Immersion Experience: Tijuana

List of 6 news stories.

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  DAY FIVE - SENDING OUR PRAYERS WITH OUR HANDS ON THE WALL

  2/10/2023
  A special moment from today was at the binational church service when all the participants in the service got the special opportunity to pray for and bless a family presenting themselves to apply for asylum. We could literally see this family through the peepholes in the wall (we also saw their adorable little boy running around). At the end of the service, we put our hands up on the wall and sent our prayers to all the immigrants waiting to cross. It was incredible that the Regis group along with many others experienced this powerful moment at the same time. It was truly breathtaking.
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  DAY FOUR - BONDED TOGETHER

  2/4/2023
  The moment that stuck out today was dancing with the children at the Cultural Center of Kumeyaay Indigenous People. We were gathered to watch them perform traditional dances to celebrate various parts of their lives. After finishing two dances, they invited us to join in for the third. We gathered around an oak tree and followed their steps, swaying from side to side and following closely in a line. We laughed with them, or rather they laughed at our lack of rhythm. Either way, it bonded us together. 
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  DAY THREE - OPENING HEARTS

  2/4/2023
  Today was one of the most beautiful but hectic days. When we woke up we went to the garden at the Wall in Friendship Park and had a really great time. It was a chance to connect with nature and learning about the binational garden was extremely impactful. Working with native plants and learning about the ecosystems was incredible. One of the most impactful moments was when Dan, an American who now lives in TJ and works in the Friendship Park garden, was arguing with Border Patrol about the wall. Next week there is a plan in place to build a 30 foot wall where the current wall is in place. Dan was explaining how badly it would destroy the ecosystems and the natural plant life already living there.
  
  
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  DAY TWO - MAKING CONNECTIONS

  2/2/2023
  Today we visited Chicano Park in San Diego. This area had been promised to the Chicano community as a park to make amends for the loss of access to the beach because of Naval installations and further degradation of the area due to highway construction. However, in 1969, construction began on a state highway patrol station. This development galvanized Chicano activists and residents of Barrio Logan. As they protested the demanded space for their own to use, the resulting land located under the highway bridges became what is now known as Chicano Park-a Mecca of Chicano art in the San Diego areas. Many of the most prominent murals recognize Latino and Chicano heroes, important historical events, and community members. 
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  DAY ONE - BEGINNING OUR JOURNEY

  2/1/2023
  The day started at 9 o’clock at DIA. We had a seamless check-in process and got through security in record time. We all checked that our gate existed and then went off to grab a bite before the plane boarded. The plane boarded at 11 and took off shortly after. The flight landed at 1 o’clock California time. We met our partners from Peace Works travels at the airport and headed to the hotel. After dropping off our bags and freshening up we left to go get some lunch in Old Town San Diego.
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  CURIOSITY AND EXCITEMENT AS WE PREPARE TO DEPART

  1/27/2023
  Why?
  
  Our Social Documentary class travels to Tijuana, Mexico this Wednesday. While there, we will be documenting our experiences and immersing ourselves in the local communities. Interviews, garden work, and a variety of different activities are lined up for us. Busy work and packing lists dot the boards, and zoom calls with our guides have helped breathe life into the reality of our departure next week.
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