El Arquitecto De Una Conversación Comunitaria en San Ysidro

Escrita por Kelly Bennett.

Desde este lugar en medio de dos gigantes, ubicado en un espacio divido por la frontera internacional entre San Diego y Tijuana, San Ysidro ha visto y luchado disonancia y disección por varios años, de sus ya 99 años de existencia. Un barrio remoto de la ciudad de San Diego separado del centro de San Diego por otras cuatro ciudades; San Ysidro ha sido dividido una y otra vez por autopistas llevando tráfico desde y hacia la frontera mexicana.

Los sonados asuntos de San Diego y Tijuana, y de la frontera misma, han ahogado muchas veces los gritos de los 27,000 residentes de San Ysidro. Una historia de disputas entre residentes y negocios, entre defensores de servicios sociales e intereses comerciales dejaron una mezcla de ideas y voces en discordancia tratando de explicar a muchas de las agencias gubernamentales que era lo que ellos querían ver en su barrio.

Mientras tanto, los intereses de la comunidad eran atrapados en un juego único de tira y afloja la cuerda que oscilaban entre agencias de la ciudad de San Diego, a oficinas de tránsito y en departamentos federales.

En medio de la discordancia, un jovén arquitecto llamado David Flores llegó a San Ysidro en el año 2000 a vivir y a trabajar. Y en los últimos ocho años, él ha sido un traductor, un educador, un conciliador, un soñador y un promotor de los pensamiento y de las perspectivas de la gente de San Ysidro; el arquitecto de una conversación comunitaria que trataba de llevar orden y entendimiento al caos generado.

Su esfuerzo más destacado llegó en el año 2004 cuando la Administración de Servicios Generales (GSA) anunció los planes de expandir dramaticamente el puerto de entrada de San Ysidro. El impacto a su barrio era desalentador.

La propuesta consumía acres de tierra que podía ser desarrollada. Ésta no mencionaba los impactos económicos y ambientales de ambos lados de la frontera. Los aumentos de puestos de control iban a incrementar la hostilidad ya existente en el proceso de cruzar la frontera. El plan buscaba aumentar la eficiencia del control de la frontera sin dar prioridad a la seguridad y eficiencia a las personas que cruzan la frontera para actividades cotidianas como comprar o trabajar al otro lado de la frontera.

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Cultivating education through the Arts
Jose Jaimes, a young man, with love and passion for folklor the Mexican tradition, received prestigious award as “Local Hero’ for his volunteer work with the Vista Hispanic and low income community.
By America Barcelo Feldman
VISTA - It was 18 years ago but to Jose Jaimes it seems like it was just yesterday that he and his two brothers arrived in this country to take care for their father. As all migrant children, Jose and brothers experienced the social and cultural barriers after having left their country as children.

Cultivando educación a través de las Artes
José Jaimes un joven apasionado por las tradiciones folklóricas mexicanas recibió reconocimiento como héroe local por su labor altruista con niños de bajos recursos en Vista
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VISTA — Parece que fue ayer cuando hace casi 18 años José Jaimes y sus dos her-manos llegaron a este país para que su papá se hiciera cargo de ellos. Como todos los niños migrantes José experimentó las penumbras, sinsabores y barreras culturales y sociales.

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La Virgen de Guadalupe cruza fronteras
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En estos tiempos difíciles para todo el mundo, la devoción de los mexicanos y los latinos por la Virgen de Guadalupe parece ser más fuerte que nunca.

Stories

Obama and Mexico
By Mariana Martínez
Obama´s triumph made millions rest assured that there will be a change, many of them where Mexicans, whose families live in the United States, a country who’s destiny is deeply intertwined with theirs as the final destination of 80% of Mexican exports.

Obama y Mexíco
Por Mariana Martínez
El triunfo de Obama hizo que millones de personas respiraran aliviadas, entre ellas millones de Mexicanos, cuyos familiares viven en este país, al que además se destinan más del 80% de sus exportaciones y cuya economía son básicamente dependientes.

La administración de Barack Obama y la agenda con México
Especialistas se reunirán en El Colef para examinar los retos de la nueva administración de Estados Unidos

México del Norte
Por Jorge Mújica Murias
Señales Cruzadas
Perdió Bill (hasta la barba), ganó Hillary, los latinos se llevan un premio de consolación en el gabinete de Obama, pero los huesos del “gabinete de los ex enemigos” van dejando ver algo hacia el futuro. A Richardson le toca en realidad el puesto clandestino de “Secretario de Estado para América Latina”, para ponerle atención a esa parte del mundo que dejó de existir para la Casa Blanca hace ocho años.

Mexican Tourism Fears Another Big Pinch
Frontera NorteSur
As the winter tourist high season fast approaches, the ailing Mexican tourism industry is nervously hedging its bets in a year of international economic crisis. Mexican Congressman Octavio Martinez Vargas, president of the tourism commission of the Chamber of Deputies, recently warned that the global economic crash could result in a 10-20 percent reduction in the number of international visitors who hit Mexican shores this season.

Samaritano de National City continua su labor altruísta en Tijuana
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National City Samaritan continues charity work in Tijuana
By Pablo Jaime Sáinz
Don Agustín Lugo is called by many names on both sides of the border, all positive.

LA COLUMNA VERTEBRAL
Por José López Zamorano
Una Esperanza Realista
No hay duda que el inminente arribo de Barack Obama a la Casa Blanca ha despertado una expectativa sin precedentes, no sólo entre las comunidades de inmigrantes hispanos en Estados Unidos, sino también entre los grupos defensores de sus derechos, ante la posibilidad cercana de una reforma migratoria integral.

