Living Between Two World- Synthesis

 Communication and identity of the border community.

by Valeria Barajas 


Hello everyone!

Being part of the Tijuana-San Diego border community means living in constant flux, not only between worlds but also in language. People in this community continually adapt their communication style depending on where they are. We might start the day with "Adiós mami" in Tijuana and, within minutes, switch to a more formal "morning officer" " upon crossing the border into San Diego. It's completely normal for us, but it also demonstrates the unspoken value of adaptability that defines this community.

This flexibility in our communication is not only more comfortable but also helps us adapt better. Those of us who travel between both countries several times a week learn to adapt our tone, language, and even our "cura" to integrate more seamlessly. Not because we want to pretend, but because we maintain a balance between both societies. Communication is our support and helps us belong to two such different cultures at the same time. 

This idea relates to Vega Briones's (2016) article on "Población commuter de la frontera norte: el caso de Mexicali-Calexico y Tijuana-San Diego." In it, she explains how thousands of people cross daily to work, study, or maintain relationships, forming a unique community that depends on the constant interaction of two cultures. This leads to a hybrid identity, in other words, a mixed identity, where people learn to navigate both the Mexican and American social and cultural systems through communication. Vega describes the community as a daily negotiation of belonging, which, in my experience, aligns with the way we live, and as many in the border community will agree with me; if there's one thing we're experts at, it's adapting.


On the other hand, “Bringing New Life to San Ysidro” by Hirsh (2017) focuses on how urban projects in San Ysidro aim to reconnect both sides of the border through collaboration and infrastructure. His article shows that physical connections, such as the renovated pedestrian crossings, the San Ysidro Port of Entry, El Chaparral, and shared shopping centers, only work if people are willing to communicate and work together. And that’s exactly what life between these two worlds looks like, as merchants trying to attract customers from both sides can attest, as can families divided between Tijuana and San Diego, who stay connected through WhatsApp, Instagram, and a mix of Spanish and English.

For me, the Tijuana-San Diego border community is living proof that communication builds more than friendships or relationships; it builds an identity and a sense of belonging. Every sentence, whether in English or Spanish, keeps us connected to both societies, to two cultures and two cities united by cooperation and mutual communication.  They may be two completely different worlds divided by a border, yet our community, our communication, knows no wall that can stop it. 







Vega Briones, G.,  (2016). Población commuter de la frontera norte: el caso de Mexicali-Calexico y Tijuana-San Diego. Estudios Demográficos y Urbanos, 31(1), 207-238. https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=31244837007

Hirsh, L. (2017). Bringing new life to san ysidro. San Diego Business Journal, 38(23), 9-10. Retrieved from http://libproxy.sdsu.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/trade-journals/bringing-new-life-san-ysidro/docview/1912859355/se-2


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