What If We Go to "The Other Side"? A Journey Through Tijuana's Mixed Culture
What comes to mind when I ask you, "What if we go to The Other Side?" And I’m not talking about the other side of the fence, the pond, or the building, although geographically, it is a little bit of that. Above all, I am referring to crossing an international border. That is the nature of daily life in Tijuana.
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1. Burger Bar & Grill
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2. Eagle French Cafe
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3. L'ardoise Bistro
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4. Anchor Seafood Market
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It is no secret that life on the border is deeply influenced by the culture of our neighboring country, the United States, and that is where I would like to begin. Working in the tourism sector, I am fascinated to observe the impressions visitors take away from the state and the preconceived ideas they arrive with.
Most anticipate finding a kind of "Mini USA" and expect to be treated in an "Americanized" manner. The beautiful part is seeing how surprised they are to discover this is not the case. While the influence of U.S. culture is undeniable, the proximity is overwhelming and generations have adopted aspects of that lifestyle, it is also true that we retain a high percentage of our Mexican side. Instead of imitating, on the border, we adapt: we fuse external culture with our roots and our local context.
The language that Defines Daily Life
A characteristic that foreigners find curious is the way we refer to the United States and the act of crossing the border. Because it is so normalized (as a considerable percentage of the population has border crossing permits for work, study, occasional shopping, or errands), the invitation to cross the border is summed up in a single phrase: "Let's go to The Other Side" (Vamos al otro lado).
Although there is no exact date for when it began, this phrase has been passed down through many generations, serving as an idiom understood and used by all locals. It is, quite simply, the way we refer to our daily binational reality.
The Normalization of Actions and Festivities
Proximity has led to the normalization of actions, words, lifestyles, clothing, and even holidays. While in recent years, various governmental and community initiatives have promoted efforts to recover and strengthen Mexican traditions (like the “El Grito de Independencia” and “Día de Muertos”), these celebrations often went unnoticed on the border.
Historically, U.S. holidays like Halloween, Thanksgiving, or even the 4th of July were adopted. This is due to the fact that a large portion of the population holds dual nationality, they were born "on The Other Side" but reside in Mexico, naturally adopting both lifestyles and their celebrations.
What is clear is that life on the border is unique. We are accustomed to receiving thousands of people daily, seeing the famous "wall" (which is just the physical border), and observing thousands of realities of people who were only passing through and ended up staying in the state's cities. Because of this, I believe we have particularly warm hearts: here, everyone is welcome... even if their intention is only to cross "to The Other Side."
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