” Ambassador Zaslow said. “But at Casa, they’ve found that.”
To escape the dangers in their home countries, the children must leave behind their homes, loved ones and schools, explained Lupita Moreno, director of the school at Casa. Their journeys can take anywhere from weeks to months, stretching across hundreds, sometimes thousands of miles of unfamiliar and unpredictable land. And in most of the places the people at Casa have passed through, many report that their rights were violated, facing “unimaginable” privation and hostilities, Moreno added.
But when the children arrive at Casa, Moreno explained, the staff does all they can to create a secure and prosperous environment for all.
“At Casa de la Misericordia y Todas las Naciones, it is very important to provide comprehensive and safe care. And above all, to give [the students] the security and protection they need,” Moreno said. “That’s why migrant education is so important to us—it’s a right of all girls, boys and adolescents. Education has no borders; everyone should have a place to learn.”
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BCA Borderlands Ambassador Interview:
Kai Carse, Pomona College, Class of 2024
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We just concluded our six-week 2024 Borderlands Ambassador intern program.
One of our interns, Kai Carse, from New York City and a recent graduate of Pomona College, sat down for an interview with our Communications Intern, Rafael Guerrero, before he left the borderlands last week, to discuss his BCA internship experience.
Kai will be heading to Guadalajara, Mexico in the fall to teach English for a year. He intends to pursue a career in immigration law and policy. Kai loves the outdoors - specifically hiking and camping - as well as mentoring, film, and sports. Kai has experience working with two legal aid organizations where he took or transcribed interviews of asylum applicants: Al Otro Lado in California and Safe Passage Project in New York.
Click here to watch Kai's interview.
And go here to read the weekly blog posts of our Borderlands Ambassadors and to see a recording of their final presentations.
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Meet our BCA Summer 2024 Communications Intern (and writer of this newsletter), Rafael Guerrero
Tucson, AZ native; Grand Canyon University, Class of 2025; Professional Writing major; intends to pursue a career in journalism; interests include migration, public health, human rights, and environment. Rafael used to be a collegiate and professional athlete before a brain injury in 2021 led him to writing. Since, he has enjoyed traveling and meeting people from all walks of life. And now, he’s spending this summer writing in the borderlands with BCA and ARSOBO. We are grateful for Rafael's efforts this summer to assist both BCA and ARSOBO in our communications.
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Please continue to check the website for details/times, to register (required),
and view future events added weekly:
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Saturday 10 August: DAY TOUR: Alfie Norville Gem & Mineral Museum Tour, located at the Historic Pima County Courthouse. This world class museum takes visitors through a continuous,12,000-square-foot story about gems and minerals, displaying more than 2,200 specimens. It begins with the minerals formed during the origin of the universe, then focuses on those found in Arizona and Mexico, and culminates with the creative expressions of gem artists and artisans. Displays include exhibits of precious and noble metals, including copper—the metal that put Arizona on the map. This is a docent(s) led tour. Fee $15/member;$20/non-member.
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Saturday, 17 August, 10:00AM: “Pilgrimage to Magdalena” Short film and Q&A. Tubac Presidio, 1 Burruel St., Tubac. Tickets $15. Register at TubacPresidio.org or (520)398-3229.
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Thursday 29 August: BORDERLANDS FORUM: “The Santa Cruz River, Past, Present, and Future” featuring Mauro Trejo, a Tucson Historian and 7th generation Tucsonan, and can trace his ancestors back to the Tucson Presidio in 1780. Mauro comes from ranching families on both sides and grew up on Tucson’s Southside, listening to his grandfather tell him stories of his family and Tucson’s history. He is currently on the board of The Tucson Presidio Trust, Los Descendientes de Tucson, and The Anza Trail Foundation. He is also the owner of Trejo’s Tucson Walking Tours. Forum location is the San Xavier Mission Coop Farm. Check the website for details and to register (required). FREE EVENT - Suggested donation $10
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Saturday 31 August: MEXICO CITY TOUR INFO WEBINAR: Zoom 10:00am Register on-line to receive Zoom link.
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Thursday 19 September: BORDERLANDS FORUM: “Borderlands Produce Rescue, with Executive Director, Yolanda Soto.” A non-profit founded in 1996 by Yolanda Soto, a native of Nogales, Arizona. Growing up in the border community of Ambos, Nogales Yolanda was well aware of the enormity of the produce industry in her local community, as well as the food waste generated as a result of produce being disposed of in the landfill. Ms. Soto believes that the most basic of human rights is food and that it is also affordable nutritious food. So - living in the center of the produce industry - we decided to rescue fresh produce that was unsellable and get it to families. Free Event - Donations Welcome
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Wednesday 25 September: Cross-Border Day Tour: Nogales, Sonora. Visit our partner nonprofit organizations in Nogales, eat lunch at Burrito Hass, learn about the city of Nogales, Sonora (past, present, future) and have coffee & dessert at La Roca. Learn about the value of “social investment” in cultivating community with our neighbors to the South. Tour fee: $95/members; $105/ non-members
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Thursday 26 September: BORDERLANDS FORUM: “The Conquest of Mexico” with Marshall Giesy. One of the greatest stories in the history of western civilization. The seismic clash between two of the most advanced cultures of their time, the late medieval world of Hernan Cortez and that of the Mexica, the Aztec world of Montezuma, would echo through the centuries and permeate the modern world of both Mexico and the United States. The syncretization of historic Spanish cultures and the many cultures of Mexico has created a fascinating, colorful and complex variety of peoples living in the country today. FREE Event - Donations Welcome
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Friday 4 October: WALKING TOUR: “Walking Tucson’s Barrio Viejo” with Mauro Trejo. A Tucson Historian and 7th generation Tucsonan, Mauro can trace his ancestors back to the Tucson Presidio in 1780. Mauro comes from ranching families on both sides of the border and grew up on Tucson’s Southside, listening to his grandfather tell him stories of his family and Tucson’s history.
