The Border Experience: See, Touch, Understand

(Left) The Rev. John Fanestil leads a small group from the Western Jurisdictional Conference as they tour three areas around the US/Mexico border in San Diego. (Top right) The group places hands over the border fence at Border Field State Park as they pray with friends from the United Methodist Church of Mexico on the other side. (Bottom right) A secondary fence, nicknamed “el cerco”, is constructed of parts from Vietnam-era US warships.

The Border Experience: See, Touch, Understand | By Jesse N. Love with the Rev. John Fanestil

On the Road
On the edge of Southern California, I joined a small group of clergy, laity and friends for “The Border Experience”, as we toured the line between the United States and Mexico. On this trip, our group had a chance to “See, Touch, Understand” some of the political and cultural ins-and-outs of the San Diego-Tijuana metro areas.

Many in the group were in jeans and tennis shoes or boots. With camera phones in hand, water by our sides, and sunglasses to dim the rise of the California sun, we embarked on a short, yet meaningful journey. The Rev. John Fanestil guided our group. He is a United Methodist elder who is serving in an extension ministry as executive director of Foundation for Change.

Fanestil loaded a van, with eight members of the tour group. As we entered Interstate 8, the city of San Diego gradually unfolded before us – with rows of palm trees beside graying structures and a skyline that is visible through a veil of classic So-Cal smog. Overcast skies diffused morning sunlight as we followed the path to our destination. Conversations in the van can be heard – mostly from individuals sharing where they are from and how to find each other on Facebook. In-between, Fanestil can be heard talking about the government and current state of the border: ““…that’s effectively two-thirds of the population of the United States – if you take the seaboards and the northern and southern borders. There is a bill in front of Congress right now that would grant them this kind of authority within of 100 miles of any land or maritime border. It’s not going to get passed into law, none the less, that’s the larger vision…”

San Ysidro Port of Entry
Our first stop was atop an overpass overlooking the San Ysidro Port of Entry, which is the busiest land border crossing in the world (100,000 plus people daily). Our group walked up the zigzag ramps leading up to overpass. Mexican and American citizens returning from a visit to Mexico passed by us. Many were young people and others were older adults. Some may have been going to work or to simply visit the US. Others may have been coming back from brunch in Mexico or wrapping up a day of quick shopping. Fanestil explains that we are about 10 miles east from the Otay (Oh-Tie) Mesa Port of Entry, which services more cross-border commercial traffic than any other port in the world. “After the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994, the truck traffic from Mexico had just exploded. The volume of cross-border trade has expanded so dramatically,” shared Fanestil.

In a post-9/11 world, this area is now currently monitored by The US Department of Homeland Security. By having the border now watched by Homeland Security, the agency’s culture and ideology toward potential terrorist threats is reflected in the way people are processed in this area. “So we are treating people who are routine crossers in pretty much the same way that we are inspecting people who are…intent on committing violence,” shares Fanestil. “So it’s like the airport phenomenon, but in a concentrated area. The inefficiencies that are rooted in this are so profound.”

El Cerco
Our next stop is closer to the physical fence that separates the US from Mexico. Sometimes referred to as El Cerco (The Fence) or El Muro (The Wall) the portion of the border was constructed sometime in the 1980s. This secondary fence was made out of repurposed landing mats from Vietnam-era warships. The fence itself featured pillars that have only several inches of separation. Fanestil explains that the builders had known this structure wasn’t enough to prevent people from crossing into the US. One can actually stack tires in-between the panels and create their own makeshift ladder to hop the fence with.

Border Field State Park
Our last stop on this journey was Border Field State Park. The surrounding area serves as a California State Park and a wildlife preserve for a variety of waterfowl and wading birds. After the United States/Mexico War in 1848, each country’s boundary commissions met and drew the line that divided the two nations. This area is considered to be the birthplace of the border. Monument Mesa serves as a “historic marker” commemorating the borders being drawn.

In 2009, additional fencing along the border was installed. Through the Real ID Act, work on fortifying the fence began. Fanestil explains: “the Congress granted to the secretary of Homeland Security the authority to waive any and all laws deemed necessary to expedite the construction of walls along the US/Mexico border. So in 2007 then Secretary Michael Chertoff – with the swipe of his pen – wiped off 35 laws involving fair labor, environmental protection, the clean water act, Native American preserve…” Fanestil explained that for those who are close to the border, one sees how life really is in the area, first-hand. But for others who are in Congress who are farther away, it becomes easier to come up with legislation to harden the border even further.

Meet Teresa
On the Mexican side of the fence, Fanestil introduces us to Teresa. She is a part of the Methodist Church of Mexico. Although we cannot fully see Teresa due to the small gaps in fence, she and her friends welcome us. Teresa greets us:

“Brother and sisters we rejoice in your visit, representing the United Methodist Church in Tijuana. We are a part of the Methodist Church of Mexico. For more than 25 years, Tijuana has been named as one of the most visited cities in the world. Thousands of people are crossing the border to visit Tijuana every day – a famous city known for Avenida Revolución and more than 600 different nightclubs, just on this street. Known for its bars, Coahuila is a city known for prostitution on all levels, drug-dealing and cartels but also for being one of the main options of immigrants crossing into the United States. In some way or another these problems have increased in the last years.”

Our group had an opportunity to chat with Teresa and her friends through the fence. We learned that she works on the US side of the border but lives in Tijuana since the cost of a four-room home is less expensive than its equivalent in the states. But due to the distance between her home and her job, she sometimes stays on the US side for long periods of time, which means she is separated from her infant children, Alejandra and Fernando.

Teresa’s story is common for many. Fanestil explains families would come here to picnic together – bring out lawn chairs and enjoy family reunions. “A lot of the families were separated by their immigration status. Some people were having their citizenship regularized. As a term of their regularization, they were prohibited from leaving the territorial boundary of the United States,” shares Fanestil.

As we prepared for our departure, we gathered in prayer with Teresa. Groups on both sides of the border placed our hands over the fence as we thanked God for the opportunity and privilege to have met one another. The Border Experience helped our small group understand just some of the important issues involving the lives and the lifestyle of those surrounding the US and Mexico border.

For more information on Foundation for Change, visit www.foundation4change.org.
Special thanks to the Rev. John Fanestil.
Jesse N. Love serves as the Print & Publications manager for the PNWUMC.
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This article was originally featured in Channels 56, September 2012. Download this issue, here.