Not sure what to give your children for the holidays? How about the gift of health?
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Rates of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents are critical health issues in the United States today. Data from a national study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 17 percent of children and adolescents age 2-19 are overweight or obese. This represents a nearly 300 percent increase in the rates of overweight and obesity among children since 1980. Mexican-American children are especially at risk, and the problem does not seem to be going away. From 1994 to 2004 rates of overweight for Mexican-American girls (12-19) increased from 9.2 to 14.1 percent and from 14.1 to 18.3 percent in Mexican-American boys (12-19).

Special Education Students Learn Financial Responsibility through Independent City
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Chula Vista Elementary School District Seeking to Fill Board Vacancy
Board of Education meeting decides on appointment process to replace Bertha López.
The Board of Education requests that eligible candidates submit a letter of intent with responses to two questions and two letters of recommendation to Max Batangan, Assistant to the Superintendent and Board of Education, 84 East J Street, Chula Vista, CA 91910. Applications must be received no later than December 30, 2008, at 5:00 p.m. All applications will be date and time stamped.

La Beata, Guardian of Christmas Angels
By Albert Simonson
The queen of saintliness in Hispanic California was Apolinaria “The Blessed,” so called for her selfless devotion to those less gifted or resourceful than herself, especially children, missionaries and Indian novices of the missions.

Editorial and Commentary

Editorial:
Workers making their voice heard
Sit-in resonating with workers across the country
Three weeks before Christmas, 240 employees of the Republic Windows and Doors in Chi-cago were given three days notice that their jobs were terminated. If that wasn’t sad enough, they were also told that there was no money for severance pay or for earned vacation pay. Instead of quietly accepting this injustice, the mostly Hispanic employees are staging a sit-in. They are not leaving until they get what they have earned. And they are holding out hope that the plant will reopen.

Commentary:
Mexico’s Immigration Problem Also a “Red Flag” at Home
By Laura Carlsen
In the first two years of the Felipe Calderon administration, Mexico has become a focal point in the violation of the human rights of immigrants even as it criticizes the treatment of Mexican migrants in the United States. The UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants Jorge Bustamante states the problem in no uncertain terms: “We are responsible for violations of the rights of Central Americans passing through Mexico, the same or worse as those of Mexicans in the United States.”

Commentary:
Hanging Up on Calling Card Scams
By Vince Vasquez
This holiday season, many Latino families will be keeping in touch with long distance telephone calls, often through prepaid calling cards as the preferred method of choice. Thankfully, avoiding calling card fraud will be easier with a new consumer law on the books, helping more Californians safely stay in contact with their loved ones.

Comentario:
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Comentario:
La Navidad
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The Public Forum . . . El Foro Público
Distinguished President Elect Obama:
Allow me to introduce myself—I am Fernando Suárez del Solar, an American citizen since 1995 of Mexican origin and the father of L/Cpl. Jesús Alberto Suárez del Solar, USMC, who died in Iraq on March 27, 2003.

Etc. Etc. Etc.
Entertainment, Reviews, Sporting news, and other tid bits

¡ASK A MEXICAN!
By Gustavo Arellano
SPECIAL GUADALUPE EDITION
Dear Mexican: Many times, as I cross the border into the U.S., I see bald cholos buying images (posters, blankets, baby bibs) of Al Pacino in Scarface. Where does such an obsession for this ugly Cuban come from? Is Tony Montana replacing la Virgencita de Guadalupe in cholos’ living rooms across America?

First Person:
Thinking About A Buzz Cut
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I am sure it is urbanely psychological but I’m thinking about getting a buzzed haircut, similar to the soccer star David Beckham. The problem is I don’t want to look like David Broke-ham. Back in the Bible days, folks used to shave off their hair as a vow, indicating that a major change is taking place in their lives. This was a sign that you were serious about viewing life differently and wanted everybody to know it.

Guardan Bellos Recuerdos del Pasado Histórico de Tijuana
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Leguizamo has himself a merry Latino Christmas
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Festive 1800s Holiday in the Park Celebration
Candlelight Tours in Old Town San Diego
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Holiday Calendar of Events:
Family Holiday Concert at the Escondido Public Library
Escondido Public Library Children’s Services presents a free Family Holiday Concert featuring the Sapphire String Quartet on Tuesday, December 16 at 6:30 p.m. The concert will be held at the Main Library in the Turrentine Room. Families, and children of all ages, are invited to this interactive concert, which will include a family sing-a-long, selections from the Nutcracker Suite, Christmas classics by Bach and Vivaldi, and favorite winter pop songs. Don’t miss this entertaining family evening full of holiday cheer.

Presentarán el Tradicional “Musical Navideño” Interpretando Joyas Musicales
“La Orquesta Sinfónica Juvenil de Tijuana amenizará el evento”
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Registration For The 2009 ¡Viva El Mariachi! Festival Workshops Now Open
Workshop Date: Saturday, March 7, 2009
Mariachi music students can take advantage of early bird rates if they register for the ¡Viva El Mariachi! Workshops by Jan. 16, 2009! Radio Bilingüe’s anual ¡Viva el Mariachi! Festival Workshops are an opportunity for students of mariachi music to learn new skills and techniques as well as fine-tune those they already have, from professional mariachi musicians.

Von Husen Provides Leadership to Young Barons
By John Philip Wyllie
The Bonita Vista Barons Girls Basketball Team may find it hard to come up with an encore to last year’s magical season. The Barons shredded their Mesa League competition, glided through the CIF playoffs and made it all the way to the Cox Arena where they were edged by Poway in the CIF championship game. The stars of last season have moved on to the college. Three of them have made their respective college rosters. In their place is a young, but athletic team led by senior center, Ana Christina Von Husen.

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