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Wednesday 9 October: Cross-Border Day Tour: Nogales, Sonora. Visit our partner nonprofit organizations in Nogales, eat lunch at Burrito Hass, learn about the city of Nogales, Sonora (past, present, future) and have coffee & dessert at La Roca. Learn about the value of “social investment” in cultivating community with our neighbors to the South. Tour fee: $95/ members; $105/ non-members
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Wednesday 23 October: Cross-Border Day Tour: Nogales, Sonora. Visit our partner nonprofit organizations in Nogales, eat lunch at Burrito Hass, learn about the city of Nogales, Sonora (past, present, future) and have coffee & dessert at La Roca. Learn about the value of “social investment” in cultivating community with our neighbors to the South. Tour fee: $95/ members; $105/ non-members
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Thursday 24 October, 2-4PM: BCA ROUND-UP: BCA Open House. Drop in to learn about BCA’s fall program lineup, meet and mingle with BCA community members, and see our office.
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Thursday 31 October - 4 November: RIO SONORA, Multi-Day Tour. Become acquainted with the landscape, history, culture and foods of the unique Rio Sonora Valley through daily field trips, lectures and conversations with the people of the area. Guided by cultural anthropologist & photographer, Bill Steen of The Canelo Project, and Dr William “Bill” Doolittle, geographer & archeologist of the University of Texas. We will visit several towns, including Arizpe, which was once the capital of New Spain in the 1700s. We will stay at the gracious Hotel Posada del Rio Sonora in Banámichi, adjacent to the historic town plaza. We'll also be treated to a private performance by the nationally-awarded Folklorico Grupo Danza Masehua.$1500/BCA members; $1600/non-members $500 DEPOSIT DUE AUGUST 1. FINAL PAYMENT DUE SEPTEMBER 1. This tour has SOLD-OUT but sign up for Waiting List.
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Friday 8 November: Walking Day Tour: The Santa Cruz River History walking tour, starting at Tucson's Mission Garden, will include the site of the former Spanish mission site and O'odham village that was the origin of our modern city. We will also visit the Garden of Gethsemane, a holy site of statues made by WW1 veteran and artist Felix Lucero in the 1940s, Tucson's tallest tree, and learn about our relationship with the river and how we've affected its demise. Mauro Trejo will be our guide.
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Tuesday 12 November: Cross-Border Day Tour: Nogales, Sonora. Visit our partner nonprofit organizations in Nogales, eat lunch at Burrito Hass, learn about the city of Nogales, Sonora (past, present, future) and have coffee & dessert at La Roca. Learn about the value of “social investment” in cultivating community with our neighbors to the South. Tour fee: $95/ members; $105/ non-members
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Thursday 21 November: BORDERLANDS FORUM: Gary Paul Nabhan, Ph.D, and winner of a James Beard Award will present on the many world ethnic cultures comprising the early days of Santa Cruz County and their diets. Forum to be held at United Methodist Church, Green Valley. FREE Event - Donations Welcome
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Friday 22 November: Cross-Border Day Tour: Nogales, Sonora. Visit our partner nonprofit organizations in Nogales, eat lunch at Burrito Hass, learn about the city of Nogales, Sonora (past, present, future) and have coffee & dessert at La Roca. Learn about the value of “social investment” in cultivating community with our neighbors to the South. Tour fee: $95/ members; $105/ non-members
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Wednesday 4 December: Cross-Border Day Tour: Nogales, Sonora. Visit our partner nonprofit organizations in Nogales, eat lunch at Burrito Hass, learn about the city of Nogales, Sonora (past, present, future) and have coffee & dessert at La Roca. Learn about the value of “social investment” in cultivating community with our neighbors to the South. Tour fee: $95/ members; $105/ non-members.
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Saturday 12 -19 January, 2025: MEXICO CITY Multi-Day Tour. The largest and most exciting city of Latin America. One with an incredible archaeological background intertwined with an unbelievable history, magnificently creative art work, and amazingly friendly people. Cathy & Marshall Geisy of Fiesta Tours lead this tour with their decades’ experience of studying the archaeology of Mexico, along with Tlilal Ilpina who has a degree in Mexican Art History; her fluency in English and her knowledge of the history and culture of Mexico City can only be surpassed by her charming personality. We’ll stay at the historic Majestic Hotel on the Zocalo. $3,960/BCA members • $4,060/non-members (Double occupancy. Single occupancy + $675). Airfare not included. Deposit of $1,500.00 with the signed release form to reserve your space due October 1.
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February 28-March 7, 2025: Oaxaca. Multi-Day Tour. BCA and Conect@Oaxaca invite you to explore the true heart of Mexico’s vibrant arts traditions with us in Oaxaca. Oaxaca is a land of tradition, ancient arts, creativity, and change. The villages of the Central Valleys are deeply rooted in ancient Zapotec communities. You’re invited to explore the history, cultural significance, and creative vision with us on this unique week-long journey through Oaxaca. This tour is a FEAST for all your senses! $2995/BCA MEMBERS • $3095/NON-MEMBERS (DOUBLE OCCUPANCY) • $600 single supplement. $500 deposit due August 1. Final payment due September 1.
To register for events, go to www.BorderCommunityAlliance.org
or call (520) 398-3229.
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Office Hours Vary
Call for appointment
(520)398-3229
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Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 1863
Tubac, AZ 85646
Office Address (no mail):
8 Burruel St
Tubac, AZ 85646
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